Status: No longer in Uni because its summer so yaaaaaay for more updates!
Snow
1
I’ve always wondered whether my parents would make that final move to kick me out of their home for good. I told myself I honestly couldn’t care less if they did. I drove down the old lanes, on my way to a place that my dad had found work including a place to stay for me. Which I did appreciate. It was good of him. I gritted my teeth together, cursing my beat up car for threatening to give up on the pot-holed hill. This wasn’t my week.
The fact that the boot was packed with my personal belongings and the back seat carried two guitar amplifiers and three guitars really didn’t help. My brother had said with sadness in his eyes, that where I was heading, I wouldn’t be able to keep them, never mind use them but giving my beloved pieces of wood and string away would break my heart. They were all I had left of the life I had just left behind.
It wasn’t far until I found where I was supposed to be going and made it through the twisty, overgrown country lanes and sighted the picturesque manor house that sprung up behind the tall hedgerows. I gasped at the pure beauty of it, the pale walls that were sliding out from the gaps of brilliant green vines, the wide windows with white shutters and of course the towers that made it look like a castle.
I laughed at myself, maybe I was to be the newest servant to some stuck up snobs that thought they were it. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have any of it. I was a punk, a rebel. That’s how I was going to live my life. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, I drove free of the claustrophobic lane and in front of the grand house. I parked next to a new-ish looking land rover and switched the engine off, letting a big sigh escape my lips. Slowly, I took off my seat belt and reached for the envelope my Mum had shoved into my hands in a rush to get me out of there. It was not addressed to me so I didn’t bother to open it. I just tucked it into my bag and sucked in any trace of nervousness. I told myself it’d be ok and hauled myself out of the car and up the steps to the front door.
Before I could raise my hand to knock on it, it swiftly opened, a pale middle aged man with laugh lines and wavy brown hair appeared. I almost died of shock! Well, I must have jumped a mile because he laughed gently.
“Hello, there!” he beamed.
“Hi,” I replied, politely. “My dad sent me here, I don’t know what for. He just said there was work and a place to stay”. His smiled gained length and the door was then opened wider and the man stepped aside, an outstretched arm, welcoming me into his home, I guessed.
“You must be Sadie then,” he assumed, shutting the heavy white door behind me. “Welcome to Ivy Manor, I’m Thomas Faulkner, technically your boss but you can call me Tom”.
‘Wow!’ I thought, this guy seemed a bit outdated for his age but I guessed we’d get along, he seemed decent. Still, I wondered what my job title was. That part worried me slightly. I worked up the courage to ask “My Dad didn’t tell me what I was going to be doing here” well, it didn’t turn out as a question, it sounded like one so I forgave myself.
“You’ll be working as a nanny for two of my children.” I froze. Children? He had to be having a laugh, I hated kids. “I have three but the oldest will not need baby sitting. Hell! I’d guess he was your age.” he chuckled. I wasn’t laughing. ‘Tom’ saw that I wasn’t amused. “I’ll show you to your room, shall I?”
“That’d be good, thank you,” I smiled, weakly and set off after him as he bounded off up the stair case that I’d been too busy to realise was there. The house was like the Tardis. Although it looked massive from the outside, it did it no justice. I followed this strange man round corridors of curling wallpaper and dust and up a spiralling staircase up to the third floor and into an oddly shaped room with more than four walls. I sighed and smiled at Tom. “This is nice. Bigger than my room back at - well, it’s not my home anymore.” Tom shot me a look of sympathy.
“If you'll allow me to have your keys, I’ll have my Son bring up your things and move your car to the garage,” He suggested. “I will return them, don’t worry, you’re not imprisoned. Please don’t take it like that. This is your home as much as it is ours.” I nodded and dug my keys from my pocket, placing them in his hand and then he was gone. Leaving me to think things over in my head. This had happened too quickly for my liking. I didn’t like the way this house made me feel uncomfortable despite my boss’ warm welcome but what did I know? Maybe things were going to be ok. I just had to tell myself that and believe it. Just like a child would.
The fact that the boot was packed with my personal belongings and the back seat carried two guitar amplifiers and three guitars really didn’t help. My brother had said with sadness in his eyes, that where I was heading, I wouldn’t be able to keep them, never mind use them but giving my beloved pieces of wood and string away would break my heart. They were all I had left of the life I had just left behind.
It wasn’t far until I found where I was supposed to be going and made it through the twisty, overgrown country lanes and sighted the picturesque manor house that sprung up behind the tall hedgerows. I gasped at the pure beauty of it, the pale walls that were sliding out from the gaps of brilliant green vines, the wide windows with white shutters and of course the towers that made it look like a castle.
I laughed at myself, maybe I was to be the newest servant to some stuck up snobs that thought they were it. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have any of it. I was a punk, a rebel. That’s how I was going to live my life. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, I drove free of the claustrophobic lane and in front of the grand house. I parked next to a new-ish looking land rover and switched the engine off, letting a big sigh escape my lips. Slowly, I took off my seat belt and reached for the envelope my Mum had shoved into my hands in a rush to get me out of there. It was not addressed to me so I didn’t bother to open it. I just tucked it into my bag and sucked in any trace of nervousness. I told myself it’d be ok and hauled myself out of the car and up the steps to the front door.
Before I could raise my hand to knock on it, it swiftly opened, a pale middle aged man with laugh lines and wavy brown hair appeared. I almost died of shock! Well, I must have jumped a mile because he laughed gently.
“Hello, there!” he beamed.
“Hi,” I replied, politely. “My dad sent me here, I don’t know what for. He just said there was work and a place to stay”. His smiled gained length and the door was then opened wider and the man stepped aside, an outstretched arm, welcoming me into his home, I guessed.
“You must be Sadie then,” he assumed, shutting the heavy white door behind me. “Welcome to Ivy Manor, I’m Thomas Faulkner, technically your boss but you can call me Tom”.
‘Wow!’ I thought, this guy seemed a bit outdated for his age but I guessed we’d get along, he seemed decent. Still, I wondered what my job title was. That part worried me slightly. I worked up the courage to ask “My Dad didn’t tell me what I was going to be doing here” well, it didn’t turn out as a question, it sounded like one so I forgave myself.
“You’ll be working as a nanny for two of my children.” I froze. Children? He had to be having a laugh, I hated kids. “I have three but the oldest will not need baby sitting. Hell! I’d guess he was your age.” he chuckled. I wasn’t laughing. ‘Tom’ saw that I wasn’t amused. “I’ll show you to your room, shall I?”
“That’d be good, thank you,” I smiled, weakly and set off after him as he bounded off up the stair case that I’d been too busy to realise was there. The house was like the Tardis. Although it looked massive from the outside, it did it no justice. I followed this strange man round corridors of curling wallpaper and dust and up a spiralling staircase up to the third floor and into an oddly shaped room with more than four walls. I sighed and smiled at Tom. “This is nice. Bigger than my room back at - well, it’s not my home anymore.” Tom shot me a look of sympathy.
“If you'll allow me to have your keys, I’ll have my Son bring up your things and move your car to the garage,” He suggested. “I will return them, don’t worry, you’re not imprisoned. Please don’t take it like that. This is your home as much as it is ours.” I nodded and dug my keys from my pocket, placing them in his hand and then he was gone. Leaving me to think things over in my head. This had happened too quickly for my liking. I didn’t like the way this house made me feel uncomfortable despite my boss’ warm welcome but what did I know? Maybe things were going to be ok. I just had to tell myself that and believe it. Just like a child would.