Aurora's jaw dropped in awe at Rodriguez statement.
Personal maid?
Her subconscious repeated to her in a horrified yell.
She shut her mouth and gulped deeply at nothing. She lowered her gaze when he began talking, her mind drifting in fear at his words.
"First find out from Roberto if she is fit enough to work. Whatever he says, you know what to do" Rodriguez said in a stoic manner.
"Yes boss!" Michael replied.
Aurora followed him outside the room, they walked down a passageway and stopped at Roberto's office.
Giving the door one solid knock, Michael pushed the door in and walked in, Aurora following quietly beside him.
"Rodriguez wants to know if she's fit enough to work" Michael inquired from Roberto.
"She's fit to do light work, nothing strenuous. And she should at least be given a day off in four days so she can take some drowsy pills and maximally rest, it'll aid her betterment in no time" Roberto explained. "But in the meantime, she have to be present her everyday, probably during her break so I can reapply healing ointment on her wound and change her bandage if soiled"
"Alright" Michael answered. "Come-on" he told her and walked out, Aurora followed immediately.
Walking into a small demarcation from the main building, Michael stood beside the door and knocked.
The door creaked opened to reveal a middle aged woman who immediately smiled toothily on seeing Michael.
"Madam Paula!" Michael gasped, throwing his arm around her in a hug.
Aurora stared as the woman hugged him back with so much fondness.
"Oh now you're going to break my aging limbs" Paula jokingly lamented and Michael released her from the hug.
Directed at the woman, Aurora didn't fail to notice the softness in Michael's eyes when he stared at her. His once cold and intimidating voice and aura, subtly switched to a loving one with this woman and Aurora couldn't help but wonder who she was.
"When did you return?" Paula inquired, the excitement still in her eyes.
"Three days ago. I heard you travelled that same day" Michael said.
"Oh yes! I had to help Roberto buy some local herbs from a village. He intends to use it on Flavio, hopefully it'll work" Paula informed. "I returned this morning"
"I see." Michael nodded.
"And who is she?" Paula asked, finally admonishing Aurora's presence.
"Oh, she's Rod's personal maid. He requested that she be brought to you for guidance" Michael explained. "And she's not too well, so she won't be doing any tiring activity for now. She also need to be taking her medications everyday so for now, just teach her some of the basics and leave the rest for when she's fit enough to handle it"
"Oh, of course!" Paula said, giving Aurora the most welcoming smile she has seen since she woke up to find herself here.
Michael walked away, leaving Aurora to Paula.
"I'm sure the others will be pleased to meet you," Paula smiled, taking Aurora's arm lovingly and leading her. "By the way, what is your name, child?"
"Aurora"
"That's a lovely name, dear," Paula noted. "And why? You look paranoid. Don't worry, Aurora, we are all nice people around here. It might not look like it now but we are" she told her.
Somehow her subtle smile seemed to calm Aurora's mind.
"I will introduce you to the others first, I'm sure they will be pleased to meet you" she said. "And since you're Rod's personal maid, there's quite a lot that you need to learn and don't worry, I'll be very patient in teaching you!" Paula told her, her smile not fading. Even for a second.
"Um..Mrs Paula?" Aurora called when they reached a large door.
"Oh dear, just call me madam Paula like everyone else," she told her "now, what is it?"
"Is it possible to reject that position? I mean being his personal maid?" Aurora inquired, fear clouding her voice and making it quiver as she talked.
"No. It is not possible, dear and even if it is, you can't possibly do that on your first day and definitely not to Rodriguez," Paula emphasized. "So you see, it's just not possible" she smiled.
The revelation made Aurora shudder. Not that she didn't expect it but hearing it enveloped her with an uncertain coldness.
Paula stopped at a door, twist the knob and walked in with Aurora, her palm not leaving hers.
"Oops looks like the girls are not here yet. Anyways, come on in"
Aurora stared around the spacious room. Seven bunk beds rested opposite each other, very close to the side walls. The middle space was large and Aurora walked further to the room through it.
The beds were all finely dressed and the comfortability drew Aurora.
She felt a light grumble at her stomach from hunger.
"Here, this is the only available bed for now. More will be brought if there are new workers. For now, this is your bed. It might be temporary, so don't get too accustomed to it" she said with a smile and Aurora pulled up a faux smile.
