The Awakening

As Caliope was walking on the streets, she was heading towards her new job. She had to be there sharply on time, as her new boss was a woman of impeccable punctuality, famous for her schedules and following them strictly.

She stopped right in front of a tall building and only then did she realize the neighborhood she was in. It was a business district, and her new job was to simply look after a house and the son of her employer, whom she was told, had a rare mental illness. Her face reflected her puzzled mind; she looked down to the piece of paper then up to the tall and scary building. It might have taken her a few seconds more than she was supposed to, as the security guard walked towards her.

“May I help you, young lady?”

She chuckled and tried to hold a laugh, which did not make the guard happy at all. “I am sorry Sir, but I think someone gave me the wrong address. I am supposed to meet a Miss Elaine Clark? In her home address?”

The guard looked shocked, yet instantly nodded and changed his manners towards her. He showed her the way inside the building and even offered her a coffee once they were waiting for confirmation at the reception desk.

Finally, after some minutes, a small door opened and a very skinny old lady came through it, nodding to the guard and then to her. He greeted her with a smile. “Evening Magna.”

“Evening Gerard, thank you, I will take her to the Madame now. Hello, you must be Caliope, am I correct?”

“Yes, that is me, how did you know?”

“Come, follow me, you are just in time, and the Madame was not waiting for anyone else but you.”

The old lady grinned as she led Caliope across the door she came in, and towards the service area where both went up on the elevator to the 15th floor. So far, Caliope made up her first impressions on the building and the people: they were ‘old and gray’.

As the elevator stopped, the old lady pulled out a key from her pocket, inserted it on a special place in the panel, and only then, the doors opened. A very elegant yet simple living room welcomed them, and Magna offered to take her coat and hold her bag. Then she led Caliope towards a bigger living room; apparently, the one before was a room for service people only. ‘Fancy…’ she said to herself.

Caliope had decided not to make any bad impressions so she kept her eyes looking to the place she would take a seat, and once there, her eyes were focused on her hands resting softly on her knees, crossing her legs elegantly. A little bell rang, and a wooden bird came out from some place in the room. That made her look up and to her surprise, a tall, dark-haired elegant business woman was walking towards her. Caliope stood up quickly, taking care her skirt was in place.

“I love sharp-on-time people, good first impression Miss Woodward.” Her interviewer, Miss Elaine Clark, began.

“Thank you, Miss Clark, pleasure to meet you.”

She smiled and sat on the sofa in front of her. “Please, take your seat, and tell me a little bit more about you, like for example, your name…”

“Yes, it is written with a “C” and just one “L” on purpose.” She smiled softly.

"That indeed got me curious." Miss Clark chuckled graciously. "Tell me why your mother picked such an interesting name."

Even if she thought this was such a silly subject, Caliope decided to humor her new employer. To her surprise, she realized that no one ever asked her before about her name. She also noticed that Miss Clark was a very classy lady, around her late 40's, well styled, beautiful skin, kind voice, she could even be wrong on assuming her age.

"I picked my own name Miss Clark, My parents both died in an accident when I was very young, an unfortunate classic story, and I went through many foster homes, many first and last names. When I turned 18, I wanted a name of my own, written as I wanted, as my own personal statement, and that is how Caliope was born."

"I must admit I am quite fond of your name; I like it and don't get me wrong, but it's mostly why I had chosen you among other several resumes on my desk. I like a unique personality."

This caused Caliope to laugh nervously, imitated by Miss Clark, who realized the time was running fast. She called back Magna and as she was standing, both ladies picked up their purses and walked towards the door.

"Make yourself comfortable Miss Woodward, my son rarely comes out of his room, his name is Amra, please assist him if he needs something, he will return to his room as soon as he gets what he wants."

"I will Miss, have a good day and you as well Lady Magna."

Miss Clark and Magna both smiled and the elevator doors closed. Caliope was a bit scared now as she was alone in a very unfamiliar environment, with a stranger who she did not know yet.

The first minutes alone in the elegant apartment Caliope walked in silence, exploring her way in the new place. She found the bathroom, or at least one of them, strategically close to the front doors. After a few more turns around the big living room and discovering a few hidden spots, she sat down on the small service area where she thought she was more comfortable. She took out her tablet, the last gift from her ex-boyfriend, and started to read the second half of a book she had pending to finish.

She heard a loud door closing, her eyes opened wide and to her surprise, she realized she had fallen asleep. She stood up and looked toward the door making the noise and found Miss Clark at the main living room.

"Caliope, how did it all go? Everything calm? Have you met my son?"

"Welcome back Miss Clark, no, I haven't met him yet, everything was so calm I admit I nodded off at least once. Not even a phone rang."

Miss Clark chuckled as Caliope felt a bit awkward, and since she realized Magna had not returned with her, at least for now, she was alone with Miss Clark and it was an opportune time to clarify some doubts.

"Miss Clark, do you mind if I ask you a few things? I am a little confused."

"Go ahead Caliope, I have some spare minutes."

"First of all, what exactly was I hired for? I remember sending you my resume a year ago, for what it was then, an assistant opening role. Suddenly I had a call from your secretary yesterday and offered a -similar- job starting today. But doing what?"

