Rectrix

Heedful

To be aware of little, quiet things, you need to be quiet inside. A high degree of alertness is required. Be still. Look. Listen. Be present.

-Eckhart Tolle

-

One of the first things my dad taught me was that you had to be aware of your surroundings, all the time.

He'd tell me, 'If you know your surroundings, you know when things are out of place. If you know your surroundings, you have the advantage.'

After being alone for a decade, it practically became second nature to me now. The way I scan the sidewalk vendors who are preparing for the morning rush of customers, the way I try to remember the plates of the cars parked on the side of the road and the people coming in and out of the buildings.

He'd also say, 'You won't lose anything by being vigilant. YOLO.'

And no, not the YOLO that you know. Well, technically the phrase is the same - you only live once - but my dad was someone who was very careful. He was very sentimental and always talked about how this life is the only life you'll ever get, and that the next life - if there was one - would definitely be different than this one, so shouldn't you live this life to the very best that you can? And that we can't achieve our 'very best' by being reckless.

There is always some type of paranoia that takes over me whenever I am outside of a four-walled room. It's too damn hard to protect yourself in an open environment, not knowing from which direction those bastards will strike or if an accident is about to happen. That's part of the reason why I look for jobs that would guarantee my person is inside at all times and not out and about in a field. It's smart to be vigilant, but I do think it's smarter to be vigilant when the area is small, much less people to observe and be wary of.

I choked up a bit as I remembered my dad and tugged my bag over my shoulder as I hurried to get to the hotel, determined to not be late on such an important day.

+ + +

The Grand Palazzo stood tall in the middle of a busy district. At first glance, you would think it's an office building. The glass panes looked endless if not for the black steel metal frames placed horizontally that started from the ground to the very top.

The sun had just peeked over the distance, creating some sort of halo around the building. This was a hotel? I couldn't believe it. Or maybe it's the country-bumpkin in me that was in awe, the building looked so modern.

The entrance was concealed by tall bushes, the only way to know it is if a vehicle enters the driveway and drops off its passengers. There was no sign of the hotel name either. I wondered why the owner intended for the exterior to be this bare, it looked like he was hiding that it is in fact a five-star hotel.

I stood there admiring and gawking at every inch of the building before I headed towards the corner alley to find the employees' entrance that was stated in the email sent to me a week ago. A guard that stood by the door checked my identification and his sheet before directing me to the office of the head of housekeeping.

+ + +

"You lack experience, Miss Polly. The experience and the knowledge in housekeeping." Miss Collins sat on the edge of her desk and crossed her arms in front of her, looking down at me through her thin-rimmed gold glasses, assessing what my reaction would be. I nodded at her because I didn't know how to respond to that, and I already think she's the type who'd hate to get interrupted.

She clapped her hands once. "Fortunately, we have a new beta program for fresh hires who have no background on housekeeping." She went on to tell me some kind of syllabus of the training which would last for around two weeks before we get to be in-charge of our own carts and rooms.

"Looking at your resume, I assume you're a quick learner so you will be the first to be dispatched to Mr. Kingsley's penthouse by the end of the first week of training." I felt my mouth hang open in disbelief at the sudden turnaround of events.

Miss Collins sighed as she circled her desk and took a seat on her chair, obviously looking like she detested the decision as well.

"Mr. Kingsley? The owner?" Before I applied, I've already looked up all there is to know about the hotel, its location and its people. Maximilian Kingsley is the youngest owner of all the hotel chains across the country; he started branching out when he succeeded his grandfather, Henry Kingsley the First. He looked grim and intimidating in all his photos which were very few. All that I've read about him was focused on his position as the new representative of the Kingsley family, there was nothing written about his private life.

This Maximilian Kingsley sure sounds like an enigma, no man with a family who is known all over the world could be this private.

"Yes, he needs to check and approve all trainees. Don't forget that this is a beta program and we will need to reassess everything if he ever finalizes his decision to go through with this program." She explained patiently to me and handed over a printed schedule of the training and where to find the uniforms and my locker number.

Miss Collins stood and smoothed down her skirt before shaking my hand. She bid me good luck just before I left her office and went in search of the uniform room.

As I walked, my mind flashed with the image of Maximilian Kingsley that I saw in a news article a few days ago. His eyes were glaring at the camera with his lips set in a straight line and his jaw rigid, which made it look more prominent. I had never seen someone so handsome my whole life.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I was curious about the man himself. Suffice to say, I have never been curious about anyone before. The only thing I hope is that this curiosity does not kill this cat.