28 The Old Geek

" The pain will leave once it has finished teaching you"

-Unknown

Elisa POV

The French toast was perfect, the crispy golden rim which it made those cracking noise when I pressed softly on it and the chocolate filling that melted under my assault. The cup was filled precisely to its brim with the milk which painted the transparent glass tender and glossier. The pancake smelled beautifully under those caramel glazes and it didn't fail to give me those seductive looks. The tray was filled with delicious breakfast that made me confused whether to deliver to its rightful owner or to my mouth. Weirdly, I was instructed to place a peach flower on the fresh toast which made me sympathize the French toast that had to bear all those weird combination.

The maid uniform was rather decent unlike those skimpy frock laced with white and black strip and adorned with aprons on it that we usually find in TV dramas and movies. The uniform was simple and formal with a causal plain dark pants complementing it with a white blouse that had small name tag attached to it. My tag had "Elisa" written with the perfect Bold and Italic handwriting and unlike others I didn't have the QR code beneath it.

It's been freaking one month in this mansion working as a maid and constantly living in a fear that he might do something to me. And to my relief apart from dragging away from his room to the maid chamber and meeting him once a day when I deliver his breakfast, there was not much of contact. The old geek seemed cold, distanced and lonely but he was good at heart. I thought I would be treated rudely or basically killed but he hasn't touched me inappropriately or did anything to me so I was really thankful for that.

I stood straight straightening the fold on my uniform and faced his study room door. I knocked the door two times then he allowed me enter. The room is gigantic and vintage as it has always been, the sofa arranged symmetrically and the shelves filled with books. Dissimilar to his surrounding, he looked sad with half of his face shadowed by the curtains and his shoulder slouched. His hand held that picture of the lady that I was the last time; he seemed to be lost in that picture. I cleared my throat as I walked towards him and placed the tray on the study table. He was still looking at the picture lovingly with tinge of longing and guilty.

I cleared my throat once again even though my throat was perfectly fine; he turned towards me giving me that blank expression, his loving and guilty face long gone. Even though I was kidnapped and placed as a maid in his mansion, I never felt immense hatred for him and I know that I should be cursing and condemning him to hell but seeing his sad face I really felt bad for him. I really blame my kindness hormone for that. I have been brought up in the environment where my parents loved me immensely and never let me feel lonely so seeing him alone it made feel so sad and most importantly it made me miss my parents more.

He dismissed me right after I placed the tray on the table; I turned around and left his boring study room. He really seemed to adore and love that woman and at one point I wished I could get someone that could love me dearly too. I was walking down the long winding hall way thinking about what Sam and Jack would be doing and I wondered whether they would be worried and searching for me. While I was passing the common lounge room, I heard other maids gossiping. It was never a surprise because women and gossip are kindred and they go well together. I alerted my right ear and placed it on the cold surface of the wooden door and listened closely to their tittle-tattle.

"Ophelia", "Love of his life" "Peach Blossom" "Pregnant" "Can't live without" "Lonely" was only thing I could hear coherently from the gossip. I wanted to know so I pressed my ear more closer to the door until someone opened it and I feel on my butt. My cheeks tainted with pinkish tinge and my blouse disheveled, it was really embarrassing. I stood up, acting as if nothing happened and walked away with straight posture. I just wanted the ground to swallow me fully without any remain as I proceeded towards the outer courtyard.

His mansion was ginormous and divided into east wing, west wing, south wing and north wing. Generally the old geek stayed in the east wing and the maid dorm was posted in the west wing and we were prohibited to go to the north wing. I walked around asking people the reason for the prohibition and there was many rumors about haunting which I don't believe at all but a part from that there was no constructive information. Nobody really had the slightest of idea about the reasons of prohibition.

The outer courtyard was the south wing filled with varieties of flowers, red roses blooming beautifully, yellow sunflower bowing to the rising sun, Pinkish peach flower fluttering elegantly with wind and centrally there was fountain delivering water to all the four direction , it was just picturesque and the only place which felt like home. There was tons of gossip regarding this garden and as usual there was no concrete evidence to validate there statement.

Adjacently to the fountain there was long pathway which had roses blooming sideways and the grape vines growing and tracing the shape of a gate, it looked like an aisle where the bride would walk beautifully towards her soon to be husband. Even though the scenario was beautiful and peaceful, the atmosphere felt lonely.

He looked as if he was walking down the narrow despondent pathway: pensive about how unloved he felt with his face marked with sorrow and sadness. The atmosphere was desolate with tinge of frown marking it; the peach blossom looked forlorn as it burst into immense sadness. It was such a heart wrenching image as he strode down that pathway. I felt really bad for him and followed him silently, praying that he must not see me.

I hid behind those gates and walked with silent stride following his every move, like a snake silently following its prey. But I failed to notice the eagle aiming the snake when I felt myself tumbling when the old geek stopped his walk. It was my second times falling shamelessly today but I couldn't do anything about it. He gracefully held me up contradicting to his cold nature; I held his hand and got up. He turned around and urged me to follow him. Like an obedient child I held my hand in front in a knotted posture and followed him.

The land colored with flowers, the stream flowing smoothly and the birds and butterflies fluttering around, this place was majestic. I sat beside him and stared at the empty air. We stood there about some time until he decided to wash away this uncomfortable silence with a brief conversation. The way he was licking his lips and moistening it periodically, there was no doubt that he wasn't awkward. I waited for him to speak; the first thing he asked me was my thought on love. It felt weird and comforting at the same time knowing that he was trying hard to be open to me. I smiled at his question but my mind was blank and my brain froze for a while.

To be truthful, it kind of felt a bit weird and mortifying at the same time, even though I loved Sam from the bottom of my pathetic heart still then I wasn't sure whether this love was for ad infinitum. I know I do have those tingling feelings and nervousness with him but I feel it is too early for me to understand the whole thing about love. I didn't know how to start or answer his question and I think he took my silent as rejection to answer his question. I thought he would walk away angrily but to my astonishment he spoke his mind.

He said that love is not simply a feeling existing between two people; instead it is the bond and reason for living. It is one thing that keeps the person moving even though everything has been shattered. It is that light that guides us to be happy, and the delirium brewing within them. It is also that promise of ad infinitum that binds you with your soul mate.

His eyes shone brighter with unshed tears as he continued to speak about love and there were traces of longing hidden beneath it. From the way he was speaking it seemed like a confession to someone or a unspoken heartfelt word. I cannot say that I feel and understand his sorrow and dejection but something urged me to provide him my shoulder as I leaned towards the old geek and gave him a warm hug.