The Butler

18

Chapter 18

It's been a week since Richard banned me from doing any work and I feel like my brain had already decayed from the lack of activity. All I ever did was eat, read, sleep, and repeat. I even finished reading the book that we purchased from Edith the last couple of weeks and I can't find anything else to do.

My wrist doesn't even hurt that bad anymore. By next week, I can remove the wrist guard and go on with my life. I got bored staying in my room so I decided to go to the garden and replant some seedlings. I grabbed my trowel and got a tray of peonies to sow in the foundation beds.

I heard a set of footsteps running towards me. "Ay yay yay, bossman Carl! What are you doing?" Luis asked me angrily as he tries to take the tray from my hand.

I held the tray tighter. "Why? What did I do?"

"You're hurt." he pointed at my hand.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt that much anymore." I said.

"No!" he objected passionately which is unusual for Luis to do. "I will do that for you bossman Carl!"

Okay. He is acting a little suspicious. In fact, everybody in this house is acting very suspicious. Everyone is enthusiastically helping me like I'm a cripple. I groaned when I realized the reason for this behavior. Or should I say, who started this phenomenon.

"Did Richard put you up to this?" I squinted at Luis to get some answers.

"Ay no! Boss Richard has nothing to do with this." he denied but it's obvious from his reaction that I'm right.

"If you let me do this. I'll never mention anything to Richard."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

I let out an exasperated sigh when he continued to deny Richard's involvement in all this.

"Okay. Then no one will care if I would replant this beautiful flowers on the ground." I started digging in the soil as Luis watches me hesitantly. It's obvious that Richard asked all the staff to monitor my activities judging from the fear in his eyes.

He offered to help but I refused and asked him to continue with his task at hand. He was reluctant about leaving at first but he left me after I insisted on doing the activity alone. I finished landscaping the front of the house before five and so I had the time to tidy myself up before Richard gets here.

When I heard his car pulling up on the garage, I sat on the chair near the door to welcome him. As soon as he turned the lights on, I spoke which startled him.

"Have you seen the lovely flowers by the house?"

"What?" He sounded utterly perplexed.

"I planted them," I proudly informed him, "all on my own."

"Why are you being weird?"

I stood up and approached him. "No I'm not! You're the weird one. Why are you forbidding the staff to help me?"

"What? Who told you that?" he tried to deny it but it's obvious from his face that he was guilty. He's probably trying to figure out who snitched on him.

"Aha! So you admit on making me the social pariah here."

"What?"

"What? What?" I returned the question back to him.

Richard raised his hand in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about." Pfft. Is that their script when somebody is on them.

"Do you think that just because I injured my hand means that I can't work anymore?" I asked.