"Elizabeth!"Karen called as she walked from the balcony towards where she suspected Elizabeth would be at.
"Weren't you aware I was calling you?" asked Karen a bit angry as she approached Elizabeth now. Elizabeth was a bit startled and looked up from what she was doing. She truly had no idea she was called.
"I'm sorry ma, I didn't hear you," replied Elizabeth slightly, bending her head in nervousness. She didn't want to get into any more trouble with anyone. She was just getting out of the one she had with their boss' son and wasn't ready for another moment of draining questioning again.
Karen looked at her in disgust, "why are you still not done with this, you very much know sir Clinton would be back any moment from now and his room needs to be cleaned. Please hurry up a bit for once in your life!"
"Yes ma, I would be faster," Elizabeth replied as she increased her pace with the cleaning. Karen left after she gave her one last displeased look.
It wasn't too long before Elizabeth finished with the cleaning and quickly hurried to Clinton's room to also clean it. Immediately she opened the door, a dirty smell emanated from the room. A choking smell.
"Jeez! Uh! Uh! Uh!" she coughed and used one of her hands to cover her nose.
"How can a human that has the blood running through him mess up a room in this manner?" Elizabeth asked rhetorically.
"Me."
She heard a voice say behind her. She froze that moment as her heart nearly jumped out of her mouth. How could she not know that voice? Her nightmare. What would she do now?
"Erm, sir. I..." she tried to explain but the look she met on Clinton's face tied her tongue.
"I did," Clinton said, still looking at her in a very mean maner.
"What?" Elizabeth asked, confused.
"How can a human that has the blood running through him mess up a room in this manner' " he mimicked her, "I did. So tell me what you would do to me," said Clinton as he began to majestically walk fully into the room with his eyes still fixed on Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was more afraid now. This is the devil she knows. The one that won't stop tormenting her life. She shut her eyes tight and prayed the pain would be less on her.
She felt him walk to her front but suddenly stopped. Her body shook in fear. She hadn't seen him come in. She would have known better than to speak to his hearing. She just wished whatever punishment he would melt out to her would not be so hard on her.
To her utmost surprise, without saying even a word to her, he turned back and left the room.
Elizabeth opened her eyes slowly once she heard the sound of his footsteps completely disappear from the room.
That was the very first time Clinton had pardoned her without punishing her first. She couldn't believe it. She wondered if something was wrong with him. Though, it was something to be happy about, at least she wasn't punished as usual but it was too real to be completely accepted by her. Elizabeth hoped within her that Clinton wasn't planning to make it worse for her by letting her go for this one.
"What if he comes back to punish me?" She asked her fellow colleague when the cleaning was done and they were having free time.
"I'm not sure he does that."
"Does what?" asked a confused Elizabeth.
"I mean come back to punish someone, he does whatever he wants to do that spot. Don't worry, he forgave you. Go and sin no more," Ruth answered, focusing more on the cotton material she was crocheting.
Elizabeth shivered in fear as she stood before the chief maid and the wife of her boss, Ms Smith. Their eyes stared daggers at her that she wished she had a choice. She would have preferred being swallowed by the ground than facing the two women before her.
Karen as the chief maid has always hated her guts and never seized to use any opportunity she gets to show it.
As for Ms Smith, Elizabeth couldn't really tell her problems with her but she concluded it could be from the influence of her son. After all, she would always side with her son so she didn't let it bother her that much.
She knew it, she had doubted Clinton's unusual quick forgiveness to her and suspected he planned something else. And right she was. Clinton never really let her go. Of course he wouldn't ever do that, more reason why she had her doubts.
"Elizabeth!" Karen shouted at the lost in thoughts Elizabeth.
"Yes ma," answered Elizabeth, prepared for anything.
Ms Smith stood up and casually began to walk towards Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was standing very close to the door. As she saw Ms Smith approach her, even with her look casual and void of anger, she still knew how dangerous she could be.
For the years Elizabeth has served the Smith's family, she has been able to study them and learn some of their characteristics. Though she would admit, she was still far from completely knowing them. But moments like this where Ms Smith acts so casually and not worried was when she should even be feared. To her, it was the most important time to watch your back more.
"I picked you up from the gutters, fed you, clothed you and still do!" Her voice was gradually rising now as she stopped just in front of Elizabeth.
Elizabeth doesn't dare look down. No matter how much she wished to run from her presence or even at least put her face down, she dare not. That is the fastest way to call for death from Ms Smith.
"How dare you? How dare you insult my son in this house? How dare you? You this cheap..."
She was still saying when Karen ran and held her.
"It's okay ma'am, she will face her punishment."
Elizabeth stared, horror-struck at Ms Smith's reaction. Is it just what she said that Clinton reported to her mother or was there something else she didn't know that is behind Ms Smith extreme reaction. She knew Ms Smith had temper issues but today's own baffled her.
After Ms Smith calmed down, she continued, "I don't like my anger being awakened by Elizabeth. Know your place in this house and stay put in it. And let this be the very last time I get this type of report again. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am," responded Elizabeth as she waited to hear her punishment from her.
But Ms Smith left the room leaving her alone with Karen.
"For the rest of the week, you are in charge of all the cleaning in this house alone," she said laying a heavy emphasis on alone.
Elizabeth considered the punishment harsh for a little mistake she did but there was nothing she really could do about it.
It was Tuesday, which automatically means she would 'alone' clean the Smith's mansion for the remaining six days. She envisioned how difficult it would be for her to single handedly clean the mansion considering how big the house is. To even think it wasn't just once a day task but twice in a day work. A work that more than ten maids do that only her would do.
Pity.