Maya said her goodbyes and followed the woman outside.
"Ah, the driver is here," the woman chirped, pointing at a fancy black car.
Maya raised her eyebrows. The woman's grandson must be rich, she thought. But she was unfazed; there were a lot of fancier cars at home.
"Come," the woman waved her hand.
"Okay, Mrs.….?" Maya's voice trailed off as she waited for the woman to tell her name.
"Call me Nana Rose," the woman said.
Maya feels it's too personal to call her that. However, she knows the woman will insist, so there's no point in declining.
The driver's side door opened, and a very tall man in a suit stepped out.
"This is Maya; she will be coming home with us," Nana Rose informed the man.
The man simply nodded and opened the backseat door. "Ma'am," he gestured to Maya.
Maya stared blankly at him and then at her pickup truck. She frowned. She didn't want to leave her car behind. She loved that beat-up truck dearly. While she was studying in Paris, she was also working to save money to buy a car. The first thing she did after graduating from culinary school was to buy this pickup truck with her savings. It's an old car, but it has a nostalgic charm. If she were to die today, It would be the only thing she owned aside from her furniture, clothes, and other belongings in her apartment, and she was proud of that.
"I'm sorry, but I will drive my car and follow behind you," Maya said.
The driver looked at Nana Rose, who waved him off. "It's fine by me. Anything to make you feel comfortable," Nana Rose said with a smile at Maya.
"Thanks," Maya smiled back.
"Oops, I forgot to do something." Maya went to her car and retrieved a small box containing doughnuts and chocolate chip muffins. She also grabbed a bottle of water. Then, she hurried toward the alley behind the diner.
A homeless man with a scruffy beard and unkempt hair, wearing shabby clothes, was lying on a tattered blanket.
"Hey, Peter," Maya greeted him.
"I brought you some pastries." She bent down and handed him the box of pastries along with a bottle of water.
"T-thank you," the man said in a low, shaky voice.
"Here is some money. Use this to buy something for yourself," she said as she handed him a few dollar bills.
He quickly stuffed the money into his pocket and shoved a doughnut into his mouth.
"Thank you!" he said happily while munching on the donuts. Maya had been giving him food and money since she discovered him sleeping on the alley floor three months ago. Seeing him so happy makes her wish she could do more, like get him a place to stay, but unfortunately, she doesn't have enough money in her bank account. For now, making sure he doesn't go hungry is enough. His happy cries are a testament to the fact that she is doing a good job.
"See you tomorrow, Peter."
"Goodbye, Maya," the man waved.
Maya jolted back. "Sorry for the inconvenience," she apologized to Nana Rose's driver, who was leaning against their fancy black car.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure," Maya replied as she climbed into her car and started the engine.
The driver entered his car and drove away from the diner onto the main road. Maya followed closely behind him, driving fast enough to catch up but slow enough not to pass him.
More trees lined the road as they drove out of the city, and there were fewer billboards.
The surroundings was deserted, with no signs of life. Maya felt alarmed as she realized that Nana Rose's godson must be living in the middle of nowhere. However, she reassured herself, knowing that Nana Rose was Mrs. Thompson's friend, and she trusted her enough to suggest that Maya follow her home without hesitation.
As they took a turn, a long stretch of woods came into view.
"He lives in the woods?" Maya said to herself, her interest piqued. He really lives in the middle of nowhere.
They spent several minutes driving through the woods until a massive black iron gate emerged in front of them.
They stopped right at the gate. Maya was captivated by the creeping flower vines that soared on each side of the walls, emitting a winsome vibe. A minute later, the black iron gate opened, and Nana Rose's driver drove straight inside. Maya followed suit. The gate shut automatically once she entered.
Maya was in awe as they drove along a cobblestone road. Trees adorned both sides of the path, creating a picturesque scene. As she gazed around, she noticed the vast property, which spanned several hectares and featured a maze garden that Maya wished she could get lost in. There was also a rose garden filled with all kinds of beautiful roses.
They halted in front of a stunning water fountain.
The driver got out and opened the car door for Nana Rose.
