Chapter 6: Interview

Jasmine*

"Yes, Jasmine I did. She will employ you. She's a kind woman, her former helper will be resigning by the weekend and she requires another maid." Lilian said confidently.

"How well do you know her? You know, though I'll love to serve as a maid, I must know who my master and mistress are."

"The media carried the death of her husband some days ago, she's a widow."

"Oh, poor thing. I'll try my best to pass the interview." I told her

"You definitely will, she owns a restaurant, and she goes there with her favorite maid."

"Wow, if I'm considered, I'll try to be her favorite so I could bring back enough pies." I giggled. "How much is the pay?"

"Three hundred thousand dollars."

"What? that's so much money, she must be very wealthy."

"Absolutely."

I've sat back so many times to think about how far I would have gone if I'd had the capital to venture into the sales of groceries, and for once bring my dreams into reality. Yes, that feeling of being my boss.

I could be better, could do better but I'm stuck in a certain position because I do not have enough to show to my interviewers, something to convince them.

Life wouldn't be so difficult if I had a rich father to sponsor me in college.

I work very hard every day yet, I get nothing, it would have been worse if I never even tried.

Now, I'm ready to take up this new job, I know there would be a lot more people and I may not stand a chance if I must present my college paper.

"Jasmine, I'll have to style your hair for the interview and you have to look your best. I mean, you don't need to be underdressed or overdressed." Lilian instructed.

"I know and this time around, I won't wear an oversized shoe."

Lilian laughed. "I'm very sorry about the other day sweetheart, how about we go shopping today?"

Once again, I had these hot tears of joy waiting to gush out of my eyes. Lilian was heaven-sent.

I wouldn't be a sad lady if Mrs. Smith was out of the way. Lilian had just said that she was returning later in the day, and that would be hell for me.

Hopefully, I would start working with Mrs. Laura. I could stay off for a whole day or a longer period if she would want a full-time worker, and then, this witch wouldn't see me too often.

We stepped out later in the day for shopping, Lilian got me a cute shoe, and she moved on to buy groceries, and afterward, we got home.

I made dinner and served it.

The throbbing sound of Lilian's sewing machine stopped, then I heard Lilian talking over the phone to someone.

"So you won't be returning today?"

I guess the caller affirmed it and she frowned, if only she knew how happy I was on my end.

Mrs. Smith won't be returning tonight but tomorrow, that was good news.

After dinner, I went on to make preparations for tomorrow.

My stupid alarm wasn't so stupid after all, it yanked me from my bed and in no time, I stepped out to the eyes of Lilian who was waiting to confirm that I appeared well.

"You don't need makeup today, it's not proper for a maid. You just got to be confident Jasmine, be bold enough to look into her face but without contempt or anything that could portray you as an insolent fly."

"Sure." She hugged me.

Stepping down from the taxi, a young ill-breaded lady poured dirt on my gown.

"Hey, you did this." I pointed to it. There was nothing she could do about it but an apology would have sufficed.

"You think that was a mistake? I heard you have a chance of being considered for the job of a maid at wealthy Mrs. laura's house. Is that true?"

"Excuse me?"

"Excuse you?" I heard she's got your name on her lip, tell me, why do you think you are going to secure this job with that dirt on your dress? You can't care for yourself so you don't deserve to work with Mrs. Laura, that's evidence,"

She mocked pointing at my dress. "Dirty girl, wearing a dirty dress. Is this how you want to please your mistress? Certainly not." She spat and walked away without remorse.

I swallowed hard, yes, I didn't need to react. At least, l still remember mom telling me that I could use some glue if I ever get pissed at someone.

It was better to shut up and endure, she said.

I stepped into a laundry room just by a corner and had the dirt brushed off before proceeding to Mrs. Laura's house.

The house was like a mansion, the kind I had never seen around the interior parts of Melbourne.

The flowers gave the entire surrounding a formal appearance coupled with tons of uniformed men parading the outsides of the building.

The man at the gate smirked and flung his face to the building before turning to face me.

"Good day mister, I'm here for the interview," I said hoping to hear him welcome and usher me in.

"You are ten minutes late, Mrs. Laura instructed us to keep latecomers away. Please, ma'am, you should leave now."

So, I thought I didn't hear him well, I asked that he repeat what he'd just said and he did.

"I'm pleading, don't send me away. See," I raised the hem of my dress. "A certain wicked lady poured dirt on my dress at the park on purpose, I needed to wash it off before getting here."

As I looked from a distance, the lady who had dirtied my dress, being led by a uniformed lady who I suppose to be a maid, walked into a park.

"We are doing our work here ma'am, disobedience will cost us our job. Please leave." The security pointed at the exit.

He had no pity on his face, he was already established and had no worries.

By month's end, his phone will beep making him aware of a credit alert, and he would step out and purchase for himself whatever he so pleased.

I turned around sadly and made for the gate in tears. I was weeping profusely, not getting this job would mean facing Mrs. Smith again.

Everything was crumbling down, after watching my date shove my ring into another woman's finger.

I hadn't even talked about how I felt, it was as though all my diamonds were emptied into the Atlantic ocean.

Just when I neared the gate, there was a shout from the poolside I turned around to meet a pretty woman who I suppose would be Mrs. Laura. She was stepping out of the pool.

Her hair color was grey though not virtually, it was just like the sparks of fine dust.

"Who do we have there?"

She asked the security who drove me out, and he immediately stood up and said a whole lot of shit about me.

"So I had to send her way because she's late." He finished.

"Let her in, I learned there was traffic on the way."

"Okay, ma. Follow me." He said.

I followed quietly holding my dangling handbag close by.

He took me into a park where other applicants were seated and waiting to be attended to.

The vicious girl who poured dirt on me also sat, I could recall her makeup, her tattoos, and her stupid hat.

I sat at the back and got busy fidgeting with my cell phone until Mrs. Laura showed up.

We all got up to greet. Her smile was comforting, she gestured for us to take our seats and we did.

"I wouldn't take too much of your time as I have something I was busy with. Introduce yourselves first and then give me reasons why I should offer you a job as well as your pre-experience working as a maid."

I watched as a certain lady started, she narrated the story of life, how she had been maltreated as a maid in some place I would call a dungeon.

Next was the tattooed girl. "I'm Aurora." She began and finished by saying how much she wanted to serve a billionaire's mother.

I began, "I'm Jasmine Bryan. I have been a waiter at the Heavens Restaurant once while I was still in Free Town. I'm a trained chef, I got this certificate from Homely Recipes after I was done." I raised the laminated paper to their faces. "I work with time and conscience, more reason why I feel I'm capable to take up this responsibility. Thanks for your time ma'am."

Hurting faces turned to me at the back but I was still focused on Mrs. Laura.

"Next,"

A lady stood to her feet and said her name, followed by. "I'll serve you well ma'am, send me away without a penny if I don't."

The other ladies chuckled but I maintained silent, I wore a happy face and a welcoming countenance.

"Alright young ladies, that's all for today but you," She pointed at me with shaky hands, her eyes looking elsewhere.

"May not stand a chance at all, I'm sorry."