Chapter 5: Bird of Paradise

The bird of paradise, also known as Strelitzia reginae, is one of the most spectacular flowering plants that can be grown indoors. They are distinctive and striking, shaped like a bird’s beak and plumage. It symbolizes joyfulness, magnificence, and paradise itself. It can also be used to indicate exciting and wonderful anticipation with its unmistakable resemblance to a brightly colored bird in flight.

Lunch at the Xavier household reminded me of Papa, who cooked very delicious meals and always served them with a smile. Matilda proudly presented her special mushroom soup, a way of welcoming me to the house. Creamy, flavorful, and very tasteful. When it was still in the pot, the fragrance already stimulated every nearby nose.

“Thank you so much for the meal,” I smiled gratefully at Matilda. As I was about to take my dish to the kitchen, Matilda stopped me in my tracks. “Give that to me, dear. I’ll handle this.”

“Oh, I can’t possibly– “

It would be very humiliating if I allowed someone older than me to do the housework, something a younger person could do without trouble. Well, except when laziness strikes…

Flashing her a reassuring grin, I shook my head. “I can do these, Miss Matilda.” She let out a hearty laugh and took my dish. “You can just call me Matilda, dear. And about these dishes, I’ll wash them.” Then, she winked. “Although tonight, I’ll be needing help preparing dinner.”

“I’ll gladly do it!”

And that settled it. Figuring out what to do, I went to the room where my bags were and decided to unpack. Opening the door, the elegant-styled room still awes me. I couldn’t help but laugh at what I possibly looked like while I stood at the doorway, just admiring it all while Matilda pinpointed where the bathroom was located. I mean, the size of the bedroom is bigger than our living room. Every piece of furniture was expensive and exquisitely made, from the wardrobe down to the little ornaments and the carpet.

Are they sure they want me to sleep in this room? I mean, what if a guest comes? Where will he or she sleep?

Running a hand against the soft texture of the bedspread, I stared at the thin curtains swaying in motion with the wind. The mattress bounced slightly when I sat at the edge. Cool and clean air caressed my cheeks as I zipped my suitcase open, taking my clothes and other stuff out. Jeans, T-shirts, and dresses folded nicely inside the wardrobe. Undergarments were safely hidden in the drawer below. The toothbrush, shampoo, and other hygienic products I brought now sitting on the bathroom counter.

By the time I finished, I had taken a nap. A bit worn out from yesterday’s events. Once I woke up, a knock resonated from the door, just as I was fixing the soft pillows. I instantly went for the door, making sure to wipe off the drool before opening it. It was Mrs. Xavier. “May I come in?”

“O-of course, Mrs. Xavier!” I followed behind her as she surveyed the room with her gray eyes. Slowly, she approached the nightstand where the portrait of Papa was. He insisted that I bring it with me, he didn’t even have to ask since I definitely would. The older woman stared at it for a few minutes until she faced me. “Your father, I presume?”

“Yes, he is,” I replied to which she only nodded. She continued to scan the room as if reminiscing the memories she had here. “This room used to belong to my granddaughter, Lucas’ cousin. A bright cheery child. Very energetic and a daredevil. Always demanding Lucas to do something dangerous.”

“She sounds friendly to me.”

Mrs. Xavier laughed, agreeing with me. “Cara is. You’d get along with her quite well. She moved back to her parents at the age of fifteen, though. She’s currently studying at one of those prestigious colleges now.” She let out a sigh, “Time flies so fast. I remember her always trying to throw mud at Lucas, the little boy back then who used to avoid her. Now, I’m sure he misses her.”

Being curious, I couldn’t help but ask. “Um, Mrs. Xavier…” The woman turned to face me. “If I may ask and please forgive me if it sounds like I’m nosy, but where are Lucas’ parents?” You’re very nosy, Terra! Just drop it! Don’t ask questions that don’t concern you!

