9: Good night Eli

"What's the whole point of being pretty on the outside when you’re so ugly on the inside?"

Jess C. Scott

I stand staring off into space for a long while that I don't hear the car honking beside me.

"Ms Wilson! Ms Wilson!!" a deep voice calls out from beside me and I begin to wonder how my life is going to be in the next three weeks as Ms Wilson.

Oh, Ms Wilson..., that's me.

I snap out of my thought and quickly turn to see the driver standing beside the car and looking at me. He gets down from the car and comes over to the back seat and opens it, waiting for me to come and enter into the car.

This is Gabriel, this is the driver that takes Eli everywhere and occasionally drives Anna. I saw his picture amongst the pictures Anna brought over a week ago and after memorising his face for more than a hundred times, I can identify that dark-skinned, middle-aged man with bald and full greybeards on his face anywhere I see him. Anna called him to come pick her up, because her personal driver had family emergency and had to attend to.

He closes the door of the car after a few minutes of me staring at him and not approaching.

"Is everything okay with you, Ms Wilson?" the genuine concern in his voice warms me up from the inside out, but I shake my head and regain my composure.

Anna told me that he's as loyal to her Eli Eli as a dog is to his master and so as friendly as Gabriel would be to me I should never let my guards down around him. Rule #23: never trust Gabriel, he isn't your friend.

"I'm fine, Gabriel, just a bit exhausted and need rest" I wave off and gracefully make my way towards the car on my four-inch black open toe heels.

Gabriel hurries ahead of me and opens the door and without uttering a word I enter into the car and once Gabriel enters the driver's seats, he drives off.

The car comes to a stop in front of a black old wrought gate and Gabriel honk at the gate and not long after that, the door open and he drives through the large covered with trees and green land and various kinds of flowers. I try not to look so taken in awe because Gabriel was glancing at me every now and then and the last thing I wanted to do was act in a way that wasn't in line with the Anna he used to know. So I clutch and unclutch my purse while I pretend to be on my phone.

With the fight that took place between Anna and Eli, he would be more careful around me.

The car finally comes to a stop and my first instinct is to open the door and step out, but I immediately stop myself, when I see Gabriel already down and walking towards my door. I almost threw 7 days of hardcore training and instruction away.

Rule #1: Do not be yourself.

'Calm yourself, Quynn, or your first day is going to be the day you get caught.' My heart skips a beat at the voices in my head and my hands begin to quiver. Getting caught is the last thing on my mind in the next twenty-one days.

Once he opens the door, I step out of the car and behold I am in front of a magnificent white mansion and my eyes are so wide with amazement that I fear they might end up popping out of their socket. Yes, Anna showed me a picture of the mansion when she was trying to acquaint me with the places and faces I would be surrounded by, but still, it is a completely different feeling staring at it in person.

I swallow hard and silently ask myself just what the hell I was getting into. How could Anna have all this and still chose to leave? Did she find something better? Was life in the castle that boring? These are questions I have no answer.

"Come let's get you inside, it getting a bit cold already." Gabriel beckons to me with a hand gesture and I nod and silently follow as he leads me into the mansion.

As we step inside, Gabriel closes the door and collects my coat before going away and it's now left to me to carry on movement from here, just as Ms Wilson should, but I am lost. Anna told me her bedroom was between the the third and fourth room to my left once up the stair.

This morning Anna informed me that I was no longer going to stay in the same room with Eli as I first feared. After the fight she moved into the next room which belongs to Joey, Eli's nephew who was in boarding school and wouldn't be back in six months and that was a relief for many reasons.

"When you get into the house you can ask Nneka to draw you a warm bath, follow her in case you forget the direction of the room. She's always in the kitchen cooking or daydreaming. I usually snap at the third call of her name." Anna's words echo in my head as I make my way towards the kitchen.

"Nneka," I call out to the young girl, standing beside a much older lady as she watched her cook, but as I closely study her I notice she isn't paying much attention and she's rather daydreaming.

