hey everyone! sorry for the long update. Let's just say life got in the way and I've haven't been able to get anything done. Anyway, I was going to add more to this chapter, wanting to progress a little more with my couple, but i figure i can do that next time. So here it is. Please ignore the grammers, i'm horrible at it. ^_^
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Chapter 9
“Look. This is the last time I’m telling you this. I’m not taking any more work. You know that I’m quitting.” Yaya foraged into her purse for her keys as she spoke into the Bluetooth. “I’m not even supposed to be on duty, today. But I do it out of respect for you. Please don’t bother me anymore.”
“But—“
“If I’m ready to start again, I promise you’ll be the first to know. Bye. And thank you.” She hung up before her boss was able to protest any further. Sighing, Yaya placed the cell into her purse and opened the door to her apartment. “I’m home, aunty.” She announced and drop haplessly onto the couch. Her headaches been getting worse lately and the higher dose of aspirin is not helping. She rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. “Auntie?”
This is not working, she thought in frustration, not sure if she’s thinking about the medicine or her life in general. She continued to rub her forehead, hoping the dull ache would subside. The quiet atmosphere of the room seems to help relax her somewhat. If only her life was the same.
Wondering what her nanny is doing, she got up and made her way toward the kitchen. But her footstep stopped suddenly as she spotted objects placed ornamentally along the wall, and displayed on the hall dresser. She paused in a moment of wistfulness, followed quickly by anger. “Auntie!”
“What is it, miss?” her old nanny came walking out of the kitchen, her always-ready-smile slowly fading as she took note of the expression on her mistress’ face.
Without taking her eyes off the offending objects, Yaya spoke in a hoarse tone. “Who told you to put these here?”
Taken back, the older woman stared helpless at her mistress. “No one, Miss. I just noticed that they are very beautiful. I thought it would be a waste for it to sit in the storage room, so I—”
Yaya whirled around. “I told you, didn’t I? I don’t want to see them again.”
“But miss, these are beautiful. I’ve thought you might feel better, see—”
“The only thing that will make me feel better is to see these atrocious things locked away.” She took controlled breathes to help ease the anger. Instead, it only seems to strengthen her anger and that awful ache that she had become very familiar with lately. She turned away from the objects. “Take it away,” she whispered, barely managing to control herself. “Get it out of my face.”
“But, miss, these are your—”
Yaya’s temper snapped. “I don’t care what they are?! Get it out of my face!” She stared at the incredulous expression on her nanny’s face and her control snapped. “Fine. If you don’t do it, I will.” She stalked over to wall and started grabbing the frames one by one, pulling them off the wall and tables and toss them carelessly onto the floor. The picture frames shattered against the hardwood floor, sending glass shards flying all over the place. “I don’t want to see them. Do you hear me? I don’t want to see them!”
“Miss! Miss! Don’t! Please!” The older woman grabbed her mistress from behind, tears started to fall from her eyes. “Don’t! You worked so hard on them. Please don’t destroy them. Please!”
Yaya struggled with her. “Don’t stop me! Leave me alone! I’m getting rid of them. Let go!”
Too occupied with their struggles, the two of them failed to note the knock on the door, nor the footsteps of a man entering the condo, having heard the commotions. Quick to assess the situation with one brief but thorough scan of the room and the two struggling bodies by the hallway, he made his way toward them.
Unfortunately, by that time, Yaya, having use all her strength, pushed the woman away from her, the momentum causing the older woman to slip and fall over the shattered glass.
“Auntie!” The man yelled and came to assist her, but not before the shattered pieces of glass cut into her flesh, and bright red blood gushing out like waterworks. The man took off his outer coat and pressed them against the wound. “Don’t move.”
While the man tended the wounds, the nanny stared up at Yaya. Her face was paled as she stared at girl she had raise, now turned into a stranger. The man glared at Yaya accusingly. “What are you doing?”
Having become shocked by her actions, Yaya stood there as if she was a frozen statue. His words snapped her back into reality, and she quickly wiped the tears that were welling in her eyes. “I told her to let me go,” she said, managing to sound as unaffected as possible.
Ignoring them, she grabbed the remaining frames and threw them against the wall, while the two of them watched helplessly from the sidelines, her nanny’s face filled with shocked and disbelief. The other, incredulous and something that border hate and disapproval.
