The Happy Servant

The Happy Servant

by Charlie Fischer

Miss. Sally Fong always had a bright image. Sally, a Chinese American lady, wore dresses in brilliant pinks, pure whites, bright blues, and lively greens. She never desired to return to Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region, and their Basic Law. She was happy that she was a totally free American living in San Francisco and enjoyed following the up to date American way of life. Sally even had a lap top computer. Though raised in Hong Kong’s more affluent society, she never gave a thought of ever returning to the city of nearly 7 million people all in an area of 1,100 sq. km. Though far from needing it, her parents, who live there, received a nice little monetary gift once in awhile from Sally. Sally, was a generous lady. She made it a point to give part of her earnings to the Buddha Temple, and give something to a homeless person from time to time. Though she befriended the poor, she associated with the wealthy, and delighted in all beautiful and fine things.
She reveled in lovely music, sculpture, paintings, etchings, and the performing arts as well. She also appreciated fine makes of automobiles as the: Mercedes Benz, Cadillac, Lincoln, BMW, and she especially enjoyed seeing the Porsches around her neighborhood, and she became ecstatic on seeing a Ferrari once in awhile. Miss. Fong lived with a family in Pacific Heights, on Broadway Street, in San Francisco, an exclusive area where expensive homes, as well as everything else expensive,can be found. In spite of Miss. Fong having loved to dwell among multimillion dollar homes, and having loved to eat costly foods, and having enjoyed all the rich accruements that the multimillionaires enjoyed, Miss. Sally Fong was extraordinarily poor, but she cooked for a rich family called the Gretty Family.
Mr. Gretty, a stout, pudgy, handsome faced man, was nearly 45, while his wife was in her early thirties. They both dressed well with Mr. Gretty usually in a gray or a dark blue suit, white shirt, and a different tie each day, while Sarah Gretty stuck to Channel and other fashion store dresses with the matching. accessories. Sarah was a tall woman with a lovely figure, but business like in her demeanor. She always walked as if there were things she needed to get done. The two earned most of the family fortune in the jewelry business. Mr. Gretty imported and sold: diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, sapphires and the other precious stones, while Sarah helped him with the bookkeeping. He and his family wanted for nothing except the happiness their servant, Sally Fong, enjoyed. The Gretty Family had been Sally’s employer for eight years. She came highly recommended by the Hershel Family who moved from Laurel Heights, a neighbor to Pacific Heights, to London, England. It was under the Hershel Family’s employee that Sally learned the art of cooking. Sally gleaned her cooking skills from the worlds greatest chefs who work in the worlds greatest hotels. While the Hershel’s were on their world tour, Sally Fong spent a lot of time in the hotel’s kitchens with the chefs who were most happy to tutor the Hershel’s cook.
“Would you like to live in London, Sally; would you live and cook for us in London, England ?” asked Mrs. Hershel. Mrs. Hershel wished Miss. Fong would stay with them abroad, but She wouldn’t.
“I have friends in San Francisco. My people are many there. I can not leave friends behind, my Lady. I am sorry-sorry,” said Sally Fong.
So Sally was hired by the Grettys of Pacific Heights and loved the whole family. Mr. and Mrs. Gretty had a two lovely children: Jamie, the 17 year old girl, and Jason, the 16 year old boy, both of who were enrolled in the Sacred Heart Academy in the Heights. Jamie was a cute, smaller gal and wore her lovely blond hair in waves down her back to just past her shoulder. Though her skirts were a little tight on her, she didn’t flaunt her lovely figure. Jason was tall for a 16 year old. He was 6 feet but didn’t make an issue of it and wore his light brown hair brushed back with a small wave in the front. His build was average, and he looked good in his large wardrobe of slacks and sweaters. The entire family loved Sally and her life style. Sally would visit Chinatown on her days off to play checkers with some of her friends, or she would visit her niece on Clay Street, or walk around Market Street or the Stonestown Galleria shopping for a few gifts for her nieces and nephews. Sally liked going to the Buddha Temple down from Geary Street where she would visit with more of her friends, and afterwards they might all meet in a restaurant on Clement Street for a good Chinese lunch. The Grettys enjoyed seeing Sally having a happy time, and Sally liked serving the Grettys, so all went well with all, yet there were problems.
