T L

T L

Prologue

"Experience.

This was what I needed and freedom to choose my own path. How could they do this to me? I ain't a thing to be sold whenever needed. I did not expect this to happen in my life that I would cry out so helplessly on this road leading Cameron Palace. God might got angry on me so He is punishing me to suffer like this. Now I felt so sure that to suffer loneliness is better than any risks I would encounter if I hadn't scaped out.

The cool air breathing my body to shivered was my only tool for insensitivity. I was in declaring my true journey to get started as soon as light invades the Rothenerg City. I would show them I could stand on my own feet. I could see future seemed so shiny yet so high awaits still."

The guard let her in and pointed the way to the Isabella Building where at second floor, the school principal is located. She looked young but mature in the way she walked and gazed at students who were chatting on the pathway to Isabella on a thirty-minute break.

The moment she set foot on the ground of Isabelle, she went towards the stairs and traversed until second floor. 

The brown envelope held by her left hand was given to the school directress and the girl sat momentarily showing good manners and confidence. She smiled and talked about her family. The directress just did nodding and asked further question about transferring to Rothen Mitt High School. The girl told the directress every details and just before Lunch Break, they both shook hands and with a smile the girl left the room.

She moved to the corridor before Speech Lab. She was about to turn to Lobby but bumped into someone who after the incident apologized on her. She left Rothen Miitt and head towards Shimlet Avenue where traffic built up again like yesterday.

CHAPTER 1

A Spice of Life

It was early August and the sky was clear. It's light baby blue hue enveloped the sphere of where busy hearts were busy doing their own businesses. Rothenerg City is the capital of the Country and is the home of luxurious hotels, restaurants, malls, and other establishments and famous institutions like the Wildthworths University and the Cathedral of St. Paul. The families who owned properties on this city lived on their exclusive places somewhere on a province found near the city. The Prime Minister of the Country was residing at the Grand Mansion, at the very heart, which was his office also. Benavides Park --the ever green and so romantic place planted with fire trees and lilac and roses was near the border of the city and Crisanthoir, a province where Castilla Family ranked the richest among 3000 families there. Near this park just about the end following the arrows posted on the lights on Lover's Lane, the public Rothen Mitt High School could be found. In front of this school, Shimlet Avenue led traffics towards McArthur highway an expressway for Northeners and Southeners. On the corner of Shimlet and Austen Drive, the famous five-star Hotel named Mortini Tower is erected and infront of this hotel the Packs N' Ribbons Mall is to be found. There were footbridges on areas specified for pedestrians in need of safe crossing and one footbridge is built  infront Rothen Mitt by Pink Phanters Development.

The city was so huge and structures of these were really mushroomed just after the Global Financial Crisis which brought the economy down and lucky was the prime minister to have avoided this crisis and established reforms for strengthening the walls of the Country's economy. Yet populated enough, Rothenerg still preserved the glory of nature with trees refreshing the busy doers passing sidewalks and walking at park and by the river Roth.

Two months ago before the end of first quarter of the school year, Maya had applied for a job on Agency. She was in need of financial source since her stomach depend only on her. She went there and asked for a work where she could do only in the early morning and late afternoon. She had planned it to be specific since she was studying at the same time and quite free on these time slots. Liza told her about Agency which was the famous job hunterers and givers destination.

Liza Sarabil was her classmate and close friend since she entered Rothen Mitt. They both lived in an apartment at Cameron Drive near Shimlet which was owned by the kind Nana --an old widow also selling her best viances to the residences of her units. Maya started to live with her friend  two months ago and still not yet allowed to share the payment for the rent because Liza knew she has no money to share for that. So for the mean time, Liza was responsible for the rent whilst Maya does the household chores.

In that afternoon of early August, Liza received a phonecall from the Agency who was calling for Maya. With her glad, she ran to Maya who was washing the dishes at old Nana's unit and almost shouted her the words of the Agency:

            "The Agency would like to inform Miss Maya Castilla about the urgent need of a keeper to serve the family of Montero. Kindly report
              to office of worthy job makers of Agency Room 108 tomorrow at 9 o'clock in the morning."

Maya with the bubbles of the dish soap around her fine hands, dropped the sponge and hugged her friend tightly. Liza restricting her stepped back, and gave her thumbs up. "Well, that's luck for you!" she said to Maya resuming to work on the dishes. Nana who was watching them came and touched Maya's forehead. Maya felt the warmth of her hand as she said phrases meant about the day for tomorrow of Maya's life: "Tomorrow's work will be a spice for you to taste." Maya closed her eyes and in deep thoughts revealed the images of what tomorrow that may look then light invaded the imagination and brought her to the flash of true freedom---a spice to taste.