What Vanny Wants

CHAPTER 2

(PRESENT DAY)

Vanessa hurried down the bus at Michigan 14th street. She was almost 5 minutes late for her part time job at Heritage Retirement Home. It was her first day and she really didn’t want to make a bad impression. The job was salient to her goals.

Vanessa walked as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and anybody looking at her wouldn’t suspect that it was all an act. She was a 25 year old graduate of the University of Illinois who was struggling to pay her college loans because she couldn’t get a good job. Even her living conditions were barely satisfactory. If you could call squatting with her college roommate, Mary, in her husband, Bob’s house “satisfactory”.

She walked briskly to the administrative building of the retirement home. It was painted white and cream to give off a comforting atmosphere but Vanessa was a woman on a mission. It was her first job in months after she quit her job as a barista. The grubby, potbellied manager at the coffee shop tried starting a s****l relationship with her. She tried to let the silly man down gently but that seemed to egg him on even more. A few weeks of the unwanted attention and sneaky feels and Vanessa decided she was done. It had taken a lot not to break the i***t’s nose and the pay was terrible anyway.

The memory of the incident made Vanessa shiver as she climbed the expensive looking stairs and stopped in front of the tinted glass doors. She took in a deep breath, took on an aura of nervousness and opened the doors.

The flooring inside was a deep rosewood that paired beautifully with the baby blue walls accentuated with serene paintings of a beach at different times of the day. The ceiling decorated with softly lit bulbs arranged in a pattern of swirling vines. The waiting area was neatly arranged with brown comfortable looking cushions curving halfway round an oval shaped center table with stacks of brochures on it. To the left, the reception area had a curved information desk painted different shades of brown to match the waiting area furniture.

Vanessa walked to the information desk and gave her name to the receptionist, with ‘Jenny’ on her name tag, who immediately looked at her with pity but directed her to the staff supervisor's office. She thought it odd that this ‘Jenny’ would pity her but brushed aside the encounter. Jenny’s directions took her through a curved archway and up elaborately designed elliptical stairs that curved round a large circular aquarium. The walls of the stairs had even more paintings and pictures of who she assumed were former residents of the home.

Taking in all the beauty and splendor, Vanessa decided to do a mental calculation. She imagined being paid a few thousands a month and figured she could pay off her student loans by the end of the year, but she wasn’t there for the money. She just hoped Mary could get Bob to tolerate her long enough for everything to fall into place. Hoping she got the instructions right, she sighed softly stopping in front of a shiny mahogany door.

She knocked on the door once and heard a sharp, “Enter.”Feeling like a soldier being given a command, Vanessa hurriedly slipped into the office and shut the door behind her.

The square room was a huge contrast to the grandeur feel of the building. Walls painted grey, with one sad looking potted plant at the far end, a black wall-clock and a complete lack of pictures or any other personal possessions gave the room a very welcoming atmosphere indeed. A slim, middle-aged woman with graying blond hair and cutting brown eyes, sitting behind a sturdy wooden table, scrutinized Vanessa over the rim of her wire-framed glasses. She felt like a germ under a microscope. One hard-angled eyebrow lifted and Vanessa jumped to introduce herself.

“Oh, I’m Vanessa Hemming. I’m supposed to start working today as a part-time caretaker and cleaner,” she cleared her throat and adjusted her slightly rumpled top.

The women tilted her head just a bit to the right and narrowed her eyes even further, “And at what time Miss Hemming, were you told to arrive?”

Stealing a glance at the dreadful clock, Vanessa realized she was ten minutes late. “I’m very sorry, it won’t happen again I promise,” Vanessa pleaded hoping she hadn’t lost the job just yet. The woman harrumphed stiffly, introduced herself as ‘Mrs. Woodsworth’ and proceeded to give Vanessa a tour.

Mrs. Woodsworth led Vanessa out of the administrative building and through a glass, outdoor corridor with lush gardens on both sides. She could see a few seniors roaming about while some sat to read.

“This is where the tenants come to enjoy fresh air,” the stiff woman muttered in her monotone voice. “Whenever you are on duty, you are to escort them out and see to all their immediate needs before attending to your other duties.”

The corridor led them into a modern looking bungalow. Vanessa assumed it was the living quarters as she could sight staff walking with ‘tenants’ and leading them in and out of their rooms. Vanessa noticed there was a courtyard with a beautiful fountain, in the middle of the large open area, lighting it up.Some of the tenants walked in pairs, while some were alone but they all called out to each other in greeting.

“Hello there Patrick, how’s that back of yours?” a graying blond wearing a pearl necklace, low heels and a simple but elegant green dress said to a man on her way.

“Good and dandy as it was in the old days Sasha,” Sam replied with a laugh.

Sasha gave him a graceful smile and continued along her way which was in their direction. Mrs. Woodworth was about to lead Vanessa out of the courtyard area when Sasha stopped them. “Hold on just a minute, Emily,”

Mrs. Woodsworth stopped for a moment, stiffening her back even more and then turned to face Sasha with a narrowed look. Vanessa couldn’t help but notice that while Mrs. Woodworth wasn’t that old, Sasha who was definitely older looked more radiant than her. Too much frowning, Vanessa said to herself, smirking slightly.

“Good morning Mrs. Blake,” she said sweetly, “how may I help you?”

“Oh not you,” Mrs. Blake Sasha, waved her off dismissively, fixing her attention on Vanessa. “You’re new here, yes?”

Vanessa nodded once. The woman replied with, “I expect a visit as soon as you settle in,” and then sauntered off in the direction of the outdoor gardens.

The encounter left Mrs. Woodsworth in a foul mood and she was even grumpier during the rest of the tour.