Chapter 2: Discovery of Knowledge Unknown

April tried to change the subject.

‘I still haven’t been able to find another job’ April said, out of the blue. She’d be looking for about two weeks. April originally worked at a privately owned hotel. The pay was fantastic, five pound fifty pence per hour when she housekeeping and six pounds fifty when she was waitressing. But strangely, they cut her hours by three quarters. When she would normally work sixteen days a month, her last month at the hotel only had four days work recorded. It wasn’t enough, considering she was at college three days a week. She left, unaware of any job vacancies. She was left alone. Independent.
‘Have you checked the local paper for vacancies, even if they’re just cleaning jobs? You can cook, you could always go and cook for the elderly’ Summer suggested, knowing that April would hate cooking for the elderly. April gave her mother the ‘I can’t believe you just said that’ look. Summers eyes widened and shone in the little light that peered through the glass window.

She looked over the empty chair in the corner of the room and noticed the local State City Gazette and Lowsburg Times lying on the chair, opened on one particular page. Curiosity took over. April jumped off of the bed. She walked towards the chair, still looking at the paper. She noticed something. The pages were all displaying adverts for part-time and full-time jobs. That and someone had drawn a red circle around one of the ads. She read it out aloud:

‘Part-time or Full-Time Housekeeper Needed.
Jobs include cooking, cleaning, and welcoming guests. Living arrangements can be organised. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner or all can be arranged.
Pay to be organised when seen in person.
Please ask for Master Will O’Vaara at 67 Sunset Pass, State City, SC6 7SP.
Alternatively please phone 01765 980754
Any time past 8 would be preferred’.

‘Did you circle this one, mum?’ April asked, turning her head to face her mother. Summer looked puzzled.
‘One of the nurses must have bought it in; I haven’t even seen it’ Summer croaked. April walked back over to her mother and sat in the place she sat before, her eyes not leaving the page.
‘Sounds interesting... Strange thing is it’s in this one too’ April said as she passed both the papers to her mother. Summer’s withered hands reached for the papers. She looked over the papers several times then gave April her puzzled expression again.
‘Bizarre...’ Summer croaked. April nodded.
‘Well I may as well go for it’ April announced.
‘You sure? I mean, you don’t know who this...,’ Summer stopped to the look at the name again, ‘Master Will O’Vaara, is’ Summer replied. April shrugged her shoulders.
‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ April said with a grin. Summer hated April’s carefree attitude sometimes. She wasn’t thinking clearly.
‘What could go wrong, you ask? Well, he could be a dirty old man, with porno mages hidden under his bed or chairs. It could be that’s he’s a rapist and takes advantage of young girls, looking for a job’ Summer gasped. The long sentence caused her to cough rather hard.

‘Easy goes there, Mum’ April said, jumping up again, grabbing the jug of water and a cup and pouring her mother a glass of water. ‘The doctor says you’ve got to take it easy’ April said as she passed her mother the cup. Summer took a few sips then gave the cup back to April.
‘Your fault’ barked Summer. ‘You can’t be so carefree all the time. You’ve got to think clearly, you daft cow’ Summer continued.
‘Sorry, but this kind of feels like something I should do. I’ve got to think positively’ April replied, slightly feeling sorry for herself. Summer felt guilty.
‘Sorry darling, but I just want you to be safe. If you think you can do it, go for it. It’s not exactly like I can stop you’ Summer assured, holding April’s hand. April look at her mother who was grinning at her. She’s right. Summer only wanted what was best for her. She was always very protective of her daughter. They only had each other. April’s father left them both before April was even born. As far as they were both concerned, he was dead. April squeezed Summers hand.
‘I know’ April replied. She looked the papers again that were lying next to her mothers arm. ‘I’ll give it a try’ she added.
‘That’s my girl’ she said, with a wide grin across her face. She patted her daughter’s hand. ‘Well?’ she said. April gave her mother a blank look.
‘Well...What?’ April replied, mocking her mother’s voice.
‘Call them up! Arrange an appointment with this O’Vaara man and get this job!’ Summer exclaimed, bobbing up and down on the bed. April smiled. She jumped off of the bed and walked towards the door, where she left her bag. She knelt down and rummaged through it to find her black and red phone. Nerves began to build as she walked back towards her mother, phone in hand. She sat down and balanced the paper on her lap. Then she realised.

‘Ok now I’m kind of nervous about this’ April quivered. ‘It says ‘Any time past 8 would be preferred’. That’s creepy... I don’t know...’ April said as she started to doubt herself and worry. What if this was some kind of pervert? What if this person was just trying to take advantage of girls looking for jobs?
‘Hey, you should always take risks in your life. If there’s one thing you should remember in life, it’s ‘Don’t run. Embrace’’ Summer reassured her daughter. Summer was well known for her sudden pearls of wisdom when anyone was in doubt.
‘I know... But what if you were right? What if this guy is a perv-’ April replied before being cut off again by her mother.