When the deed was done, Yaya stood in the middle of the room, lost in her thoughts as she watched the destruction of what had been once her dreams and livelihood. A teardrop slipped from her eyes as she tried to stamp down that void in her heart. “See to it that it will not happen again,” she whispered. Turning to face her nanny, she ignored the man, who was looking at her with obvious disgust. “If you can’t do that, then go home. I can manage without you.”
She heard a sharp intake of breathe as well as her name being called, but she ignored them. “Understood?”
Her nanny stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. Then listlessly, she replied in a humble tone, “Yes, mistress.”
Yaya exchanged a warning glance at the man glaring at her and stalked out of the room. Once in the safety of her locked room, all the strengths she had somehow mustered up suddenly dissolved into thin air, leaving her weak and exhausted. She slid quietly onto the floor in a helpless heap, managing not to make a sound as sobs started to tear at her throat. And there, she allowed her the tears to fall. Only this time, she promised herself. Only this time, and she’ll not cry again. But she has a good reason to now. Because it will get worse after this.
And she cannot afford any more wounds to fester…
Oblivious to the going on in the privacy of the bedroom, Barry sweep the floor clean of glass with the broom he found in the kitchen storage. It doesn’t get all the glass out, but it’s nothing a good vacuuming won’t cure. He paused and glanced at the housekeeper, who sat on the couch, paled and lost in her own thoughts, and mentally sighed.
Barry had finished dressing her wounds earlier and had thanks the lucky stars that it wasn’t too deep, nor will it require stitches. It will heal in time, given proper treatment and care. If only that can be said about the person herself. Since her mistress locked herself in the bedroom, the elder woman became so lost in her thought that she doesn’t even flinch when Barry had flushed the wound with alcohol he found from the first aid kit in the bathroom. If she continued to be like that, he is going to have to call the ambulance for fear she might be in shock. If she is, she needs proper treatment.
Damn that heartless woman.
If it wasn’t for his fears of the housekeeper bleeding to death, he would had marched after that woman and teach her a few lesson or two at how to treat an elder. Nothing get him riled up more than seeing a younger person treating an elderly with disrespect, much less one that raised her since birth.
After discarding the glass into the trash, Barry paused in kitchen to compose himself. If he doesn’t, he might let his emotion get a hold of him and find himself breaking down the master bedroom’s door. Sighing, he wondered how in the world does Mai have such a heartless sister. Even worst, how could Mai care about such a person. Selfish, heartless, and with no regards to anyone besides herself. He ran a hand over his face, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Experience in the medical field had taught him that there are such people in the world and there’s nothing other can do about it. It could be that Mai was unlucky and ended up with someone like that. The question, however, is how will he manage to get the message across to her.
Having met Yaya on the last three occasions, she had been nothing but trouble, a huge source of migraine and frustrations. Barry was never the person to judge base on first impressions. He was a firm believer in seeing through actions rather than words and appearance. And so far, Yaya’s actions the last three times he met her only help to confirm his conclusion that she the most rebellious and self-centered woman he ever came across.
Recalling the morning after the almost-car accident, Barry wondered if he should tell Mai that the deal was off.
Having felt that he has enough time t recuperate, Barry made his way back to the nanny, who finally recovered some of her color. Noticing that he has missed some cuts on her fingers, Barry grabbed the first aid kit again. While tending to her fingers, Barry couldn’t help but noticing that the woman was old enough to be his grandmother. Again, rage started to consume him. Doesn’t she see that? The woman raised her, damn it!
“She doesn’t mean it, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Surprise, Barry glance up briefly at the woman. Though it was obvious of the woman’s distress, she manage a smile. “Miss Yaya hasn’t always been like this.” Barry scowled. The woman continued. “She was always the first one by my side when I’m sick and the last person in the world to want any harm to come to me.”
“Apparently, she changed,” he simply said.
That made the woman smile again. “Yes, people can change. But I’m a firm believer that people cannot change their true character. And her character has always been kind and giving.”
Barry remained quiet. Though he was tempted to argue, a part of him knew that she is right. He grew up believing that too, a reason why he doesn’t care for first impression. With the benefit of a doubt, he had to admit that if she managed to have a person this loyal to her, then there must be something about her that is worth helping.
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Hope you guys enjou the update. Sorry again for the long wait. Have fun updating too, writers. I can't wait to read the rest. ^_^