“It’s alright, dear. Let’s just pray that the grumpy wuss won’t find out that I told you. He doesn’t like people knowing. Probably thinks that if he’s mysterious he’ll attract women.” She shook her head at the idea which only made me giggle. “Well, Lucas grew up as an only child. His parents are– “

Another knock came from the door before it was slightly swung open by Matilda. “Madame? Tea is ready.”

“Ah! My goodness, how could I forget why I came here in the first place!” Mrs. Xavier chuckled aloud, beckoning at me. “Come on Terra dear, let’s have tea together.” I nodded and tailed behind her, Matilda leading the way. I looked out the window we passed by, the sun casting an orange glow. What time is it? Taking a look at my phone, I gasped at how much time passed. Is it already five? Have I been asleep for four hours straight?

Glancing at Mrs. Xavier, who had her back facing me, I scratched my head. Is that why she came and invited me to tea? She probably thought I was lonely or dead when I was only sleeping. We reached the patio, the table occupied by a tea set and a plate of goodies. I sat across from Mrs. Xavier, who began to pour tea into her cup. That scent… Is that what I think it is?

“I hope you like this, dear.” She grinned, pouring some into my cup. The hot liquid steamed, which made me blow at it for a few moments before taking a sip. It’s unmistakably chrysanthemum tea. “This is good, Mrs. Xavier! Where did you buy this?”

“Oh, Lucas made it himself!” She proudly stated. But it wasn’t how proud she was or how she beamed at me. It’s just a bit hard to believe that a grumpy man such as Lucas, could make such delicious tea. Where did he even learn it?

Understanding my surprised reaction, Mrs. Xavier began to explain. “You see, Lucas took an interest in tea and coffee when he entered high school. He– “

“Since when did you start to share personal information with someone you barely know?”

The sound of his baritone voice was enough to make me sit up straight. I turned around to see Lucas, the black jacket over his shoulder, revealing the clean polo he wore under it. Unlike earlier, his hair looked like it was run over by his hand a lot of times, bangs over his eyes.

He glanced at me and narrowed his eyes. It made me squeak and avert my gaze somewhere else. However, Mrs. Xavier, clearly used to this behavior, just waved it off. “Since I decided to bring her under my roof. She’ll be living with us now, Lucas. I don’t find anything wrong with sharing ‘information’ with Terra Dawson because you two would be seeing each other every day now.”

“Tsk, how annoying.” With that said, Lucas left and disappeared back into the house. I glanced at Mrs. Xavier who only waved her hand in a dismissing motion. “Don’t mind him, dear. He’s really like that, don’t let him bother you.”

“Um, alright…” How can she be so carefree? Isn’t she a bit worried that Lucas would one day get really angry? Or has it happened a lot of times that she got used to how he responded?

We continued to drink our tea silently, just enjoying the rest of the afternoon until it was slowly getting dark. Mrs. Xavier took it as a sign and went back inside while I helped Matilda clean the table. “Would you be making dinner soon?” I asked.

“Yes, I’ll be making carbonara and honey-glazed chicken. Are you still up to help me? I need someone who’d set the dining table and assist me with the meals.” I agreed right away and when she headed into the kitchen, I followed suit.

Cooking isn’t foreign to me, in fact, I like to cook. In this kind of world where you need to satisfy your craving for delicious food, you need to know how to make meals if you want to save money rather than going out and eating at restaurants. Not that it’s bad, just that it’s expensive for someone (like me) who needs to work to pay the bills.

I took the porcelain plates that Matilda handed me and – carefully – went to the dining room to set the table. After making sure everything was in order, I went back into the kitchen to receive more orders from Matilda. Once the carbonara was sitting peacefully on a plate while the chicken was still in the oven, both of us wiped the drops of sweat that hung to our skin and relaxed against the kitchen counter.

“Where did you learn to cook, Terra?”

“I learned from a few friends in college. After that, I began to cook for my Papa who once didn’t allow me in the kitchen.” I chuckled at myself, “I used to burn a few things here and there, but with enough practice, I learned.”