Miss Clark stopped everything she was doing, turned her head, locked her eyes on Caliope, forming a small grin on her lips. With a hand gesture, she made Caliope take a seat, as she herself joined on the opposite one.

"You are a very smart girl, I can see that, and at only 27 you have more spirit than many, not to mention your witty character, and your openness. That is correct; your resume was given to me last year, but by then the spot was filled. I did not shift it back to the bunch of rejects, though, as I thought you had potential. You have unfinished studies on psychology, and a nice background as an assistant, not only in this city but in other cities as well."

Miss Clark took a small break, a deep breath, and looked around the room then back at Caliope, and her smile exposed some sadness.

"I love my son Caliope, but he is very special, and though he doesn't require constant attention, when he needs something and can't find it or get it, all hell breaks loose. I need someone who can assist me while I am in my house, and when I am not here as well, as I have many papers in my home office. But most of all, I need you to be here just in case for him. You will find the salary is already more than what a regular assistant would earn, and I need you to sign some legal paperwork where it would specify you as my personal assistant. Your work with mentally ill patients and your, not complete, but not small knowledge of psychology, should help you with my son. I hope this is clear enough for you, and I hope you still want to work with me. In a few words, you would be my home assistant, and keep an eye when it is needed on my son. Do not worry, he is not violent at all."

Caliope was pondering each word Miss Clark was revealing, it was obvious her experience brought her there, and the job sounded so easy, that for such a nice amount of money, would help her settle down on her new adventure of living alone. Above all, Miss Clark was being honest, and she would still give her some extra work while she was there, she seemed nice and polite, not an arrogant person, like so many nowadays. Caliope started to remember her previous employer and showed dislike on her face.

"Do you hate the idea so much?"

"Oh, no! I am sorry Miss Clark, I was just thinking of what you told me, and yes I would love to."

"And you put that face when you love things?" Miss Clark chuckled.

"I am so very sorry Miss Clark! I was thinking to myself that you are different from other people with the same status as you. My recent memories of prior employers exposed my expression." She laughed nervously.

"I could dig up your history if I have to, I had a very cryptic denial to reveal any information about your work with your previous employer, and his assistant didn't want to give us even a word. But I understand if you don't want to reveal more."

"I am not surprised Miss Clark, Mister Rawer was a very smart man in business, but he had bad taste in women."

Miss Clark perked a brow "is that so?"

Caliope nodded "yes, among all the women he could have had, he picked me."

" Oh well, that does make sense, I find you adorable."

Caliope blushed but decided the subject to be left there. "Let’s just say we had a relationship that ended badly, and leave it at that.”

Miss Clark nodded "Ok darling, you are all set, my lawyer will bring the legal papers of your contract tomorrow morning, and you can leave now if you like, I will see you tomorrow at the same time."

"Thank you very much, Miss Clark, it is going to be a pleasure to work with you."

"A little present waits for you in the front desk when you leave the building, I don't take back presents, and consider it well earned. See you tomorrow Caliope."

"Good bye Miss Clark, thank you. See you tomorrow."

Caliope went to the service area and picked up her coat and bag. She took the elevator which opened quickly; a nervous but bright smile was clearly showing on her face as she started to walk towards the exit of the building where the old guard nodded and gave her a package, smiling as she finally walked out.

She was about to cross the street when a man in a suit called her name. Looking at him she noticed he was standing by a beautiful car. Probably he was a driver.

"Miss Woodward?"

"Yes, that is me, and you are?"

"I am Miss Clark's driver, she asked me to wait for you so I can take you to your residence."

"Oh, of course, thank you."

More gifts that made Caliope more than happy; she stepped into an elegant car and get home in less than half the time it normally took her. Once she was comfortable, she was thankful that the driver was silent, not looking for conversation.

She opened the package the old guard gave her and took out the different objects inside. A key, very similar to the one Lady Magna had, easy to know what it was for. A copy of the document she was going to sign to the lawyer the next day, so she could read it in advance. A card with all Miss Clark's personal and office phone numbers, as well as some offshore lines. She found and opened a smaller envelope, with a little stash of money and a letter with a small message:

"A gift I won't take back. A present and a sign of trust. Buy yourself dinner and something else to pamper yourself, see you tomorrow. Ms. Clark."

Caliope was very happy, nervously happy; it was all coming out great and it seemed all her bad luck from the last couple of years was finally turning around to positive experiences.

Just a few months back, her obsessive ex-boyfriend and boss was making her regret ever having dated him in the first place. To her it was simple, he was becoming too obsessive and controlling. She asked him for some freedom and in return he locked her in his apartment for a day, but all of that was forgiven. Until he contacted her last adoptive mother to know all about her years with them, even after knowing her foster father abused her and her foster mother did nothing to stop him.

He knew Caliope did not want to be back in touch with them, it was too much for her, and when she decided to break up, he tried to kill himself, only to keep her with him longer.

She finally contacted a lawyer and made all the papers necessary to keep him at a distance, which was possible after he threatened her with a letter, giving her the needed evidence. But now all of that was in the past, he was gone; she was in a new city, new job, and new life.

That night Caliope ordered a delivery of Chinese food, one of her favorites. She sat in front of her small TV and watched a show while eating her dinner, then she went to bed with a big smile on her face; sleep came slowly as she was too excited for her new job.