The Maid

"YOU TWO. EXPLAIN YOURSELVES."

Rosa was the first to try to brave the storm, albeit meekly "Maria, you weren't supposed to be home until much later."

"What does that have to do with anything?" she retorted. "I rushed to get home early because of all the extra work I have to do around here cleaning up after the two of you. And what do I find here, beyond anything I could possibly imagine, for all my hard work and efforts?" she exclaimed.

"But that's the whole point, Maria." Anita broke in. "You don't have to do any work here ever again, nothing at all."

"And who's supposed to do it all then. You two?" she responded disdainfully.

"No." Anita plowed on bravely. "Thomas will." She took a purposeful breath. "He's agreed to become our maid."

This brought Maria to a complete stop.

"And he's also agreed to let you have the master bedroom, Maria, and one of us will be able to move into your room." Rosa added hastily.

After a very long pause, in a low, ominous voice, Maria finally continued. "And just why would he ever do all that?"

"Because of This." Anita crowed, triumphantly holding up her cell. Maria looked at it, puzzled, for several moments, before allowing, "Show me."

Anita clicked on the screen a number of times and then handed the phone to Maria. In the corner I cringed violently as she began to view my humiliation and shame. I watched as her face initially reflected horror, then revulsion, and finally intense anger as the video came to an end. As it finished her hand holding it dropped to her side and she slowly turned to

regard me. I braced for her scorn and disgust. Instead her eyes welled up in tears.

"Oh Sir. I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive ..." Her face hardened again. "No." she said. "Some things are unforgivable." She turned back to the twins with a fury that both terrified ... and thrilled me.

"How could you do something like this?" she practically screamed. "Why would you?" she continued, with obvious pain.

"To survive." Rosa responded, tears in her own eyes. "You've worked so hard for so long Maria, to keep us together, and it just kept getting harder and harder and finally impossible, and this could well be our last chance and we had to do something, anything, to make sure we don't lose it."

"But he took us in, out of his own kindness." Maria replied.

"And could get rid of us at any time." Anita answered

"Just like our father." Rosa spit out.

"But now he won't, he can't. Because of that." Anita finished, pointing to her cell.

"He's nothing like our father." Maria shot back vehemently. "Is this how I raised you? To do something like this, to sink this low?" she lamented. "There's no excuse for anything like this. EVER, and especially not HERE. Oh my dear God I can see that I've failed far more than I could have ever imagined. And it is my failure even more than yours." she concluded, almost in a whisper, closing her eyes tightly as if trying to hold herself together.

They snapped open again.

"Both of you, go right now, pack your bags, everything. We're leaving immediately."

"Maria! No!" they both exclaimed. "You can't mean it. Where would we go?"

"To the streets and the gutter where we belong." she retorted. "Until I can figure out something better. NOW GO."

The two girls rose shakily from the couch to obey.

"NO" I cried out from my corner, and three sets of eyes turned toward me in surprise as if they had completely forgotten that I was there. I shuffled forward on my knees.

"You can't go. I don't want you to go. You have to stay." I implored.

"You can't mean that, Sir." Maria finally responded. "How could you ever want us here after all this?" she said holding up the cell once again.

"Especially because of that." I responded. "Don't you see. I want you to stay. I need you to stay. And it has to be as I agreed."

"I can't believe that. I won't believe it. It doesn't make any sense. Unless ..." She nodded to herself. "I think I understand." She looked down at the cell screen and tapped it several times and then showed it to me. There on the screen was a still of my hapless face frozen at the end of the video with the word 'Delete' below it. With her finger Maria firmly pressed on the word and the image disappeared, to be replaced by the message 'Video Deleted'.

"There Sir. It's gone. Just like we will be very soon. You don't have to worry about it, or us, ever again. And I promise we won't ever bother you in any way again if you just let us go."

I sagged back on my heels. "Thank you for that." I sighed heavily in relief, but then immediately straightened back up. "But that doesn't change anything."

With every bit of resolve I could muster I raised my eyes to lock onto hers.

"You have to believe me Maria. It is the absolute truth. There is nothing in this world that I want more than to be ..." I paused for adamant emphasis, "... your maid."

She did not respond. Her face was impassive and unmoving as she stared down at me, peering deeply into my eyes as if trying to penetrate my very being. With every bit of my remaining strength I forced myself to maintain her gaze and scrutiny ... wishing her, willing her ... to see, to know, to truly understand. Finally, after what seemed like eons her face began to soften, with more than a hint of kindness.

"Manservant." She declared, breaking the long silence.

"You're not a sissy, Thomas, you're a Man." she further proclaimed. "A very, very good Man." she added more softly. Her lips then curved up into a small smile and I thought I detected a glint of mischievous joy in her eyes. "But if you really want to be my servant, I will accept and allow it, on one most important condition."

"Anything." I intoned fervently.

Her smile expanded, "That you continue to stay in the master bedroom ..." to its most dazzling, "and share it ... with me."

Astonished beyond any rational belief, I instantly grew a smile that reflected her own.

"With the greatest of pleasure ... Miss Maria."

**********

And so our lives have evolved, and I have found my true vocation and lifetime's work. Up at the crack of dawn I attack each new day with vigor. After my repeated requests, Miss Maria, reluctantly at first but then more readily when she noted my zeal and determination, has instructed me on how best to perform all of my new duties. How to sweep, vacuum, dust, wax and polish all the floors and furniture. How to properly make a bed and care for the linen. How to wash, dry, iron if necessary, fold and put away all the various types of laundry. And how to clean, scrub and scour al the bathrooms to make the tiles and porcelain gleam. I do strive to earn my keep. I've even become more than a passable cook, now preparing and serving all the meals, except for dinners on weekends which Miss Maria likes to make. Of course I always clean up afterwards.

As I've also been told to do in no uncertain terms, I set aside as much time as needed every day to handle the finances and accounting of 'Maid To Order', which I acquired for Miss Maria to own and run. I also utilize this time for ongoing research and manipulation of 'our' portfolio. When well managed, money continually makes more money, and I will never have to work in the outside world again. Unless I'm directed to do so by my Boss for life.

The twins remain on track to graduate early and with honors. I am allowed to address them as Miss Anita and Miss Rosa, but Miss Maria makes sure that they always treat me with courtesy and respect, and continue to refer to me as Sir. They even apologized to me, profusely, and I've come to believe that in all of this they are truly sincere. On Sunday afternoons, the only time which they allow themselves off from their studies and other college activities, as they both lounge on the couch watching a movie or surfing the web or texting on the tablets I've bought them, with Miss Maria's permission and as a reward for all my hard work I am allowed to give both of them a long foot massage and pedicure, followed by a single chaste kiss on the top of each of their feet as I thank them for the privilege. It is anything but a tedious chore for me, and I'm sure that is why Miss Maria permits it. But she has made it clear that it never be more than this.

In 'our' bedroom though, where she insists that it always just be Maria and Thomas, she has taken it upon herself to teach me all of the ways to fully please a woman, and she frequently comments on what an exceptional student I am. I always do try to excel in everything that I do. And she never fails to reward me for my efforts in the most exquisite ways, very often indulging my weakness, unchastely, for prolonged periods as a prelude. She doesn't consider it a weakness though, saying that she has come to love my worship and adoration almost as much as me, smiling broadly at her double meaning. I pray that this always be so.

And, as she also often likes to remind me, before long the twins will graduate and move out and move on to what undeniably will be successful and independent lives. Then I will be hers alone. And we can expand and more fully explore our unique wants, needs and desires ... together.

A lifetime of new challenges for me to excel and prove myself.

To Her ... Forever.

I can't wait.