Chapter 7 The Fall And The Fight
Mrs Roberts was at the hair salon with her friends, they were trying to get a makeover.
"You look damn good , girl." Katherine exclaimed excitedly.
"Been a while, you know. You do not seem to get a lot of time these days because of the babies," Angela added.
Mrs Roberts was a bit uncomfortable about having those conversations but she had no choice.
"Yes. It has been a while. Thank God you know that I am very busy. The kids do not allow me to get some breathing space," Mrs Roberts replied, trying to stay composed and unashamed.
"Yeah…right?" They both echoed.
"Yeah," she replied sternly, trying to move away from the conversation. She did not want to last too long on conversations about her daughter's children.
"What does Amanda do now?" Angela asked with curiosity etched on her face.
Mrs Roberts shifted to her seat. She was becoming uncomfortable.
"She works with a big company now," she replied with a whisper, hoping they would not ask her the name of the company because the truth was that Amanda currently had no job.
She was doing too many menial jobs, trying to survive and support herself and her children.
"Oh! That is beautiful," Angel exclaimed. "I am happy for her."
"What is the name of the company?" Katherine further asked, as Mrs Roberts had dreaded. She had the dailies and coincidentally was on the job vacancies advert page. She was racking her head to know the answer to give to them about her daughter's office.
Suddenly, her eyes fell upon an advert for vacancies at the Xi Company hotel for the place of supervisors and cleaners. Her heart leaped with joy. She would tell her daughter to apply as a supervisor.
Then she looked up at her friends with excitement dancing in her eyes.
"She works at Xi Group of Companies hotel as a supervisor," she said with pride and no guilt for misrepresentation of facts.
"Oh wow! That is a great job!" Katherine exclaimed. "I wish my daughter could get one like this."
Mrs Roberts felt pride overtake her. Even though she lied, she felt a satisfying pride in her lie. She closed the vacancy page and slid the diary into her large handbag.
I will show this to Amanda and I am sure she will get a job with them, she thought to herself.
The women continued doing their hair, talking about other things and catching up on old times.
<<<
Mabel threw the last of her things into her top box as she wheeled them out of the room that was once hers and walked out onto the corridor.
The rest of her things were already downstairs; in front of the villa.
The housekeepers were gazing at her with a haughty look and a gust of shame washed through her as she walked past them. None of them even offered to give her a hand.
Immediately she stepped out, they began to laugh at her.
"Look at her and how disgraced she has become."
"To think that just a few hours ago, she was like our boss, ordering us around. Suddenly she has become worse than us."
"I hear Mr. Rowan discovered that she was spending his money lavishly, as though it was hers."
"She was also hiding from him yesterday, she would not let him see her face. Something tells me she has a lot to hide."
Anna walked up to the younger housekeepers, having small conversations about Mabel and she cautioned them.
"All of you should get back to work immediately! Whatever happened is absolutely none of your business." She yelled at them and scurried out of the corridors into their various chore locations, apologizing to her.
Anna stepped out onto the porch where Mabel stood with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Her phone was in her hand, she was trying to contact an Uber driver.
"Ma'am Mabel, I'd like to add that Mr. Rowan asked you to return the wrist watch he left for you that night at the hotel. May I have it please?"
Mabel looked at her with pain in her eyes. "This humiliation is too extreme," she bemoaned. "What did I ever do to Mr Rowan?"
"That is a conversation you might have to have with him all by yourself. I am merely following instructions that I have the time given." Anna's voice was so cold and her face was void of expression. She never liked Mabel and she was pleased that Mabel was leaving the villa.
Mabel dipped her hands into her purse and pulled out the wrist watch. Then she placed it forcefully into Anna's outstretched palm.
"So, the Villa driver cannot do me the honor of taking me to a hotel? I do not even have a house anymore. Where will I go from here?"
She sobbed loudly and Anna almost burst into laughter at how ugly her face appeared to be as she sobbed.
"Well, Mr.Rowan did not give any instructions to that effect. It would unfortunately not be possible for the driver to do that."
"I know you are happy about my predicament, Anna. But I promise you, this isn't over."
"Goodbye Miss Mabel," Anna smirked at her and turned around to walk back into the house, shutting the door in her face.
Mabel stood in the hot morning, wiping the freckles of sweat that came down her face.
In a short while, her Uber arrived and she got her things into the vehicle.
She sat in the vehicle, sobbing. Pain engulfed her as she wondered what she must have done wrong or who was behind the sudden twist in events.
Amanda cleaned the last of the toilets in the restaurant and went to have a quick shower. Her mother called her to come to the hairdresser's and instructed her to look her best. She needed her to get a new look and she was going to pay for it.
Amanda wondered why her mother was so intent on dressing well.
Thankfully, she carried extra clothes as she was coming for the job she was called to do.
She went to meet the manager of the restaurant, a sturdy looking man with a rounded belly.
"I have cleaned out the toilets sir. I have to leave now. Can I get my pay immediately?"
The man glanced at her mischievously.
"Did I tell you that was all?" He asked with a leer.
Amanda shifted uncomfortably.
"What you indicated in your mail was three toilets and I have handled all three," she insisted impatiently.
"Alright, Lady. Follow me."
Amanda followed him into his office, feeling a bit edgy.
He let her in and shut his office door.
"You may sit, Miss Amanda."
"I am in a bit of a haste, sir. I would appreciate it if I was given the pay cheque immediately so that I can meet up with the appointment I have."
"You work too hard, Amanda," he said, his voice sounding cunning.
Amanda was unsure what to say in response, so she kept quiet.
Then he pulled out the cheque from his stack of papers and handed it out to her.
"Come over here, come and get it."
He was seated at his table.
She came closer to him and before she could take the cheque, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close, trying to force his lips on hers.
Amanda twirled and twisted, pushing him farther away and yelling that he should stop.
"Stop it! Mr Douglas. I will report you to the women's rights organization in Heathrow. You need to stop!"
"Why are you being such a bitch," he asked with a leer. "How do you want to take care of those four babies of yours? Why are you being like that?"
"I will take care of them by working hard!" She retorted. "I am not a whore!"
She managed to break free from him and ran out of
his office, without her cheque, slamming the door.
Hot tears were rushing down her cheeks.
"Go on bitch," Mr Douglas laughed wickedly. "You just saved me 200 bucks."