Little Red Ch. 01

The tang of blood stained the insides of my cheeks. I lay there, still, motionless... inert, that was defiantly one of the longest times Drew had ever beaten me. I don't even remember what I did that got him so mad; maybe the living room wasn't clean enough. Or the soup, he hates when it when I cook to spicy food. My left eye was swollen shut and my top lip busted, I knew I would have to call in 'sick' tomorrow for work. My so called friends there couldn't find out about what I have been putting up with for 3 years of my life any one couldn't for that matter. Because then he would be in trouble, then, so would I. They'd all tell me to "leave him", give me all this bull about how he doesn't care about me or love me, but when it comes down to it, none of them would dare offer me a place in there home to sleep at night, I continued to think in my head. Scared they might get involved or hurt, so why take their advice if I have no one to help me put it into motion.

"Get your ass up off the floor!" Drew's angered voice cut into my thoughts. I moved my leg to let him know I heard his demand.

"All I know is this house better be clean when I get off work, and no soup tonight, now get the hell up! Do you hear me Patricia?" he waited awhile to hear a responding moan, and with that stormed out.

So it was the soup. I heard him leave out, had I really been passed out here in the bathroom all night? Left laying here? I bet he wouldn't have cared if I bled to death, I bet he would have laughed and even watched if this were true. My scenarios playing over and over, I struggled to pull myself up my limbs still weak and numb from lying in the same position all night. I need to call into the office, I can't go in like this, and please let my boss cut me some slack. I found the upstairs phone as I plopped down onto the bed and dialed, my throat became hoarse and dry.

"Mr. Carrington?" I said softly as I heard the other end come in.

"Yes Patricia? What excuse do you have for today? This is the 3 time this week you have called in not to come to work. Now what is it this time?" His Voice was full of frustration with me; it was only a matter of time before I got fired. Then he wouldn't have to worry about me calling in with excuses at all.

"Ms. Vanity? Are you still there?"

"Yes," I responded back quickly "I'm sick sir, been down in the dumps ever since last night I tried to convince my boyfriend to let me go in but he won't let me ... To worried." I stumbled out at the last second.

"Hm. Tell you what, you've used up all of your vacation days so either you come in or you're fired."And with that he hung up the phone. My heart sank; I climbed on the middle of the bed and sat looking at the crimson and golden sunrise coming up over the emerald and yellow hilltops from my second story window. I didn't even notice that I was crying until I felt the teardrop hit and disturb the stillness of my shirt. My faint sobs filling the quite room, it was only 9:30 and I didn't have much cleaning to do maybe I could clean up and go out searching for a new job knowing in my mind that I had basically lost the on I just had, I know the coffee house downtown always has a pin board full of offers, and Drew would never even know the difference, not like he would visit me anyhow. I have shades, and if anyone asks about my lip I can say I busted it when I opened my car door

"Clumsy me," I said aloud. It was mid afternoon when I had finally found a place that was hiring, A man named Markus Jed, he was looking for someone to keep his house clean and explained on the flier that he was always too busy to do so himself. I sighed, all id ever be good for was cleaning a man's house. God has made in incapable of anything else, I pulled off one of the number tabs storming away mad at my own low self thoughts and out of the coffee shop.

He lived in the old Williams house, which was said to have weird activity there every other night. I drove by everyday on my way to work, never even knowing what the house looked like, it was deep into in the forest, the vibrant vegetation its armored shield. The drive way was elongated, with curves here and there shaded well by the tall slumping tree's resembling an army of slender men dressed in dark brown clothing. I shivered when the thought entered my head as if they were watching me closely as I drove down the dirt road, whispering game plans of my demise while creating an arch like mask of protection over the drive way.

The shade giving a dark like feel to the whole place, the dogwood petals from the tree's not looking as graceful falling on the dirt road. I ignored the feeling of getting into something I wasn't supposed to be and continued on until I came to a huge clearing, an old house sat in the far center. Not counting the attic, the 2 story brick house was adorned with a white balcony and Greek like poll statues on the long open porch sitting there proud looking as if it were a time capsule. The front yard big in length and width, the grass rich and well cut. I bet you could run twice around its perimeter and it'd be a mile.

Id finally reached the house; the tall tree's still cutting it off from ever source of human life. But the sun still shined through enough to add a glowing affect to it all.

"You'd be dead before hand if you were to get chased out here" I said out to myself. I walked up the steps and knocked lightly at the door admiring the big open porch as I waited,

"Looks well kept to me I don't see why-"The door flew open.

"You Patricia?" A black man in an apron stood in the door way, his had resting on his left hip and the other holding at the door. I knew right off that he was gay, his flamboyant introduction giving it away.

" 'cuses me? I mean is you her or not?" He cocked his head to the side and waited on my answer.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to be rude and stare." He rang out with laughter.

"Used to it, don't be so dang stiff girl I ain't gon' bite your not my type." He slapped his knee pleased with his joke.

"As you can tell I ain't one to hold nothing back, my name is Manny I'm the cook, I'm only here on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays so I'm sorry to inform you that you won't get to see my beautiful presence every day." He dipped and came back up slow, I laughed and shook his out reached hand.

"Patricia" I smiled and said.