‘April. You shouldn’t listen to what I have to say. I’m very protective of you. And one day, I’m going to have to let you go. And vice versa, honey’ Summer said, patting Aprils hand again. ‘Do it’ she said quickly. April felt the butterflies in her stomach buzzing around like a phone on vibrate all day. April looked at the ad. Then her phone. Then her mother. She grinned. She sighed. ‘This is my one chance’ thought April, as she looked at the ad again. She took a deep breath in, copied the phone number into her phone... And pressed the little green ‘Call’ button. April grasped her mothers hand tightly as she waited to be put through. The dialling tone only made April more and more nervous. Until finally...

‘Hello? O’Vaara Residence?’ a young male voice answered. He sounded somewhat...tired. Kind of lifeless. April took a deep breath in.
‘Oh h-hello there’ she stuttered. ‘My name is April Shaoers and I’m phoning about the ad in the paper? About the housekeeping job?’ April continued as she gazed at her mother. Summers face seemed to come to life when she heard April speaking.
‘Ah yes, the advert’ the male voice repeated; his voice sounding more ‘awake’ and interested than before. He also sounded young. No older than twenty. He continued. ‘I haven’t had many calls about it, to be truly honest’ he said with a slight chortle. April knew this was her chance.
‘May I ask... Is the vacancy still available?’ April said, gritting her teeth together after the sentence.

‘Oh yes, the vacancy is still available’ said the voice. April’s jaw dropped. This was it! She may have possibly and finally found a job! She mouthed to her mother ‘He said yes!’. Summers eyes grew wide and she let out a little squeal of excitement.
‘In that case I would like to apply for the vacancy’ April said, the excitement in her voice made her sound like a child in a candy shop.
‘Excellent! May I meet you at my manor tonight?’ the gentleman said with delight.
‘Of course. Is there any particular time you would prefer me to visit?’ April replied.
‘Anything past eight o’clock would be good’ the gentleman suggested, following the advert he had provided. April looked at her watch. Half past five. Could she maybe try...?
‘How does half eight sound?’ April asked, slight nerves showing in her face.
‘That should be fine’ the voice replied. April’s beaming grin spread across her face. She was in! ‘However,’ the voice continued, ‘May I ask that you could bring some references and possibly a CV? Wear whatever you find fit’.
‘Not a problem. Thank you so much for considering me!’ April agreed with a grin. The voice laughed.
‘Not a problem. I shall see you at half eight then. Goodbye’ he said.
‘Goodbye’ April replied and clicked the little red phone button. April turned to her mother, who was sitting there, mouth open and staring at April.

‘What did they say? What did they say?’ Summer asked with excitement, bobbing her head up and down. April bit her bottom lip and smiled.
‘He said I can go and visit the manor tonight! He wants to meet me and see what I’m like!’ April exclaimed. Summer cheered, throwing her twig-like arms in the air. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and April did the same, both of them laughing and giggling. ‘I can’t believe it!’ April exclaimed, grasping her mother tightly.
‘Well you need to! Your interview is in three hours!’ Summer replied, also grasping her daughter tightly. They both giggled until April realised what her mother had said.

‘...THREE HOURS! Oh man! I need to get my white shirt ready, clean my waistcoat, grab my black work trousers, polish my shoes and update my CV!’ April said in a panic.
‘Well you better get home! It’s rush hour! It’ll take you an hour to get home via bus’ Summer said, trying to get April to stop panicking but failing rather miserably.
‘An hour to get home?! That only leaves me two hours!’ April said, scratching her head like mad.
‘Go now! You’ll make it in time if you just hurry!’ Summer said, flapping her hands up and down like a bird trying to fly.
‘But I can’t leave you!’ April argued, with a frown on her face. ‘Your ill!’.
‘But I’ll be here tomorrow. Now go! If you don’t I’ll get the nurses in! Then you’ll be in trouble!’ Summer threatened. April recoiled slightly. She looked at her mother and sighed.

‘But it feels so wrong...’ April replied. She thought for a minute. ‘Ok, I’ll go. Please don’t think wrong of me’ she decided. Summer grinned.
‘I don’t. Good luck my dear. Ring me when you’re finished; I want to know everything!’ Summer smiled as she patted her daughters hand with her withered right hand. April grinned.
‘I will! Love you!’ April said as she leaned forward and kissed her mother on the cheek. She then sprung up, grabbed her bag and ran towards the door. She looked back for a second. Her mother grinned at her.

‘Good luck!’ her mother called. April grinned and blew a kiss back to her mother.
‘Thank you! Love you!’ April replied. Then she ran through the door. She ran down the corridor, towards the lift, pressed the button and went downstairs. April still had a buzz when she reached the ground floor.
‘If I get a bus from the centre of town, it’ll save me a half an hour wait at the bus stop by the college. That should get me back in time’ April thought to herself as she ran out of the hospital doors, down the steps and towards the town centre. She didn’t stop until she reached the bus stop next to Flurry’s Department Store. The time was quarter to six. Hopefully enough time to get back and get everything ready. Just as she looked up from her watch, a bus pulled into the stop. She was ready to go.