Alaine And Her "Twin" ( long hiatus )

3

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE WEARING?"

"I'm wearing clothes Aunt Veroni," I reply.

"When's the last time you saw someone wearing checker print?"

"The last time I saw people was 5 years ago..." I mutter.

"WHAT did you say?"

"Oh I'm so sorry Aunt Veroni. What am I thinking! So unfashionable, " I say.

"Exactly! Go and change this instance!"

"Yes Aunty."

"ALAINE!!!!"

"Yes AUNT VERONI."

This is what I have to face all day everyday. Aunt Veroni is this fashion diva -wannabe. It makes her even more unbearable than normal.

I rushed upstairs to my room and changed into a plain blue skirt with a plain white t-shirt.

The only reason I'm still sane is because of Hannah.

Hannah is Uncle Gustavo's housekeeper. She is like the mother I never had. She keeps me calm and adds a bit of colour to my grey life. I love to go down into the kitchen to see her working at the stove.

With her long red hair wrapped into a bun, her grey eyes which have witnessed horrors that I can't imagine of, watching me, and her usual silky soft dresses halfway covered by her crisp white apron, she looks like someone shrewd and likable. We both had something in common; dead family members. Her family had burned away in a house fire. Hannah had been away from home then.

The kitchen always smells of pastry and pies and hords of delicious smelling foods. And today as i entered it, it smelt of lemon meringue pie. Yum! 

"Alaine..."

"Hi Hannah. Are we getting that for dinner desert?"

"Wait and see. I heard her highness yelling about checker print."

"Oh, the usual."

"Ahh."

Hannah can be very funny. And some of her sarcastic remarks about Aunt and Uncle render me tearing for hours.I love her for that. But when i first met her, i didn't like her at all. Back then, I was sad, shocked and all i thought of was that i didn't want to come to Messir and that I would be hateful towards all.

My first meeting with her went something like this...

"Hello, you must be Miss Alaine Delistaire. I'm the housekeeper,  Hannah Mc Deen. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I didn't ask you anything."

"Oh, well I didn't ask for your views on that young lady. I hope you will enjoy the lovely countryside of Messir"

"Hmmphh! All there is to enjoy is nothing. This place is stupid, everything here is stupid. "

"Are you saying that I am stupid? "

"Go away!!"

"If that's what you want. I'm here to serve."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just remember, i don't need you or anyone. I don't need any person to tend for my wellbeing."

"Hmm... well, if you ever change your mind, you'll find me in the kitchen downstairs. You're rooms are on the second floor, to your left."

I absolutely detested everyone in my life and the fact that my father and sister had been grasped from my life was just starting to sink in. I am so ashamed of my rough behaviour and i apologise to Hannah when we recall it at times but sweet Hannah dismisses it, saying that i was in shock.

I first started to soften towards Hannah during my first week in Messir. I had been staying up in my room all week and was feeling bored.

My room didn't have much interest to offer. It was quite big , I have to say, and i was covered in a plain yellow wallpaper. There was a bed, a bookshelf, a table, a mini closet and a chest. All the furniture was white but i requested it to be painted blue. Now they are an aesthetic sky blue.

The only interesting thing in my room was the chest. It was a dark iron chest which looked light but was very heavy. It had lovely dented patterns of the wonders of the world. I liked it. I knew all the structures on it as i had a fascination with history. I use it to store all the souvenirs of dad and Jordyn, all the pictures and tangible memories.

A week after my first encounter with Hannah, i was still up in my room. I was feeling horrible! I was looking at a picture that mum had taken of me and Jordyn at the beach, we were hugging each other so hard that we were breathless. We had dressed to look as different as possible.

I couldn't take it anymore! I ran out of my room into the garden. I was running at such a pace that i didn't see Hannah collecting the laundry.

We CRASHED.

"Oh dear, are you okay?"

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I needed human support. I burst into tears and stood there, feeling like a huge mess. Hannah came up to me a hugged me tight. I found myself hugging her back. It was all i needed. Hannah's support helped me see sense ... that what happened had happened and i can't do anything about it.

"I'm sorry for being a beast to you Mrs. Mc Deen."

"I understand child. I lost my entire family in a fire a few years back.  Took me over a year to move on. And don't be so formal to me, I'm just a maid. Call me Hannah."

I burst into more tears.

" I'm.. s-so sorry. I-I was b-being sstupid. You're more than a m-maid to me Hannah. From now on, can we be f-friends?"

"Aww dear. Of course. Now, let's get you fixed up. Some sweet sugar will fix you up. Come to the kitchen with me."

From that day onwards, me and Hannah were inseparable. We kept each other company, sharing jokes, and we comforted each other when we remembered dark times.