George Gretty was worried about his daughter’s boyfriend, Frankie, from the academy. The boy seemed too free and not serious enough about his studies. Bob, though, another boy Jamie had brought home, was a straight A student and had won the approval of Mrs. Gretty. “No, Frankie, was not right for my little girl,” thought Mr. Gretty, and asked Sally to remember his concern about Frankie when she visited her temple. Mrs. Sarah Gretty thought Frankie was much too interested in sex. She noticed how Frankie looked at her daughter; why she almost felt embarrassed at the gaze he engaged in when Jamie’s skirt happened to get hiked up a bit as she sat down in an overstuffed chair Jamie’s brother, Jason, brought his parents problems also.
George and Sarah Gretty missed some sleep; Sarah had cramps, at times, and George couldn’t concentrate, as usual, due to their worry over their son’s drug abuse. Their son, Jason, smoked marijuana with his musician friends. He didn’t take too very much of the grass, but enough to worry Sarah into asking Sally for her help over the matter. Miss. Fong having a heart for Jason and believing she could help, agreed to speak with the boy. The next day, Sally went on line with her laptop in search of information regarding the results of drug abuse upon the user; she found just what she was looking for, and the pictures she found told the story better than the words. Sally read about what drug did what and the results of marijuana upon the user. She printed out the pictures, practiced what she was going to say, and knocked on Jason’s door to his luxurious two bedroom suite within the Mansion.
After her little talk, she went back to her quarters that were as luxurious as Jason's, but housed only one bedroom. Miss. Fong, after reporting over the phone to Mrs. Gretty that she had begun fulfilling Mrs. Gretty’s wishes regarding Jason, received a telephone call.
“If you try Getting Jason off drugs anymore, I personally will run over you with my motorcycle, so knock it off. Don’t say word one to Jason about his drug dealings, or else,” warned an anonymous caller.
Sally was more wounded than afraid, and she felt sorrier for Jason than for herself. She squeezed tightly the perspiration covered receiver in her hand a moment, shed a tear, and uttered aloud, “I will help the Grettys,” and then thought to herself, I will help Jason get off of marijuana, and she got up from her couch. Sally called her friend, Jane, an LVN and trained in drug abuse nursing. “Hello, Jane, how have you been? Good, good. Jane, would you do me a little favor and come over for tea?” asked Sally. Jane said she would meet Sally over tea at the Pacific Heights mansion.
The ladies sipped tea and munched on almond cookies letting their crumbs fall to the expensive bone china. They chatted of their daily doings awhile before Sally asked Jane for a favor. “Jane, Jason heading for serious trouble. He taking marijuana; Mrs. Gretty told me and asked me to help. This why I need favor from you, Jane. Jason heading for bad trouble.”
“You love this boy, don’t you Sally?” asked Jane.
“Me love all of Gretty’s,” answered Sally.
Jane thought it over, “If I don’t come to Sally’s aid, I will end up sorrowful. I need to help dear, innocent Sally.”
“Sure, Sally, I’ll speak with Jason. What about next Tuesday?” asked Jane. “Could I speak with him downstairs in the entertainment den next Tuesday after he returns from school?” Sally thought this was just great and poured another cup of tea for the two of them.
“Jane, this means a lot to Mrs. Gretty, and I am deeply grateful. I’ll keep Jason here Tuesday. He’ll be here waiting for you in the entertainment den about
3:00 O'clock,” said Sally.
“Fine, dear, I don’t mind helping him. This is my pleasure, Sally,” said Jane.
Jason was to be spoken with, and the ladies were enthusiastic in serving the society lady, Mrs. Gretty. Jane, being dedicated to helping drug users, was overjoyed that she might help the popular socialite. The lady socialites in Pacific Heights lived life in the upper strata of the variety of life styles in San Francisco. They attended the opening nights of the opera and symphony and attended private posh parties and hosted them regularly; they dressed in the latest fashions and wore the latest in jewelry design. Their hair was coifed in their own home by the finest coiffeurs the City has. The perfumes they wore come from stores as Channel or Christian Dior as did their accessories. Their husbands, who purchased anything their wives wished for, escorted their wives to the functions. The ladies, in spite of their busy social life, family life, and at times, professional work life, always had time for their servants. Sara Gretty spent a few minutes everyday just visiting Sally, checking on how she, her family, and friends were getting along. Mrs. Gretty was popular among chauffeurs, waiters, doormen, maids and all the servants who work the Heights as well as being popular with the President of the United States. She held Democratic Party dinners at $800 per plate to raise money for the party; the President visited the Gretty’s and spoke at these functions. Mrs. Gretty was popular with everyone. Jane and Sally were particularly pleased at the thought of being in a position to help her child, Jason, get off drugs.