"Markus in his study so I'm gon' introduce you two then tell you all of what you gon' be doing up in here and show you 'round" I shook my head in agreement. I walked into the house amazed by what I took in, the off white walls lit golden by the sun. The living room was to my left a fire place caught my eye, all kinds of old Nick knacks atop of it.

A fire already made and ablaze keeping the house warm from the oncoming October nights. The brown leather couch sat in front of it, with another leather arm chair off to the right corner across from it, back far from the fire place but right between it and the stained floor length windows, shining different colors of light on to the floors, In the left corner stood two book shelves one against the wall with the fire place, and another against the opposite while a book lay open on a speaker's podium. All of it reminding me of a living room you'd see in a gam of clue. I turned back and observed the kitchen to the right all white with wooden floors only the sinks were in view leaning back a little I could see a cutting table centered with veggie's and meat that Manny hadn't yet finished with. Much more simple.

In front of me was a wide stair case with a balcony like look when you reached the top, that then led to two open halls one to the left and the other to the right, the turning corners not allowing me to see the doors to the rooms. A table stood at the top with freshly cut roses in a fragile hand carved crystal vase.

"I am not dusting that" I said aloud smirking at my lame puns. Behind the staircase was another hall way two doors on each side then one in the center at the end. Manny was already walking down it I scurried to catch up behind him only slowing down when he reached the second door on the left of the dimly candle lit hall, Spinning around noticing that the chandelier held candles too. Odd I thought as I searched for light switches not yet finding any.

"Mista' Markus! Yo' new maid here! Open this door and get yo' nose out them studies old man!"

"You may enter" and deep Wales accent said through the heavy door. Manny rolled his eyes and mumbled to himself; "I said for you to answer the door" I giggled and followed behind.

in-going I saw a man sitting in a worn black leather chair his desk facing away from the door and at the window, the setting sun illuminating the dust in the air reflecting similar to sparkles as the fell and twisted with the wind drafts, a book shelve on each side of the room, while the shelves were organized his desk sat a cluttered mess of letters and other important looking books and papers. This man sure loves to read. I thought,

"What is it Manny?" his accent putting a smile across my face.

"The woman for the job is here to see what she's get..." He broke in as if he knew what he was going to say, finishing Mannys sentence by stating his reply.

"Well if she stays out of my way then I'll stay out of hers and we won't have to get into anything so there will not be a thing to worry about now will it?"

"No sir," Manny said rolling his eyes again. I tossed back my coarse black curls with my left hand pushing my sun glasses higher up on my face, tugging at the wrist of my sweater to hide my bruised brown skin.

"It's nice to meet you Sir,"

"Markus, please" He replied out blankly. I'm glad he hasn't looked at me, i'm starting to second guess this disguise. I gave myself a re-assuring smile, the whole time he didn't look away from his books and papers, scribbling something down in his notebook every now and then. His lightly tanned arms unwillingly flexing whenever he moved them, the polished rings glimmering in the light, his medium hair twisted into curls, the front lightly pushed back away from his face all a golden brown color.

The matching stubble lined across his face connecting with his mustache and sideburns, more little stubble's peaking out on his bottom lip. His cheeks adorned with dimples and soft but high cheek bones. I observed this all from his right side, and I couldn't help but stair, everything about him rang out, strong and classic, they don't make them like me anymore. So handsome, I said in my head smiling to myself, he can't be over 23, 24 maybe, not noticing that he had asked for my name, I replied quickly but soft "Patricia."

"Can you start tomorrow?"

"Yes of course, and thank you so much you don't know how-"

"You're welcome," he turned in his chair and looked at me through his glasses, pausing for a moment as if confused about something then said.

"Well, Good then that is all. I wake up earlier so you will need to be here by 6. Understood?"

"Yes sir"

"Markus" he repeated. His golden earth tone eye's almost a glowing yellow studying me. I'd never seen a pair like them before, they captivated me he removed his glasses from his face,

"You may be on your way now Ms. Patricia, No shades tomorrow though and dress comfortably." I nodded and was led out by Manny quickly glancing over my shoulder to see that Markus was still studying me, his face hard and concentrated. Manny continued on and showed me around all of the upstairs, all the guest bedrooms and bathrooms, saying that the rest of the rooms down in the hall way were Mr. Markus worked was filled with old furniture and boxes. I took in all of what he was saying about what I had to do and how I had to be careful with some things and how for all we know they could be older than my ancestors, I looked around noticing that some things did look vintage and to valuable to be touched and I nodded my head in agreement. Realizing that while we were up stairs Manny had skipped a room, Must have been Mr. Jed's, "Markus" correcting myself in my head with a old sounding English like accent and laughing inside a little.

"Manny?"

"Yeah girl?," cranking his neck back to look at me over his shoulder as he walked with me to my car.

"That room we skipped up stairs?"

"Mr. Markus's, He don't like people goin' in there so I guess he keeps it clean his'self, don't worry about it one thing less fo' you to do, and that means mo' tim fo' use to find his liquor stash and get wasted when he ain't lookin' " he said snickering, I smiled and giggled along with him. It was good to hear an accent close to home, from all places Drew chose Minnesota. I thought back to the times I had growing up in NC then came back to reality after a second or two.

"It was nice meeting you" I said with a smile,

"You too!" and turned and walked his way back into the house. I pulled off not noticing Markus looking though one of the window by the double door entrance at me. I was to busy dreading going home.