Page 27 of Eyes Like Angel (Eyes Like Angel #1)

Eva

It took a while for me to be familiarized with a new territory I stepped myself in.

I knew the Rivers’ estate like the back of my hand.

The chores had gotten easier, the simple tasks Mrs. Rivers ordered I overcome, just as anyone could predict.

She desperately wished for her place to be spotless, not that I doubted her requirements.

Who in the world would ever hate messy and cluttered with sticky grimes and infested bugs, hoarded junk after junk.

I was glad Mrs. Rivers offered me to stay in a cramped room for a while in order for me to keep the job.

“ If you want to stay and earn for a living, keep this room clean and stay out of trouble ,” she reminded me in a flat tone, as her first and last warning.

Then handing me bathroom supplies for self-cleaning, to be embarrassed I hadn’t know how the usage goes, not wanting to admit. Otherwise, she’ll taunt me on the spot.

Despite how the manor was at its clean state, Mrs. Rivers might throw herself at the window from any slight inconvenience. Despite my attendance is perfectly immaculate and punctate, other members of the Rivers family couldn’t share the same sentiment.

Mr. Rivers was entirely occupied without ever so darting at my direction, Bjorn wasn’t present; he attended the meetings on his technological devices on his thin-framed laptop, according to what Mrs. Rivers’ words.

As for Adrian, the younger son of Mr. Rivers had an eyeful on me, staying in the household.

Not knowing what his deal was, I resumed, not minding him and his bizarre ways of passing his free time.

Whenever I’m in the kitchen, wiping the stains or dampening the wash cloth, Adrian would stumble upon the kitchen and lingered at the open fridge more, and the fridge would altered him to close the fridge door to not let the food inside go to waste.

Whenever I’m dusting and fluffing the decorative pillows on a couch, Adrian would sat by and had his coffee sip between his gaping eyes, watching how I prepped the ornamented pillows.

Sometimes when I plan on cleaning his room, he didn’t mind as long as I don’t block his way from playing his devices, eyeing on the TV screen.

At night, when I was done, I watched movies with him again. Then I play a little bit of his video game device and gave it a shot. I was lost with the controls, but he taught me how.

By the time the nightfall came, we went downstairs, cleaning the dishes, but Adrian insisted to do the work for me. The longer I stayed, the longer he made himself comfortable around me.

Adrian was beginning to call me by my first name, without anyone else witnessing the interaction, of course. He introduced me to movies and shows and play video games with him.

“Since you stayed here for a while, I wanted to say ‘thank you’, for cleaning the house up.”

I acknowledged his words. “No problem.”

“I’ve been thinking. Since you’re here, I’m going to invite you to the upcoming party this week.”

“Party?” I repeated.

“Yes. It’ll fun. There will be drinks and music, something you might want to see and experience for once.”

I hesitated. What if Father Divine finds out?

What if someone I knew finds out about how I’m attending to somewhere place that is foreign, something I’ve never done?

The Divine family will be furious with me.

Sister Joanne might burn me, and Father Divine might drown me, while Sister Jane was cackling on the sidelines, watching my misery go on. As for God, He was watching over me.

“I’m not sure, Adrian,” I called him, heart strings tugged as I uttered his name.

While he’s relieved or flighty when I called him by his first name, his brows furrowed. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

My back hunched, clutching the crucifix pendant. “I don’t know if it’s…a right time for me.”

His dark eyes flashed in wonder. “Wait, the right time? Of course, it’ll be the right time! I want you to have fun for once! You haven’t taken any breaks unless it’s movie time, and that’s around nighttime before we fall asleep.”

My hand clutched tighter on the crucifix, my body sunken at a thought. “I don’t…what if someone who knows me might put me on the spot, what then?”

Adrian sets down the dishes at a dry racket. “Are you afraid you might get in trouble?”

I swallowed my words in, sinking my fears in, not wanting to shame myself in front of him.

“What stops you from going, from wanting to explore life and taste everything or learn everything?” he tested.

“Am I going to learn something from this party?” I said awkwardly, not knowing the concept of parties.

“Maybe,” he said, the mole under his eye crinkled. “Maybe not. Who knows? You’ll never know until you try. Trying is part of life experience. Fear is what holds us back.”

My eyes became hazy, my head spinning, spinning with doubts, in shame and in guilt. “But…I….”