“You’d make a wonderful wife if you ask me,” Matilda commented which made my cheeks go red. “Eh? Nah, it’s the essentials we should know. I mean, I can’t continue eating cup noodles and sausages for the rest of my life.” I rubbed my shoulder, a sheepish grin on my face. “I have no plans to get married soon.”

I don’t even have a boyfriend.

“You will soon find a man, Terra. And who knows,” she winked, “You might find that lucky man here.” Before I could even spurt out a reply, the oven let out a small ring. Telling us that the chicken was done. Matilda took her pot holders and took out the steaming hot chicken. The bowl of honey mixed with lemon was taken by Matilda who poured the contents all over the chicken.

“Do you need any help?” I offered, ready to jump into action but she shook her head.

“I got this, Terra. Go ahead and call Madame and Lucas to the table.”

Mrs. Xavier was easy since she was staying in the living room. But for Lucas, I have no idea where he is right now. “Lucas? He’s in his room, it’s the bedroom near the stairs.” Thanking her, I walked up the stairs and approached the door. Knocking twice, I waited for any response.

“What?” He replied gruffly behind the door, I was tempted to stick my tongue out but refrained from doing so. “Mr. Lucas, dinner is ready.” When he didn’t say anything else, I continued to wait. Perhaps he didn’t hear? I was about to knock once again however the door swung open and Lucas emerged. I took a few steps back to create a path for him.

He gazed at me and I stared back, not knowing what else to do. He then frowned, “So? Are we just going to stand here and starve to death?” I shook my head vigorously. Lucas merely looked away and made his way down the stairs. This time, I frowned at his back. This grumpy old man... Always frowning and–! Not being able to hold back my irritation, I stuck out my tongue at him.

“Dawson.” I almost screamed my head off at how stoic he sounded, hand covering my mouth to secure the safety of my tongue lest he cut it off. Even if he didn’t look back, I felt like he caught me. “Yes, Sir?”

“Are you planning to starve yourself? You’re not good to us dead, you know.” How dramatic. I won’t die if I just skip one meal. As soon as Lucas reached the last step, I climbed down the stairs and headed straight for the dining room. The chicken sat gloriously in the middle of the table, ready to be eaten while the carbonara tried to seduce my stomach.

Not today Carbonara, I want some chicken!

Dinner started once Matilda finished pouring orange juice into our glasses. I was in the middle of chewing my chicken when Lucas asked his grandmother, “What are your plans tomorrow?”

“Well, Terra and Matilda are heading to town tomorrow to buy things for the flower shop.”

“Do you need to buy new things? What about that stuff you had last time? They’re still in mint condition, correct?”

“Well, we can’t use those anymore. They’re old and some of the wooden tables are already home to termites. I can’t let Terra use that!” Mrs. Xavier then smiled sweetly at him, “I was even planning to if you’re available tomorrow. Terra needs help in cleaning the shop.”

“Tsk, fine. I hope you know what you’re doing.” The last sentence wasn’t directed at his grandmother but at me. He didn’t actually say it to my face, but I felt it was meant for me. At this, I cleared my throat to capture his attention. It worked like magic.

“Mr. Lucas, don’t worry about it. I’ll try my best to buy the cheapest tools and furniture that I could use in the shop. You don’t have to worry about the money going to waste– “

“Are you stupid? Why would you use cheap things? Do you think it would make me feel better? Even if you had the most expensive tools and the way you work is terrible, it still doesn’t make you an efficient worker.” He frowned hard. “Leave it to me. Just give us the results we want then you can stay.”

“Lucas!”

“It’s alright, Mrs. Xavier. I understand what Mr. Lucas is trying to say.” I then nodded at the man. “I’ll try my very best to fulfill my duties.”

“If you don’t do so, Dawson… You resign.”

