8

I was there on my room's balcony staring down waiting for him to get inside his car. After the car drove off I came out of my room and went towards the kitchen. The kitchen was not a normal kitchen but more like the professional kitchen of the restaurant. I opened some cupboards in the hope of getting some jar of cookies or something but I found nothing like that.  

"Hi, there do you need something? "  

I jumped at my spot I turned around to see a small curly-haired brunette woman in her mid-forties smiling at me warmly with her hands clasped in front.  

"I just wanted something to eat. I am Tessa."  

"I know that Mrs. Gray. I am Martha, the housekeeper."  

I was rooted in my spot. She had called me Mrs. Gray.  

"Please call me Tessa. You are older than me I feel odd." She laughed at that.  

"Okay, Tessa you are hungry? Should I make something for you?"  

"Yes please," I said. She nodded and proceeded to the huge fridge.  

"Hey, Martha is it okay if I watch you while you cook. I don't know how to cook except for the packed stuff which you just have to boil and all."  

"I could teach you. It would be nice." 

"Thank you! So what are we making today?"  

"Curried sausages?"  

"Okay."  

Martha instructed me to get the ingredients from cupboards. While she prepared the sausages she told me to cut the vegetables. I had barely finished cutting an onion and a carrot she observed me.  

"You are doing good."  

"Thanks."  

She joined me and started cutting an onion. She chopped it at such an incredible speed I thought she would cut her fingers in the process. The onions were sliced in a neat manner.  

"How did you learn to cut like that?"  

"I used to work in a restaurant before."  

"Why did you leave it?"  

"Mr. Gray was offering me 5 times my original pay so I couldn't say no. I had to take it. At that time my children were in college and I needed money for their education."  

"How old are they?"  

"I have a son and a daughter. They both are 28."  

"What about your husband? " I was curious to know that how could she manage all by herself.  

"That man is dead".  

And the pan hissed as Martha put some oil in it. I was taken aback by the way she said it. She didn't feel any remorse while saying it. She looked at me and she knew what I was thinking.  

"I know you must be thinking that why don't I feel sad or regret his death. He wasn't a good man. Use to drunk so much. The neighbors always complained about him."

I just kept on staring at her. I was keen to know more about her. She sighed and continued.

"I was nineteen when I was married off to him. Had two children. At a point, he started hitting us too. The alcohol killed him. He died a few years ago."  

"I am sorry to hear that."  

"I am not. After his death I found out he was drowning in depths, duped a couple of people. It took me a long time to clear everything."  

It was stunning to hear all of this. Even after so much she survived it and was capable of providing for her two grown-up children.  

"It's ready." She announced.  

I got out two plates and served the curried sausages before she could do it. We sat on the kitchen's platform and dug into our sausages. I tasted it. It had turned out pretty good.

"This is amazing," I said.  

"Glad you liked it."  

"It's amazing how you got through with all of this Martha."  

"I couldn't just stop working just because of him. I fell in love with my children. That was enough to drive me."  

We were silent for a while. She spoke again.  

"You and Mr. Gray would have beautiful children."  

I looked at her and smiled but I didn't mean it. If only she knew.  

"When does he come back anyway?"  

"He works very hard. He goes at 9 and returns by 10 in the night. Some days he doesn't come home."  

"Hey, Martha I have another favor to ask you."  

"Hmm sure go ahead."  

"I have a job interview tomorrow and I don't know what to wear. Can you help me?"  

"Yeah sure, why not."  

We went into my room and opened the boxes. She helped me unpack. During this time I got to know her better. We finally decided that I would wear a half-sleeved maroon shirt with grey trousers and the same black Belle shoes.  

"At what time is the interview?"  

"10 am," I replied while folding a shirt.  

"If you need me I'll be in the kitchen. I have to prepare for dinner"  

"Thanks, Martha. I had a great time today."  

"Your welcome. Me too." She smiled and then closed the door behind her.  

The rest of the day I didn't leave my room. I prepared for the interview to watched some TV. Later on, I was sitting on the balcony looking at the stars.  

*Dear diary,  

Today I met Martha, the housekeeper. She seemed like a nice person and also taught me how to make curried sausages. Martha had a tough life. Just like me, she had an arranged marriage but she had two kids. However, her husband was not a good man. An alcoholic abusive man who hit his wife and kids. His bad ways led him to his own death and Martha didn't regret it at all. I found it confusing that why didn't she leave him. She told me it was because of the children. It was stunning to know how she managed to bring up her kids well all by herself. She also told me that Dylan had actually funded her children's college education without his help she couldn't do it. I was kind of shocked by hearing this. I didn't see him as a charity man but then again I barely know him. She thinks he and I would have beautiful children. Martha still doesn't stop working she says she has to repay him for helping her. I found she and I had and a lot of common things. There was a lot to discover and learn.*