“Tell me this, Eva. If God were to ask you to go to a party, and have sent two angels to guide and protect you, would you do it?” he challenged.

“God never liked anything…” I paused, thinking for a word that is similar to ‘filthy’ or ‘sinful’. “He never liked anything that might displease him. My guardian angel would cry, too. I can’t betray my word.”

His face scrunched.

“Why?” he interrogated, his voice gotten stronger, deeper.

“He might be watching us,” I said, sheepish at my brief justification. “I might get punished. He could hear and see everything. Even our own personal thoughts.”

“I wasn’t talking about your God, I was talking about you,” he interrupted. “Tell me why you can’t go.”

My body shriveled in fright, but I fought against it, mentally praying to rebuke the dark spirit off of me. “God is watching,” I reasoned, but felt a bitter taste in my tongue.

He sighed. “But God isn’t here right now. It’s just you and me in the kitchen.”

I almost gasped in outrageous rupture.

How could he say that? Him and I we’re the reason why we’re born with flesh, bone and blood—because of God! I might come to this place, hoping to purify any evil spirit! The angels must be weeping at his word. Careless!

“I know what you’re thinking. You might turn into a devilish, lusty woman. One party won’t hurt anyone. It’s not sinful to have fun.”

“Are you testing my patience, sir,” I reverted back to formal mannerisms, fidgeting.

“Are you doing all this for the love of God? Or are you doing it for yourself?” he shot back, not as rough or tough, getting closer to me.

“Be free or not be free, it’s yours to take, to choose, to taste life and its fruition.

But let me know if you’re willing to go,” he reminded gently at the last sentence. “Still, I want you to go.”

His hand outreached to my forearm, but not completely brushing it, like he was brushing air.

“Is there something special for me? God’s wisdom, maybe?”

His answer was nothing but his shoulders bopped. “I mean, if you consider me as a God, then I feel—” he stopped midday and looked at my face.

His face had gone pale.

My face had gone pale at his casual statement. If Father Divine would’ve heard this, he would’ve kill Adrian on the spot.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make a joke like that,” he said in brisk pace. “But I still want you to come. I can’t say why, but, I hope you’ll be there.”

“Will I be staying at the barn for work?” I guessed.

Shaking his head, Adrian grinned, had his posture leaned towards me. “Only one way to find out, right? Do you have a dress to wear?”

Scanning down on my usual outfit, I was ashamed to admit I have none.

“But then, I won’t think it matters. I want you to be there. That’s all I asked for. I’m not asking for a million dollars. But, take your time to think about this. It might be scary at first, but I promise, you won’t regret this.”

“Where’s the party going to take place?”

“At the barn,” he said to me, “right behind this estate, about in an estimation of 150 yards across the vineyard,” he said, pointed beyond the glass doors, and miles ahead from the estate, I spotted a red-brown barn stood tall with walnuts trees behind, yellow sunlight basked in bright afternoon across the vineyard.

“What will happen if I go,” I asked, my voice lowered, softened.

“Then you’ll have a good time, a great time. And I’m willing to show you that of what it means to be looking forward to something in life than just attending church. I’ll even protect you from my mom,” he coaxed.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Silence prolonged, drawn out as Adrian scrutinized me.

“What would it take for me to convince you?” he tried again, seeing hesitation in my eyes.

My fingers tucked on my chin, thinking. “If I go at this party with you, I want to watch this film; I’ve been seeing it when I searched the movie on your TV.”

“Which is…?”

“ Gone with the Wind ,” I stated with a little spark of determination. “I want to watch that film.”

He nodded without compliant, as if he’s willing. “ Gone with the Wind , it is.”

Setting my crucifix down, I gazed at him back, and his pitch-black eyes somehow gleamed at my short confirmation.

“Alright,” was all I said.

***

Adrian told me to go. Tonight. A part of me said not to go—two choices battled and ridiculed each other to a point I’m lost, losing myself to madness.

I didn’t wish to go, as I was pacing back and forth in the kitchen, setting the dry dishes and divided them up, color and size coordinated, placing back where it belongs, a dimmed light flickered within to keep me company, pacing and cleaning as I internally debated.

I don’t conjure anyone who invited me over to a celebration, a blur statement he directed at me.

Firstly, I had no knowledge on parties, let alone mingling with various people to form friendships and hanging out wildly.

Parties weren’t the setting I had hoped for.