"We're home!" Nana exclaimed as she climbed out of the car.
Maya also exited her pickup truck and gazed up at the grand mansion before her. It reminded her of the castle from "Beauty and the Beast."
"Come on in," Nana Rose said, gripping Maya's hand and pulling her inside.
The mansion was filled with luxurious amenities you would find in a five-star hotel. The rooms were countless, and it felt like they were straight out of the Victorian age. The priceless paintings adorning the walls of every hallway they walked through contributed to this notion.
They finally made it to the kitchen. Maya's jaw dropped as she gazed at the expansive open-concept space, complemented by natural elements like timber and stone. It featured all the ultramodern kitchen appliances she could dream of. This was the kitchen of every chef's dreams.
"Wow," Maya gasped.
Nana Rose laughed heartily at her amused reaction. "I know, right? This kitchen is heaven!"
Maya blushed with embarrassment. Maya suddenly realized she didn't see any staff. Where is everyone?
As if Nana Rose could read Maya's mind, she suddenly said, "We don't have stay-in staff. There are only three of us here: my godson, Mr. Amos the driver, and me."
"Oh," Maya replied in a low tone.
"A cleaning service comes in three times a week to tidy up the mansion," Nana Rose added.
Nana huffs. "My godson loves to isolate himself; that's why he bought a mansion in the middle of the woods. Thank God his rowdy brothers are around to pester him. He can go a month without interacting with a human being," she grumbles.
Nana Rose's phone rang, interrupting her rant. She excused herself to take the call and returned with an apoplectic expression on her face. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave. My elder sister has been admitted to the hospital, and I need to see her immediately."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope she will be okay," Maya said, her concern evident. However, she felt uneasy about being left all alone in the big house in the middle of the woods.
"I am praying to the heavens to preserve her life. And don't worry, you can find every ingredient you need in the pantry," Nana Rose said, pointing to a door behind Maya.
Maya simply nodded.
"My godson will be home around 6pm. Please prepare the best lobster ravioli for him!"
Maya smiled at her. "I will make him the best of the best."
"Alright, I'm leaving," she said as she bolted out the door.
Maya rested her hands on her waist and sighed; she was all alone. Although she felt a sense of fretfulness, she buried that feeling and decided to check the pantry.
She walked in the door behind her. The pantry looks like a supermarket, filled with numerous shelves, refrigerators, and deep freezers, containing every type of food imaginable that could feed an entire city. Maya's mood elevated; she was so excitedly exploring the pantry, pretending she was window shopping.
Realizing she had more leisure time before she could start cooking, she sat cross-legged and took her phone out of the handbag she had brought along. She began watching a drama on a streaming platform to pass the time. When the clock struck 4 PM, it was time for her to start cooking.
She fetched a cute basket and selected the ingredients needed for lobster ravioli from the pantry shelf. She returned to the kitchen, arranged the ingredients on a tray on the counter, and took out the utensils she needed. She turned on some jazz music on her phone so she could groove while cooking.
Maya washes her hands thoroughly and starts cooking. She cooked the lobster in a preheated oven and removed the meat from the shell. She adds it to a large bowl to mix with mascarpone, ricotta, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, and lemon pepper, seasoning it with salt.
She decided to use wonton wrappers instead of pasta dough for the lobster ravioli because the wonton wrappers are so tender and light that you can truly savor the decadent lobster filling. Maya made a tomato cream sauce to accompany the lobster ravioli.
One and a half hours later, she was done.There was still time before Nana Rose's godson arrives, so she quickly made a strawberry shortcake to serve for dessert. She took one final taste of the lobster ravioli, and it was delicious. She was confident that he would like it.
She dished out the food and covered it with a stainless steel food cover to keep it warm as she waited for the master of the mansion to arrive. Maya was about to take a seat at the kitchen island when a strong wave of dizziness washed over her. She had overworked herself today. She is going to pass out. She couldn't fight it this time.
To prevent bumping her head, Maya lay down on the floor and waited to pass out. After a few seconds, darkness crept in, and she lost consciousness, totally fainting in a stranger's kitchen, at a mansion located in the middle of the woods.