Chapter seven
"Wine or red?" Mercy asks me.
"Wine," I reply and she smiles. I've been taking lessons pertaining to what Hattie loves for two days now.
I'm just so happy I'm doing this. I've been living fine for the past two days. I eat well and I don't go around working.
What I was told to do was read and read about Hattie. I was even trained on how she walks.
Now, I think I'm up to perfection. Well, Hattie is perfect.
"Trousers or skirt?"
I smile this time, "I will prefer a jean trouser, if not, then I will go with skirt."
Mercy chuckles softly, " You are done. I didn't expect you to be so quick with it."
My mom too is doing well. I called her yesterday and her voice said it all. I'm just so happy I'm putting the family in a good position.
A soft knock sounds on the door. I turn towards the door just as James walks in. He's holding a nylon bag.
He opens it and brings out a phone, "I got the perfect one," he says and stretch it out to Mercy.
Mercy took it with a hand, while her eyes watch me. Then she stretches it out to me, "It's one-million-dollar phone. If you lose it, I will kill you!" She says through gritted teeth.
My eyes shot out as I view the cellphone. It's an iPhone, one that is associated with the richest. Gosh! I don't believe I will own this kind of phone so soon in my life.
I collect it quickly before she would scream at me.
Mercy is a number one friend of Hattie and the weirdest. What kind of a Billionaire kills someone for a million-dollar worth of phone?
I thought they are supposed to have more than enough.
Mercy sighs, "She's all prepared now," she turns to look at James, "You should take her to the house so she would settle down before the wedding."
Yes, the wedding. The wedding is next week. After the wedding, I will be back home. The only thing I need to do is avoid the night of the wedding day.
I should be able to do that. Easy peasy.
James led me to his car. Before I could follow him, Mercy gave me a gown to wear. It's a short gown, tight and wine in color.
It clads to my body like a second skin. At first, it looks weird but the moment I look back at myself in the mirror, i realize there was a gem in hiding.
"I will come over to your place tomorrow so we can go to the salon to make your hair," Mercy had said and I wondered how I would eventually look like by then.
I might not even be able to recognize myself.
"Am I staying with Beatrice?" I asks the moment I walked inside the car. James is the only person I feel free to talk with. Mercy loves shouting while Beatrice doesn't talk unless it's necessary.
But I understand her plight. She doesn't even know where her daughter is and the contract marriage must take hold.
How the heck did I expect her to feel.
"No, you stay alone," he says and drive out of the street.
I'm left to wonder what I will be doing, staying alone. Well, Hattie stays alone and since I must pretend to be Hattie, I will have to stay at home as well.
"We have five maids in the house. Be careful so that they don't spot you," he says. He's didn't look at me as he maneuver around some cars.
We soon arrive at the gate of a beautiful building in pink. I look back at James excitedly, "Is that Hattie's house?"
He smiles and nod quickly, "She has a great house, right?"
I nod too and stare back at the building and watching how the inner decorations are as James drives in.
This house is nothing compared to Beatrice's house. This looks like heaven on Earth. Its beauty is second to none.
I open the door but James held me back. I look at him, confused, "Close the door," his says, voice deep and authoritatively.
I comply immediately, still wondering if I had done something wrong.
He gets down and move around the car so that he's beside me. He opens the door and I stare up at him, shocked at the action.
He stretches his hand towards me and realization dawns on me. He has taught me this before.
James told me most of this wealthy and famous men don't greet as we poor people do. Most of them would offer to kiss the palm of the ladies.
I was supposed to smile and stretch my right hand out.
I smile, recurring all. I stretched my hand out which James accepted. But instead of pecking it, he used it to pull me up.
I look at him, still skeptical of what is happening. He closes the door behind me and starts to lead me towards the house.
"Stop looking at me like that," he says and I'm forced to look away, "I told you we have five maids in here, you need to deceive them all and that includes me acting like who I am."
Oh, I just got the whole idea. I don't believe this is how Hattie is being treated. What's the big deal with walking out of the car? Why must I need someone to do that for me?
And who is James to her?
I open my mouth to ask him but we arrive at the front door. I will ask him some other time.
I try to steady my breathing just as James opens the door.
Walking in, there are already five ladies with head bowed.
"Welcome Mistress," they chorus at the same time.
I look at James as I don't know what to say.
James shakes his head disappointedly, "The mistress is so tired. She will be in her room, resting. You can get him pie with champagne."
What! I nearly burst out in shock.
He looks at me quickly and nod at me, reprimanding me with his eyes.
I adjust myself and smiles, "Yes, I don't want to be disturbed," I say.
"Ok mistress," they chorus again.
James led me up the wonderful staircase. I look back and realize the ladies are still standing still, with head bowed.
Are they not hurting their neck? What kind of a cold treatment is that?
James pulls me suddenly and I look up at him. He didn't look at me but his expression held something else.
I clear my throat and continue walking.
"Fuck! It's so tiring walking that way!" I say to James the moment we walked in and he closed the door.
Is he kidding me? Why would I want him to lead me up the stairs when I can walk on my own volition?
"That's how Hattie does and you can't change it," James says and move to the door, " I will be off then."
I watch him open the door and close it with a soft thud.
I look around me now, at the bed, the TV and the drawings ok the wall. This room looks so cool.
Just like the one I saw in Beatrice's house, this also have a room as a closest.
Just few minutes to admire the room and I realize I've been left alone. It"s now up to me to work out so I won't be noticed by the maids.
Aside from that, I am also the boss of this whole place!
I jump up and down, I can feel butterflies rise in me.
This is enjoyment.
I rush to the bathroom and soak myself in a warm bath just as Mercy had taught me.
This feels so right. It feels like this is really where i belong to.
I dozed off slightly. Music from the room woke me up. I don't believe I'm sleeping in the bathtub.
I laugh and rush out to see what's singing.
It's the phone James gave me the other time.
I pick it and look at the screen. An unknown number is displayed on it. I press the receiver and ease the phone close to my ear.
"Hello," I say into it.
"Yes, hello. This is James, you can save my number."
"Ooh, I will," I tell him and he hung up.
I walk to the closest for something to wear.
After ten minutes of going through some of the wears, I sigh out. How does Hattie choose what to wear? It looks like a field of maze to me.
All the dresses are so eye catchy. I don't seem to know what to go for.
I should probably find a dress that wine in color.
I take the first short gown I can find and put it up. I walk forward into the wristwatch section. I take one and put it on.
I walk back into the room and select a flip flop.
I sit on the bed and switch on the TV.
Is there anything else I need to do?
The knock on the door brought me out of my sweet thought. I stand with the intention to open the door, then I remember what Mercy taught me. I'm the person in charge here.
I sit and cross my legs, "Enter," I say and look at the images on the TV. My heartbeat increases as she walks near and I wasn't really concentrating on the images on the TV.
I fear she would notice I'm not Hattie.
The lady places the tray on the bedside stool. I look at her now and notice she's on a white and green attire.
"Will you like anything else?" She says and looks up at me slightly.
" No," I say, " You can leave now."
She bows and walk out.
I take the tray and open the cover. Then my eyes shot out, as I remember what I was supposed to do that I've forgotten to.
OMG!
Mercy told me Hattie loved to check her food. I was supposed to tell the lady to taste the food she brought.
How could I forget!
What do I do? Won't they discover I'm not Hattie already?
My heart hammered wildly in my traitorous chest.