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Chapter 4: Meeting Mrs. Thompson

“Just call me Maria. Now to the duties” she said as everyone quieted down to listen to their roles. I could feel the tension in the room.

“Audrey and I are to handle the master's bedroom and the study. That is, everything that has to do with the second floor from serving food to cleaning” She paused to look at Audrey who nodded at her satisfied with a smile on her face which didn't quite reach her eyes.

“Lisa and Gia, you are to handle the kitchen and the cleaning of the first floor from serving food to anything else on the first floor” She pauses again to look at them. Lisa was excited being a foodie, she gets to eat whenever she wants.

Gia was not happy; she has always wanted to be the young master's personal maid. She nodded reluctantly at Maria with a sour expression on her face. Maria continues as she looks at me smiling.

“Valerie, you are young master Victor's personal maid”

“What?” They all exclaimed while Gia looked at me with a jealous expression.

“That means, you are not to take part in any cleaning around the house. Your duties are on the third floor and everything that Victor's need” Maria continues smoothly ignoring their protests. I nodded at her when she was through. I hate the idea of having to wait on someone being Tiana's personal maid was worse and now this....

“That's so unfair” Gia exclaimed bitterly “Why did she get to be his maid when she just joined yesterday?”

“Why don't you go ask Mrs. Thompson?” Maria replied as she turned to walk out “Everyone to your duties now,” she shouted as we all scrambled out with our brush and duster.

“Valerie, come let me show you to the young master's bedroom” Maria called to me. She guides me up the stairs to the third floor. There were different drawings of a boy with blue eyes. That's rare, I've never seen anyone with blue eyes before. Maria stops in front of a door and turns to me.

“This is the young master's bedroom. Luckily for you he's not around. You come in here every day to clean, mop and sweep the hallway. Okay”

“Yes Maria” I reply

“Then after sweeping make sure, you dust the paintings” Maria said as she turned to go.

I counted the paintings on the wall, they were fifty all together. That's much right? but this is a piece of cake compared to what I had to do at my aunt’s house every day.

I opened the door to the young master's bedroom and exclaimed at the size of the room. It was bigger than my aunt's house. I can spend a whole day cleaning this room.

I immediately got to work, from dusting to cleaning and washing the bathtub. I was in the middle of dusting the paintings when Maria came to call me that Mrs. Thompson wanted to see me.

I drop the trash can and brush, and turn to follow her. Walking into the sitting room I was surprised to see her sitting beside a man who I assume to be her husband. This was the first time I would see him; he was agile and handsome with brown eyes and dark hair while Mrs. Thompson had blue eyes. I guess that's where the young master got his eyes from.

“Come here Valerie. I want you to meet someone” Mrs. Thompson called out to me immediately she noticed me standing at the stairs. I rushed to meet her with a smile on my face.

“Come on, sit down” she said as I sat down across from them bowing my head timidly.

“This is my husband Mr. Daniel Thompson,” she said, introducing me to her husband who was busy on his phone.

“Nice to meet you sir” I greeted him with a smile, he smiled back at me.

“Nice to meet you too Valerie. You are a good girl, how old are you?”

“I'm twenty years sir”

“Good. And please drop the sir, call me Daniel” He replied and went back to typing on his phone.

“Has Maria shown you to Victor's room?” Mrs. Thompson asked, looking at me.

“Yes ma'am. She has”

“Good. I want you to take him as your brother since both of you are in the same age range. I wanted to adopt you since I've always wanted a girl child but my lawyer said you are long past adoption since you are already an adult. But in my heart, you will always be the daughter I never had” Mrs. Thompson said as she hugged me close, tears welled up in my eyes as I fought to keep it at bay.

I never believed that someone could love me so much as to want to adopt me apart from my parents “Thank you so much ma’am”.

“You're welcome, dear. Have you eaten?” She asked me as she sat back down on the couch opposite me.

“Not yet”

“Go into the kitchen and pick whatever you want to eat” she said waving me off to the kitchen. I walk in to see Lisa and Gia eavesdropping on us. Lisa smiles at me as she dishes my food while Gia was frowning and glaring dagger at me.

“Did you know Mrs. Thompson from anywhere before?” Gia asked looking at me

“No,” I replied, taking the food from Lisa and sat down before taking a spoonful into my mouth.

“She seems unnecessarily kind to you and that's so unfair” Gia laments bitterly

“I'm surprised too,” I replied, smiling happily to myself.

“What is there to be happy about?” Gia shouted at me as she dropped the broom she was holding and walked out angrily. I looked at Lisa shocked.

“Don't mind her Valerie. She can be very dramatic sometimes” Lisa said as I shrugged and went back to eating my food.

Thirty minutes later I was back in the young master's bedroom dusting and cleaning his portraits on the wall in the hallway. It was getting dark by now and I just couldn't wait for night to fall to rest my weary bones.

“This is where you are,” Audrey exclaimed. I turn to see her standing at the stairs looking at me surprised.

“Yes. Where else will I be?” I asked her, rolling my eyes at her for asking me a stupid question.

“Come on, it's time for bed” she said, dragging me down the stairs to the maid's quarter while I protested furiously.

“But I'm not yet through with cleaning the portraits”

“You don't have to finish everything today. Moreover, young master won't be around still weekends. You can always do it before then” she said as I sat down on the bed defeatedly. Gia and Lisa were already snoring while Audrey and I chatted still the wee hours of the morning before we decided to sleep.

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