Nana's POV
Leticia and I carefully dusted the antiques on the shelves in the left of the mansion."They really didn't deserve that ice cream." Leticia cracked, I giggled at her jokes as we continued with our tasks. I was frantically scrubbing a tiny antique when Leticia said,"Can I ask you something?".
"Sure. Spill it.", I answered
"How have you been lately? Are you sure you're okay?", she inquired.Ad without thinking through, I answered,"Course I'm fine, Why'd you ask me that?"
"Oh, great. Maybe It was just sleep talking and perhaps because the AC was off. Well maybe you're just having bad dreams. You were saying you needed help while you were in your sleep.", Leticia sounded sarcastic. Goodness she knew how to push my buttons.I had to tell her. "Fine I'll tell you.", I responded with a gloomy face. She nudged my arm with her elbow, "I knew you'd tell me. Now, what's bothering you dumpling.", she said. She looked so innocent and sounded angelic. I couldn't lie her.
"Okay, only because you're an innocent soul. I'll tell you.", I replied
"Remember the day I was cleaning master Lee's study?", I began tentatively
"Yeeeeah, why?"
"Well I saw the pendant he was wearing the day they arrived from Shanghai on his desk. I kinda..."
"You touched it didn't you.", she looked at me with a knowing stare.
"I just thought it was......pretty." I lied
"Your urge and curiosity got the best of you."
"I was tempted okay and I wouldn't call it an urge, It was a....an investigation.", I struggled
"Typical. But you haven't told me about why you can't sleep."
I had vowed to myself that day not to tell anyone, well also because Lee warned me not to, but this was Leticia, my mind reader and she had a lie detector that seemed to work on me alone. She would tell that I'd be lying, so I had to spill the beans.
I went quiet for a while.
Leticia turned towards me, her eyes soft with curiosity. " Come on.What's eating at you, Nana? You're filling me with anxiety."
I sighed, fidgeting with the frayed edges of my apron. "You won't believe what happened that day. That pendant – ancient-looking thing, you know?"
Leticia nodded, a spark of interest igniting in her eyes. "Yeah. What about it?"
I confessed, glancing around as if the walls themselves could reveal my secrets. " After I touched it and saw a flash of light, then......I saw things, Leticia. Strange, ancient things."
Leticia's gaze sharpened with intrigue. "Ancient things? Like what?"
I hesitated, searching for words that could capture the essence of what I'd witnessed. "It was like a battle, but not one of those you see on the news. It was... like a war between dark magic and light. People fighting with powers beyond our understanding, like something out of a fantasy tale."
Leticia's eyes widened, disbelief etched on her face. "You're pulling my leg, Nana. What are you talking about?"
"I swear, it felt real," I insisted, my hands gesturing to emphasize the intensity of my experience. "Dark shadows clashing against a glow, like ancient forces at war. Lee's pendant somehow connected me to that world for a brief moment."
Leticia leaned in, her skepticism waning. "You're saying that pendant has some kind of magic in it?"
I nodded solemnly. "I don't know, Leticia, but it felt like I was glimpsing into something ancient and powerful. Like.... really strong magic. I got dizzy and couldn't think straight."
Leticia's expression shifted from skepticism to a thoughtful contemplation. "Well, ain't that something. Our very own soap opera right here in the Bahati mansion."
I chuckled, grateful for her light-hearted response. "Yeah, something like that. Just had to spill it to someone, you know?"
Leticia patted my shoulder reassuringly. "You did right coming to me, Nana. We'll figure this out, one soap opera at a time."
Leticia and I resumed the cleaning, hoping that no one heard our conversation. Five minutes later, Miss Louise came in, And I couldn't shake the feeling that she might have heard our dialogue.
So there we were, me and Leticia, talking about Lee's pendant and all that. Suddenly, Miss Louise walked in, like the momma bear of the maids. She took one look at me and asked, "How are your ulcers, Nana?"
