Malvina Reece,
25 years old, Present
Town of Westwood, Norfolk
I jot down the important points from the video playing on my phone while sitting on the floor behind a huge cabinet. The woman in the video speaks while explaining some numbers and statistics on the whiteboard behind her. Marketing. My major.
The blender machine across the room churns with a loud noise, and a young boy scrubs dishes on the other side as if his life depends on it.
I sit here with my legs folded, a half-empty jar of cookies, and a tall glass of orange juice sits in front of me. I pull out another cookie and munch on it while listening to the video.
I have a habit of munching whenever stressed.
It's my final exam tomorrow, the last exam. After this, I am a graduate. One who can get a job, pay rent, look after her family, and repay the debt I owe to a kind-hearted stranger. Ms. Lily.
I work here and there part-time, especially as a singer in a nearby restaurant. But, that alone can never help me become independent and care for my brother.
Once I have a proper degree and credentials, I can finally work an actual job. One which pays enough to rent a home in the outskirts of London. The main city is still a dream.
I shut my notebook and breathe a sigh of relief as the video ends.
Thankfully, all my topics were sorted for tomorrow's test. All I have left is to take the exam.
I need to get out of this place soon, not that I am not grateful, I couldn't have wished for a better place than this place. But how long? I need a stable ground now. With my brother growing, I can only imagine how hard it will be but I still won't let him down in any way.
Rosewood Manor. This place has been my home for as long as my memories allow me to. I don't remember exactly how I ended up here, but I do know that Ms. Lily, the owner of this place, was kind enough to let me and my brother take shelter here.
Located on the outskirts of Norfolk -the small hilly town of Westwoods- is the lovely Rosewood manor, on the outskirts of the town.
It provides a sweet destination for travellers from faraway cities. Secluded and peaceful, something the people living in busy cities desperately need.
But, since the last few years, I rarely see anyone come here. For some reason Ms Lily doesn't let guests in anymore.
Tulip. One of our oldest staff. She is a woman in her late twenties. Aunty- Ms.Lily- brought her along from one of her journeys to her hometown. Since then she has been here and is one of the sweetest people I know.
With only being a few years older, she is more like an older sister to me than just a staff member.
She enters the room with a stack of ivory plates and squints her eyes at me when she sees me there. I bite my lips and give her a sheepish smile.
She rolls her amber eyes at me, shakes her head full of chestnut hair and goes back to her work.
I gingerly rise from my position, wincing at the numb sensation in my legs. Perks of sitting on the ground for extended periods of time.
I pull out my earphones and tuck them along with my phone into my jeans pocket. I quickly put my hair into a bun, ready to escape the scene before aunty comes.
Just as I turn around, I am met with Ms. Lily's stern face in her signature neat bun, solid-black skirt, and thick-framed glasses. Her deep hazel eyes scan me from head-to-toe. Then she throws a glance at the-now empty-jar.
" I suppose you have a test tomorrow." She spoke in a cool tone.
"I do.." I whisper, "I was about to leave Aunty." I pinch my nails.
She brings her eyes back to me, grabs my hand, and pulls me out of the kitchen.
I stood there with my head hung low, looking anywhere but at her.
"Why are you stressed?" She question coolly.
I meet her eyes, "I am not stressed." I lied. I am.
"I have known you since you were a child. Do you think I don't know you?" Her voice softens a minuscule amount.
"It's just…I am worried about the exam tomorrow. What If I don't do well?" I mumble.
"Quit worrying. If your vision is blinded by doubt, you can never reach the goal." She speaks before turning around and walking away.
I breathe a sigh of relief and walk up the stairs to the third floor.
I enter the decent-sized room, sunlight skimming through the curtains, illuminating the whole room. I share it with my brother.
The room is occupied with two single beds, each on opposite sides of the room, separated by a wooden desk, backed against a window. The table is stacked with books, both mine and my brother's, and a small table lamp.
The beds were made perfectly, my brother is a neat freak, and his side is perfectly made without a single thing misplaced.
I walk up to the bed, grab my notebook plop down on my bed, and start revising.
Ms. Lily is a woman in her mid-thirties, beautiful, sophisticated, and graceful. A mass of brown hair, pulled back in a tight bun, simple but classy clothes, and a permanent straight face.
When I first came here, she was only a young lady, alone, managing this place. She built herself into the woman she is today, and I respect her for that.
I glance at the window which opens to a view of a small garden in the hotel's backyard. The street behind the property's fence is packed with people doing their daily jobs.
Ms. Lily's hotel is a three-story, cottage-style house with a wooden fence surrounding it. It was large enough with a thirty-room capacity. Excluding the staff rooms, office and our rooms.
Ms. Lily is well off enough for her to not depend on this hotel, but from what I gathered, this is a generational property passed down to her.
Ms. Lily is not the heartless or the most selfless type, she is somewhere in between, while I hustled with raising my brother, I offered to work for her, but she refused saying that she didn't want child workers.
She insisted that I attend school, since I have nothing better to do and would only irritate her all day. She is cold and strict, but I know how kind-hearted she is, and I admire her for that. She was the one who provided us with a roof over our heads, warm meals, and a place to live.
She sent me to high school for higher education, when it was a mile away from this place. I was sceptical as to who would look after my brother while I went so far away to school, Ms. Lily stepped in and offered to look after my brother in exchange for me, helping her over my summer break with the hotel's chores, but it only ended up with me looking after her garden in the backyard. Not only that, she also made sure my brother was taken care of as well.
The exam. I stopped the train of thought and brought my attention back to my books.
I have to do well, it's my only gateway out of this place.