Jane showed up at the mansion at about 2:50 P.M. on Tuesday, and Sally escorted her into the entertainment den where Sally had some ice cold milk served in a tumbler with cool frost frozen to its sides prior to the serving. She also was serving some of Jason’s favorite, moist, lemon cake that oozed vanilla icing from the top over the sides. Sally had baked the snack the night before. They awaited Jason’s return from school that occurred at 3:15 P.M. “Jason, a friend of mine wants to meet you,” Sally said, as she escorted him to the entertainment den. “I baked your favorite cake, Jason, and here’s some cold milk for you two. Jane, I want you to meet Jason, Jason this is my good friend, Jane. Jane is a nurse who works helping people with drug problems, Jason. Oh, yes, here’s a present your mother left for you, Jason.” Sally handed Jason a little, wrapped package about three inches on all sides in size and excused herself. Jason shoved it into his pocket that made a bulge, but he didn’t care, as he was home, now. He was a little I rate about talking with the nurse, but as Sally approached him regarding his drug use before, he wasn’t surprised, and he knew his mother was involved. He figured it wisest to go along with this plan.
“Jason,” said Jane, “My patients who have smoked cannabis awhile have had a personality change. They have gone from having a cheerful demeanor to being lethargic and having a dull personality. Please, Jason, you won’t let this happen to you, will you?”
“My mom gave me this present,” said Jason as he reached into his pocket to retrieve the gift, that broke the uneasy atmosphere of Jane’s lesson. “I want to see what this is,” and Jason pulled the present out, opened it, looked at the contents. It was a cigarette lighter. He put it down on the coffee table, and helped himself to the cake and milk, then said “Justice happens.” He picked up the cigarette lighter, noted the skull and cross bones on it, and read the inscription: “Will we use this to light candles at your funeral?” Jason put it back down again and said, “Justice happens.”
Jane ate a bite of cake, drank some milk and said, “Don’t loose your personality, Jason. I must be going now, but here’s a few newsletters that explain what has happened to some of my patients who wouldn’t quit smoking marijuana,” and Jane went to the front door, and the doorman opened it. Sally appeared there at the same time and bid farewell to her old and loyal friend, Jane. She then went to visit Jason, in the entertainment den, to let him know her love for him and all of his family. She sobbed, in way, and said, “I just want everyone to be happy, Jason-everybody.” She excused herself and went to her room to take a nap. After a short while, there was a telephone call that she answered promptly. “Hello.”
“Well you wouldn’t believe me, would you lady. I said not to bother Jason with your goodie two shoes anti-drug campaign. Now you need to pay,” and the intruder hung up.
It has been three years since Sally was murdered by a motorcyclist and three years since Jason has been off drugs. He couldn’t bring himself to smoking dope in the wake of the crime, knowing he was partially to blame. He told his dealer a few different times that Sally wanted him to quit using, so he said that he didn’t want anymore marijuana and that he was quitting due to her efforts. Silky Lemur dissuaded Jason twice from quitting and needed to do it again, but then Sally was killed. At the funeral, Jason took out the lighter, with the warning inscription on it, that his mother had given him, lit a candle, went to the coffin, and tucked it under Sally in her dress with brilliant pinks, pure whites, bright blues, and lively greens. Preceding the murder, Sally had been visiting her sister and niece.
Sally had visited them in Chinatown and was crossing Stockton Street, in front of her family’s apartment, down from the stairs leading to Bush Street, when the crime occurred. A motorcyclist, wearing a leather jacket, and big, tall, leather boots, with a goatee and long sideburns came out of the fog, from around the corner, and speed right at Sally who was in the middle of the street. Wham-Sally died of a head concussion on her impact with the wet street. After running into Sally, the biker rode off in the dusk, but there were two witnesses. The witnesses couldn’t reveal much about the rider except that he had facial hair and wore bigger than normal leather boots. The detectives were about to give up on their investigation, when Jason made a confession. “I had been smoking marijuana and had tried to quit twice and was just about to stop using, when the dealer, I got my drug from, got real mad. He said he wanted me to stay as his friend or else. Well, I told him over the phone that, since my cook was helping me, I didn’t want to be his friend anymore. He said we’ll just see about this, man, and hung up.”
The detectives picked up Silky Lemur, and the two witnesses testified that Silky was the biker who struck Sally with his machine. The District Attorney promised Silky a lesser sentence, if he would confess and turn in a few of his buddies who were selling drugs and fink on his supplier. Silky agreed, confessed, and turned in evidence on some bigger fish, so he is serving a five year sentence in San Quentin State Penitentiary for manslaughter, and the Gretty’s donate money, once in awhile, to Sally’s Buddhist Temple in her name. {/linepace}