Now, Miss Louise is all caring and stuff, and it hit me right in the feels, I thought about my late mom and dad. Got a bit teary-eyed there. Miss Louise, sweet as she was, thought it's my ulcers acting up again. She lifted my chin, like she was trying to read my soul, and went, "Ulcers bothering you again, sweetheart?"
Quick as lightning, I told her, "No, Miss Louise, they're fine. Promise." She looked so relieved, you'd think I just gave her a winning lottery ticket.
Then, she dropped the bomb – refreshments for Lee, already prepared by Sonya. All I had to do was take 'em to him at his private poolside. Easy, right? But here's the thing – Lee's at the poolside. The same Lee that scolded me about his mysterious pendant. And there I was about to face him again. "Why did you have to kill me Miss Louise?", I cried in a murmur. "How bad could it be? Maybe he's forgotten and forgiven you.", Leticia added.
"You're not helping.", I grumbled
So, what did I do? I dashed to the kitchen like my life depended on it, grabbed those refreshments, and tried to pull myself together. Gotta be quick, can't keep the master waiting, you know? But truth be told, my heart's still doing a little dance from the nerves. Maids' life, huh? Never a dull moment.
The Bahati palace, all fancy and shadowy, showed itself under the bright sun. I went up to Lee at his private pool, where everything felt calm. My steps, soft against the big space, took me close to his spot.
Holding the tray with snacks, I walked up careful, feeling kinda small next to Lee's big presence. The sun watched us – him looking kinda majestic, soaking up the golden rays, me just a tiny part of the shiny day.
When I tried to hand him the tray, the hot tiles below had other plans. I lost my balance, and suddenly, I was in the pool. A splash, a bit of chaos. I came up, catching my breath, surrounded by ripples and the sun making the water sparkle.
Lee's icy look turned kinda amused as he reached out a hand, offering help. "Careful," he said, his voice softer than usual.
I took his hand, feeling a bit of warmth compared to the cool water. Our silent moment hung in the air, like a secret. The sun didn't care, though, still doing its thing as it went down, casting a nice glow on everything.
I stepped away from the pool, carrying the memory of this unexpected time in the fancy mansion.
I went back to the servants quarters, my butt soaking wet, and sat on my bed feeling like a complete fool."What an embarrassment?,", I thought to myself."Well done Nana Peyton. You couldn't let yourself have enough trouble with master Lee huh? First you touch his necklace, now you swam in his private pool. Oh Geez, I'm gonna get fired soon. Nana please don't mess this up.", I spoke to myself and threw my back to my bed and covered my head with a sheet.
Leticia walken into the room with a towel and a hair dryer," Are you alright?"
"How'd you know I was here?", I grumbled
"Well, I heard the maids gossip about how you fell in master's private pool and the whole drama, and you were nowhere to be found. I figured you'd be here.", Leticia said as she made me seat upright.
My throat was burning and tears filled my eyes. I messed up big time and saying I was nervous and scared was an understatement. Leticia carefully blew dried my hair, and noticed my redding eyes and said,"It's okay Nana, you'll be alright. Me and Miss Louise are here okay?,", she comforted and hugged me, I found solace within the arms of my dear friend Leticia.
"What if he fires me, Ticia? I can't seem to get anything right. I'm on thin ice.", I Bawled like a baby. Leticia only kept quiet and patted my head as if to say it's gonna be okay.
So, here's the deal. After I texted Zoey about the pool mess, I crashed for the night. And then, out of nowhere, this wild dream hit me like a freight train. An ancient battleground, like something out of a movie. Wizards casting spells, warriors clashing swords – the whole fantasy package. But the kicker? I spotted someone who looked just like Lee in the middle of that war. Wild, huh? And he was wearing the same pendant as master Lee's
Then, the dream takes a nosedive. I woke up in the dead of night, sweating bullets and kinda scared out of my mind. I sat on my bed, trying to shake off that eerie feeling. Something wasn't right, and it was messing with my head.
I had to figure it out.