It was my first day of work at the Montoya estate. I had briefed my aunt about how it all went. She was troubled about the whole affair. I can't blame her, though; the way I explained it all to her was a bit too dramatic for her fragile heart. Apparently, one of the requirements stated in the contract was that I had to relocate permanently to the estate as long as I worked there. They were considerate enough to include days off.
Cynthia was so wonderful after our meeting with the scary Doña Esperanza and the serious Marisol Ortega. She took me to an ice cream spot and made me pay for both our ice creams. I smiled at the memory of how she snatched my ice cream when she noticed I couldn't go on.
I stepped in front of the full-length mirror in my room to inspect my appearance. The dress was fitted, and the fabric clung to my curves. I looked… well, I looked so lovely, if I say so myself. It was the same design as Marisol's uniform, but it was different in color. Where hers was navy blue, mine was rose pink. Plus, my uniform didn't come with a beret—bummer. I think the beret was a subtle hint at how workers are ranked here.
The only problem I noticed about the uniform was that the dress was a little too short, sitting above my knees. The top hints at the swell of my bust. I'm not against the dress; in fact, I loved it. The problem is that I'm not a dress or skirt kind of girl. It's either dungarees, trousers, or shorts. I turn around to appreciate my backside.
I walked towards the dressing table to put on my makeup, my necklace, and my wristwatch. I took one last look at my appearance in the mirror before I headed out.
Since I didn't know where I had to start working, I headed to the building where I met Doña Esperanza. I had barely moved close enough to the building when its door opened. Doña Esperanza and a young lady stepped out. Doña Esperanza looked the same way I initially met her: severe, composed, and immovable. The younger lady was slim, with warm brown skin and expressive eyes. She also had a smile on her face.
"Doña Esperanza," I said as a means of greeting, one I learned was the right way.
"Alice," she responded, "how was your night? I do hope you had a lovely night."
If I were to be honest, I would have just said how horrible my night was. But she didn't care about my night; I bet she wasn't even asking for the sake of formality. I was afraid I had left Tía at home all alone. Although Cynthia assured me she would be checking on Tía constantly, my heart was still heavy. Then I couldn't sleep at all.
"Oh yes, of course," I replied with a smile.
"Good, I like the fact that you're punctual. So, this is Lucia Alvarez," she said, going straight to the point. "She has been working here for three years. She's going to be your guide for the meantime until you get the hang of how things are properly run here," she introduced.
Lucia extended her hand for a shake. "I'm sure you must be Alice. I'm happy to meet you," she said, giving me a handshake. Her voice was the sweetest of melodies.
I smiled back and said, "I'm happy to meet you too," meaning every word. She was also wearing the same design as Marisol and me, but her uniform color was brown. I wondered what rank she was.
Doña Esperanza clasped her hands behind her back. "Lucia will show you your duties for the day. You will observe first. You will not speak unless spoken to. You will not ask questions unless necessary. And you will listen."
I wasn't clear exactly what I was to listen for, but I replied, "Of course, Doña."
Doña Esperanza looked a little too long at me before sending us off to begin the day's work. We both turned our backs to the building, heading in the direction of a waiting car. Once inside, the car drove in absolute silence. Lucia kept looking at me with a huge smile on her face, as if she couldn't wait for something.
We alighted at the main house, and I was struck again with awe. I don't think I will ever get used to the sight.
"So, today's work will be light." Her sweet voice made me look at her. "You know how to do basic cleaning, right? We'll start with one of the rooms and end with the study. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, of course, sure. That's fine," I replied.
"So, are you this quiet, or is it the uncertainty and fear taking over?" The warmth in her voice removed the sting of her words. I simply smiled, not knowing what to say.
"Your first day?" she asked.
"Is it that obvious?" I replied with a chuckle.
"Kind of. Just let it all sink in; you'll get used to it all soon. The quietness, the orders... the mystery," she said, the last bit with a wink. "And Doña Esperanza? She's not as frightening as she initially seems. She is frightening, alright, but as you continue working here, you'll notice she can be sweet too."
We headed for a closet with cleaning equipment. Following her lead, I grabbed a few tools, and we headed for a room door. "I'm supposed to lead you to a demo work area, but a routine party is being held later in the evening, and these rooms need to be ready for the guests. For now, we sort. Doña Esperanza likes order before noon," Lucia prepped.
"A party? What sort of party?" I ask so I don't look dumb.
"It's something that's held every Thursday. Big Gun invites all his friends, associates, and investors for a closed-door party until the wee hours of the morning. These rooms are kept ready for them to spend the night." Damn, she's such a chatty one. I like her already.
"I'm sorry, who's Big Gun? And do you know what sort of party it is?" I asked to fill the ensuing silence.
She looked at me and gave a knowing smile. "You'll find out." Okay? Was that supposed to be a threat or an invitation?
Changing the topic, I asked, "Why different uniform colors, though?"
Folding the fresh towels that were inside a bucket, she replied without raising her head, "You are very observant. The blue dress with apron and beret is for the supervisors. Then the brown," she smiled, "is for candidates brought in by Doña or Big Gun, who have served for more than six months. The pink is for all newbies. The yellow is for candidates that have debts or scores to settle, for themselves or family members, with Big Gun." She paused to strain her ear to the sounds coming from outside the door.
It turned out more servants had arrived to tend to the other rooms. She momentarily moved to the door to affirm before coming back to her position. I was dusting the surface of the furniture.
"So where was I?" she said, looking at the ceiling, trying to recall. "Oh yes, the dress colors and their meanings. So after yellow is green. That's for all candidates brought in by any other senior staff or supervisors who have served for more than six months."
"So apparently, newbies are new for six months?" I asked.
"Yes, of course," she answered.
We worked in silence after that. Then Lucia led me to the study when we were done cleaning our allotted rooms. Since we were on a short break, Lucia left me in the study. I paced around for a bit before going to the window to take a look. Below, I saw a big black, shiny Jeep. There were some servants, two well-dressed kids, and a man with lovely chestnut hair around the car. The shape of his hair looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen it. Maybe in a movie. His back was to me, though. It looked like he was saying farewell to the kids.
The little boy was already in the car, but the girl faced the man with chestnut hair. They appeared to be talking for a while, then she looked up at me. I couldn't tell if she saw me, so I waved. She looked somewhat puzzled at first, but then she smiled, a small smile, before she eventually entered the vehicle.