19th Century Seamstress

Chapter 14

A faint "tick-tock" echoed rhythmically against the brass pipes.

Each morning, when Thomas Zanilon heard that sound, he knew that Mrs. Romd had already arrived at the firm. At that moment, she would be using the sink in Mr. Layson’s office to wash his teacup, preparing his favorite Panamanian coffee with sugar.

Thomas opened his eyes to the narrow little room where he stayed. An iron wire stretched across the room, holding his change of clothes. Thick walls and windows kept the chill out, yet they were also enough to wake him up. He quickly scrambled to his feet, ruffled his hair, threw on a jacket, slipped on his shoes, and hurried out of the storeroom.

Thomas wasn't the only one living in the basement of the firm; he shared the space with two kitchen helpers who were his neighbors. One of the helpers, a woman, was brushing her teeth at the sink outside the storeroom. Thomas opened his box of tooth powder, and his bristle brush, made from pig's hair, was a little scratchy with the powder on it. He noticed that the woman was using a softer wool brush and thought to himself that he would buy one like it as a Christmas gift for his family when he got his wages.

Only two days left until payday.

At the firm, many partner lawyers came in early in the morning to work on their documents. Mrs. Romd had instructed the helpers to prepare enough morning tea for ten people. When it came to food, Thomas was treated the same as the lawyers. Since no one made him coffee, he had hot milk with a slice of golden-brown buttered toast. Occasionally, the kitchen helper would pass him a fried egg from the pan but would also instruct him at the same time:

"Thomas, later on, mop the kitchen, dry the water, and wipe the dishes again."

Thomas didn’t mind. He thought Mr. Layson must be a generous and good-hearted man, so apart from the workload, everyone here was quite kind.

He knew a friend, another newsboy, who had gone to work as an apprentice at a carpenter’s shop and still slept beside the stove every night, eating nothing but rock-hard leftovers.

Stuffing the egg in his mouth, Thomas nodded and replied, "Okay."

Ten o'clock.

The partners finished their early morning work, came downstairs in small groups, found seats in the little dining area, stretched out their long legs, and enjoyed a strong cup of coffee, discussing plans for dinner that night at some new restaurant. Thomas, in the adjacent kitchen, listened to their conversations about elections, stock prices, and other current events. He continued wiping the dishes calmly, and once done, he grabbed a mop and cleaned both the kitchen and the dining room.

Near noon, Thomas went upstairs carrying a dry and a wet cloth, wiping down the shelves and cabinets in the lawyers’ study rooms. Halfway through, he crouched down in the hallway and pulled out a book—Rousseau's Emile—slowly flipping through the pages.

At 12:15, Mr. Layson, who had just met with a client, ascended the spiral staircase. Passing by the study room, he noticed Thomas hiding in the hallway again. This boy was always curled up like a little mouse in some corner.

Mr. Layson’s meeting with Mr. Jenlts and his niece that morning had gone smoothly, but he felt a bit uneasy. He frowned and tapped on the doorframe. Suddenly, there was the frantic sound of pages flipping, and when he looked again, Thomas was back to wiping the cabinet.

Satisfied, Layson entered his office.

In the heavy iron pot, the pan-fried dumplings were still crispy after being reheated. Louise bit into one, and the heat made her facial muscles dance. "Hot! Hot!"

“Can't you wait until it cools down? It’s not like I’m going to steal it from you…”

Eloise yawned as she threaded a needle, almost pricking her finger. In front of her was her own meal, but she was too busy with her sewing to eat.

Louise looked frustrated and leaned closer, whispering, "I heard yesterday that Manager Pengoli and the top bosses decided to cut down on regular rooms after the New Year."

"They plan to eliminate all standard guest services by next year and turn the place into a VIP-only hotel.”

“Mrs. Morrison is planning to lay off some staff before Christmas to cut costs. Our department has the most people, so we’ll probably be the first to go.”

"Though I don't plan to stay here forever, I also don’t want to be laid off just yet.”

Louise chomped down on her food with frustration. “Once I save up enough, I’ll enroll in night school to learn shorthand and typing. I’ll work in an office at a big company and live a better life.”

In truth, she was a person content with the status quo, but recently, things at home had been changing. First, Eloise had started making extra money on the side, then Thomas found a new job, and now Bella was going to school. Their mother had even been musing about starting a small business yesterday. All of it left Louise feeling an urgent desire to change something about her own life.

Eloise just smiled and didn’t respond, the “snip-snip” of her scissors echoing as she worked through a mountain of tasks for the day, watching as Louise left the house.

The wooden tray from breakfast soaked in warm water in the basin, and Eloise washed the table carefully before unwrapping the package she’d bought yesterday. She spread the fabric on the table, ready to cut the pieces. Following the current trend, she planned to add some ornate lace and embroidery—after all, plenty of women liked wearing fashionable blouses that showed a hint of their inner lining.

Making it both pretty and comfortable wasn’t easy. She was still sketching a draft on old newspaper by midday when a knock at the door interrupted her.

"Are you busy inside? I heard from Tricia that you're working on some sewing projects." Their landlady peeked into the room and asked, "Could you mend a garment for me?”

Eloise opened the door to see the elderly but lively face of her landlady.

“Sure, I can do that,” she replied quickly. “I’m a bit busy these days, though. Can you wait a little?”

The landlady, dressed in a duck-egg green blouse, pulled out two coins from her sleeve and handed them to Eloise, saying, “I can wait.”

Seeing the money, Eloise hesitated but accepted it.

The landlady sighed and added, “There’s another reason I came. Could you let your aunt know something?”

“What is it?”

The landlady sighed. “My husband has decided to sell this building.”

“Sell it?”

“Yes, he’s recently run into some business trouble and urgently needs a sum of money, so he had to put this property up with an agency.”

“Surprisingly, it sold so quickly.”

A kind-hearted believer, the landlady wasn’t eager to evict tenants during the bitter winter and holiday season. She worried it might damage her reputation in the neighborhood. But at home, she had no say in the matter; she could only follow her husband and son’s wishes.

Eloise didn’t mind too much. She asked, “Just tell me, what’s the latest date we need to move out?”

“You can stay until a week after Christmas,” said the landlady apologetically. She explained everything clearly, then went on to knock on the next door.

The family in the neighboring unit was worse off. Upon hearing the news, the woman next door let out a long sigh, her voice echoing through the thin walls. Eloise could hear everything clearly.

She scratched her head, feeling a bit worried herself. This small room was cramped and crowded, but they’d grown used to it. Saving money made it bearable. If they had to move, Eloise thought, they might as well find a better place to live.