At the mention of the R-word, it brought a heavy feeling in my heart but I forced it into the back of my mind. Seeing Mrs. Xavier’s shocked expression, I gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Xavier. I won’t let you down.”

Dinner ended soon. After helping Matilda with the dishes, I went up to my room to retire. Mrs. Xavier was already in bed, fast asleep after having a cup of hot tea. Lucas, whose room I passed by, was silent. He’s probably snoring that grumpy butt off.

“If you don’t do so, Dawson… You resign.”

I shook my head as if to get rid of the words he uttered at the table. No, you’re not going to resign, Terra. You haven’t even started yet. Locking the door, I took off my jeans and t-shirt, heading to the bathroom for a bath. It refreshed me and relaxed my muscles. Once I put on my nightgown, I flopped down on the bed and started snoring away.

Tomorrow… Got to get ready for tomorrow.

***

“Good morning, Mrs. Xavier!”

The old woman returned my smile, “Good morning to you too, Terra. Did you sleep well?” Hell yeah! I nodded and placed the plate of pancakes on the table. “Yes, the bed is absolutely superb!”

“Enjoy it while you’re still here then.”

I fought back a frown at the epitome of negativity, Lucas Xavier. However, I smiled at him, who looked fresh out of the shower. Dark hair shone under the sunlight pooling into the room. “Good morning, Mr. Lucas.”

Breakfast consisted of pancakes drizzled with syrup and French toast. The scent of coffee dominated the dining room and I was proud of making it. “You brewed this delicious coffee, Terra?” Mrs. Xavier inhaled deeply. “That’s a talent you should be very proud of since adults like us live with it.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Xavier.”

She then turned to her grandson, looking quite enthusiastic. “Don’t you like it, Lucas? If you like, you can hire Terra in that café of yours.” That, indeed, caught my attention. Café? Does he own a café?

“She’s better off where she is. She goes crazy over flowers.” I hid my pout behind the mug I brought up to my lips. But it was a wrong move since the hot porcelain burnt my lips. “Ouch!” I hurriedly set the mug down and licked the burnt area.

“Are you alright, dear?”

I looked to see that everyone was staring at me in concern, except for Lucas. He has an unreadable one. “I-I’m alright. I just burnt my lips.” I laughed and waved their worries off.

Once all the dishes were washed and the table wiped Matilda and I went to our rooms to get dressed. Slipping into my favorite white t-shirt with flowers on it and blue comfortable jeans, I brushed my hair and tied it into a ponytail. After tying the laces of my light blue sneakers, I took my phone and went down the stairs.

Matilda was already waiting downstairs, holding a box full of cleaning materials. It had everything: rags, spray bottles other things. “Lucas is waiting at the car, Terra. You ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” I took the box from her and walked out the front door. Mrs. Xavier was handing a list to Lucas, who only took it before bidding farewell. I gave one last wave at her before joining Matilda in the car.

“Do you think she’ll be alright?” I voiced out my worries as soon as the car drove down the road. Lucas, behind the wheel, responded. “She’ll be fine and we won’t take long. We’ll be back before lunch.” Before lunch? Isn’t that a bit early? Can we really clean the shop that quickly?

The ride was silent until we reached town. Lucas parked the car in front of the shop and got out. I held the box while Matilda unlocked the shop’s door. While waiting, I turned to see Lucas rolling up the sleeves of his polo and taking out the mops and brooms he placed in the trunk.

The shop was spacious, it was perfect. All it needed was cleaning and some furniture then it would be the best flower shop. Even better than Anita’s.

“Alright, let’s get this shit done and go home.” Despite being such a grumpy man, I couldn’t help but cheer at his somewhat encouraging words. I took the broom and swept the dust clouding the floor while Matilda took care of the back room where the flowers were going to be stored in a huge refrigerator.

A minute didn’t even pass when the glass door swung open. I rubbed my eyes, hoping that they were deceiving me but unfortunately, my eyesight was good. There stood Anita who had a confused expression.

“What on earth’s going on here?”