"Nneka," I call again this time louder than the first, but neither she nor the one she's standing beside who I'm guessing is Rosalina hears me.

I clear my throat and prepare myself before snapping out, "Nneka!" My voice is louder and she jumps on her stand and they both turn to look at me, and Nneka had panic and apology in her eyes.

"I need a warm bath drawn," I instruct with a very firm and straightforward voice.

She nods "Yes ma'am," and hurries over to where I am standing before walking by.

Rosalina whom she was just standing beside, gives a side glance to me and although no word is utter by her in the first few seconds I can already decipher that she doesn't like me— Anna very much. Rosalina is the Wilsons trusted cook, and the sixty-two-year-old woman wasn't just the Wilson's cook, she was also Eli's godmother. Eli asked Anna to get along with Rosalina since she also lived at the mansion and she promised to do her best. And a rule #20: "Try as much as possible to get along with Rosalina" was made for that sole reason.

"Good evening, Ms Wilson, dinner will soon be served." She tells me before looking back to the pot on the cooker.

"Thank you, Rosalina," I politely answer before walking out of the kitchen.

I follow Nneka as she makes her way up the stairs and through the hallway and then once at the door of the third bedroom she opens and steps into the room. Getting into the room, I can finally take off the four-inch heel I've been wearing off and my feet embrace the cold floor happily before asking, "What are we having for dinner?"

She goes over to the side of the bedroom where I suspect the bathroom is located and turns on the light and from the bedroom I can see the white-tiled bathroom and a white bathtub close to the window. Beside the mirror on the wall, there are a few body care product there looking exactly like the ones Anna got me six days ago and instructed that I start using. When I told Anna that I was allergic to aloe vera, she said she'd remove all the products with aloe vera and add only the products without aloe vera and start using, so I had no reason to worry. She explained to me when we first started the training how we needed to smell alike; at least 80% alike because Eli would know if it's was any, but that was before their fight, still, it's only wise I continue.

"We are having pasta and vegetable soups," she answers and I hear the bathtub water rushing and not very long after Nneka walks out of the bathroom, "your water is ready ma'am" she announces, then added, "dinner should be ready in the next thirty minutes."

"Thank you, you may leave now," I wave a dismissive finger at her.

As the door closes after her, I get up and take off my clothes before going to the bathroom. I spend the next fifteen minute in the bathroom thinking about how the next three weeks will go. I never dreamt of living this life, and it is scary as it is mind-blowing.

I am scared and terrified with every seconds that passes, but I am not supposed to show it.

After getting ready in a simple black gown, I make my way out of the bedroom and downstairs to the dining where there is a large dining table which has five chairs around it. According to Anna, the dining table was made according to the numbers of the Wilsons. Eli, his mother, Jumai and Grandmother Elizabeth and Joey his nephew. The families were not together at Eli's Mansion unless for special occasions and holidays and that's on rare occasions because of Eli's tight schedule.

The house used to be the family home until Jobe Wilson, Eli's father died eleven years ago and his mother moved out because she couldn't move on while in the mansion. Eli came back to the house six years ago and hasn't has been living there since.

"When will Eli have his dinner?"

Nneka's brow furrow as she stares at me for a moment, "He would have his dinner when he returns."

Shit! I shouldn't have asked.

"Thank you."

I nod my head at Nneka and she leaves me alone to eat in peace— no, peace doesn't exist for someone like me anymore.

The meal is incredibly delicious and I wish I could tell Rosalina that but I cant because of first rule #1: Never be yourself.

Back to my room and settle on the bed and I glance at the time beside the alarm clock and it is 8:30 pm. I have one hour and thirty minutes before I sleep.

Rule #16: Do not stay awake beyond 10 pm during the weekend. Anna said that was when Eli would return and after the fight, they had this morning, I'm sure she wouldn't want to talk to him for a while and he probably would feel the same and that's good for me because that way I won't see him easily.