"So, over there is the bathroom with over ten ensuite, in case the rest are being used, there's always a spare one for someone else" she explained further and Aurora nodded in understanding.
Paula was about talking again when Aurora's stomach grumbled again, this time loud enough to both their hearings.
Aurora lowered her gaze, embarrassed.
"Oh dear, are you hungry? Have you been holding it all along?" She inquired in concern, touching Aurora's shoulder.
Aurora nodded, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"Ow, you should have said something. Hold on, I'll get you some food first before I bring you some clean clothes. This one is a lot of mess" she solicitously added.
She ushered Aurora onto one of the stool chair and turned to head out when the door burst open and girls flood in.
Aurora knew who they were at once as they were all dressed in wine-colored flay patterned skirt that stopped a little below their thighs and sky-blue blouses that had bowties at the small collars, their shoes were flats and black pop-socks covered the rest of their lower body, right into the shoes.
"Oh there they are!" Paula paused, "finally!" She breathed out to them.
"Oh we're so sorry, madam Paula but Gerald was horseracing with one of the new guys and went to watch!" One of the girls apologized, a placating smile on her face.
"Well, I'm not angry. But there is--
"Wait, who is she?" One of the girls stepped forward, walking gradually towards Aurora. She became the attention of the rest of the girls and a rush of heat ran up and down her spine. She felt very nervous at the desperately curious stares at her. She focused on keeping her head up but the nervousness displayed fingers as they played raucously with the Hem of her tattered dress.
"Hi, I'm Aurora" she introduced, pulling up the brightest smile she could muster, despite her growing hunger.
"Hi Aurora," the girl smiled at her before turning back to Paula, she gave her a questioning look.
"Oh, she's one of you guys now. So, be polite and introduce yourselves to her" Paula urged.
"Hi, I'm Lana!"
"I'm Brianna"
"I'm Gina"
"My name is Toby"
The introduction went on until finally all the girls introduced themselves or maybe not all.
"Pinky?" Paula called and a girl suddenly walked out from behind the rest of the girls, her hair was dyed in pink and it perched tightly at the top of her head in a massive bun.
"Yeah, hi. I'm Elena " she nonchalantly introduced.
"Wait, where is Juanita?" Paula asked suddenly, her gaze scurrying around the girls as she searched for her eighteen years old daughter.
"Oh well, she refused to come with us when we left. She says she wanted to stay some more"
"Oh that child" a worried look creased Paula's brows and when she made a move to go look for her daughter and give her one of her usual scoldings, the door burst open and Juanita rushed in.
Her quick steps faltered when she sight her mother and a haphazard smile crawled up to her lips.
"Hello, mother!" She deepened her smile, striding into the room.
"Come to my quarters later, I need to have a serious discussion with you" Paula's look was scolding but she tried to hide it.
"Yes mother" Juan bit her lower lip.
"Oh and who is she?" She inquired on sighting Aurora.
"Hi, I'm Aurora" Aurora pulled up the bright smile again, although she doubts that this time it was as bright as the first.
"Oh hello, Aurora. I'm Juanita" Juan smiled back, stopping herself from inquiring about her bandaged head.
"She's one of you guys now, Rodriguez's new intake" Paula explained.
"Whoa, she's beautiful!" Juan sat beside her, Aurora tried hard to maintain her smile at the close contact.
"So Aurora, what post were you assigned to?" The brown skin girl whom Aurora recognised immediately as Toby, asked.
"Um.." Aurora bit her lower lip, glancing at Paula for help with a more properly fixed description.
"She's Rodriguez personal maid" Paula slipped in.
"What?!" Elena stepped forward, a deep frown soaking her expression "absolutely impossible!" She bellowed.
"Oh Elena, dear, it is. Michael informed me himself" Paula interfered and Aurora didn't miss the look of shock in the girls face.
"Rod. will not do this to me! I won't allow it!" She fired--anger boldly written on her face-- she walked out of the room in stomps.
Aurora gave a confused look at Paula.
"Oh don't mind her, dear" Paula waved it off.
"She's just mad cos she use to be Rod's acting maid" Juanita informed her.
"Yeah," Lana nodded, a look of mockery on her face, "and it clearly got into her head!"