I pull out a drawer and I see a few books neatly arranged in it. Seeing them surprises me a little because I never place Anna as a reader, I could see a human head in this drawer and it wouldn't even surprise me that much because the Anna that threatened me into this life might be capable of killing than she is of reading. I pick one of the books out and read over the name Guide to being a good wife.

"The irony of that," I mumble to myself with a shake of my head.

I open the book and begin to read through and the book seems to grab my attention and keep it with every chapter I open. And soon I get so wrapped up in the book that I do not even notice the knocks that come to my door.

"Anna," a gentle hoarse voice call from outside the door and it is followed with another small knock.

I snap back into reality and turn to look at the door, the voice I just heard doesn't belong to Nneka or Rosaline because this voice is deeper and hoarser than theirs, nor does it belong to Gabriel, there is a distinct difference in their depth and also Gabriel wouldn't call Anna by her name, he would call her Ms Wilson.

There was only one other person who could be calling me now... Eli.

I glance at the time on the lampstand and it reads 9:15 pm which means that Eli shouldn't be back home yet, there is supposed to be an extra 45 minutes before that time.

Well, he's here now so either pretends you're sleeping or answer.

I decided to choose the former over the latter and become as silent as ever.

"Your light is still on, Anna that means you haven't gone to sleep yet." He pointed out to me with a certain voice.

Wait, how did he know that? Isn't he like supposed to be blind or something? Partially blind, Quynn, partially blind.

I groan silently, first day here and I couldn't even avoid the man Anna fought with this morning.

I drop the book down on the lampstand before speaking, "I was getting ready for bed." I hate the sound of my voice because it's the same as Anna's and I would know because I listened to it all week while we trained.

"I know, Anna, I wouldn't waste your time, just thought we could talk and I kinda close early to do that today." there is a plea in his voice that makes me cuss inwardly.

Wow! Of all the previous day you could have closed early to see your fianceé, today is the day you chose?! And since when is 9 pm closing early?

I groan on frustration, "Fine, you can come in."

The door opens the next instant and Eli walk into the room holding a walking stick out in front of him. The room is dark and I can barely make out his face, but one thing is for sure, he is a very tall man certainly above 6 feet and now it makes sense why Anna is always on heels.

When the stick touches the bed, he stops moving and the closer he gets the harder my heart beats. He takes his seat on the bed and as he settles down on it he begins to speak, "Nneka told me you asked after me today at dinner." he points out .

Oh, that girl! I didn't really ask after him though, I asked when he'd eat.

"After the fight we had today, I felt like we wouldn't be able to go back to what we were. I said some very horrible things which were untrue and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have listened to mother, I know the last thing you want is my money."

I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you, Mr Wilson, I want to say that won't go well.

"I will not be including the prenuptial agreement mom drafted among the marriage certificate and documents. I know you love me and I've put you through a lot these past few months. I've neglected you and your needs and you're right, I was selfish with my work and I promise you that I will make it up to you, I promise." Eli's apology seems to come from his heart and he seems to have been tortured all day because of what happened between them and what Anna told him really got to him.

"I know it's been hard on you, and my job has robbed us of a lot of things but I miss you, Anna, a lot and I know it mostly my fault for choosing work over us after I regained my sight and not trying to change that. I just had to complete the current project at hand. It will be completed in a few days and if it works out as planned, I will be your and we can go back to how we used to be."

That isn't good news to me. I think to myself and remain awkwardly silent because there is nothing much I can say at this point and he must have sensed my state because he said. "I'm sorry again about the fight and there is no excuse for how I behaved. I hope it's not too late and that you can forgive me."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," I mutter under my breath.

"I should let you rest now." he leans closer and places a kiss on my temple and my eyes flutter and my heart skips around in my chest. He pulls back muttering a soft, "Good night, Anna."

"Good night, Eli."

He takes himself out of my room and I let out a long exhale and sink my head further into the bed.

I'm not going to survive.