Soul of the Phoenix

Chapter 4

As the sun rose the next morning, Sakiya groaned as she hated getting up at 5 a.m. She couldn't complain about it though, it was better than the alternative of disappointing Holly and David. She quickly got off of her thin mattress, going to the small bathroom located within the laundry room next door to her tiny room. She turned the knobs to as warm as she could get the water, although it was still slightly cool. She dealt with it though, otherwise she wouldn't be able to shower. She thought about her ongoing debacle of trying to get away from her adoptive parents, not even knowing where to begin. Ughhh I can do this, think Sakiya, there's always a way she thought to herself. She knew she wouldn't have much time once the day came to make the leap, but she had to go for it none the less. She hopped out of the shower, throwing on the same black leggings and white tshirt. She didn't have much, only a few outfits, so she had to rotate them often. She walked over to the mirror, grabbing her small comb, which was inconsistent with what she had really needed to comb her long fiery red-orange hair. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, trying to look deep within herself. Her confidence hadn't wavered no matter how much she was made to believe she was nothing special. She's a little taller than some of the women around here, but her looks were undeniable. Her red-orange hair reached her lower back, which had a slight curve to it, followed by a voluptuous bottom. Her body was slim, but also thick in a way. She had bigger hips compared to most of the women who tried to keep their slim figures, and she was often made fun of by the girls at her school. Her waist was smaller though, as were theirs, but they made her feel it was abominable for a woman to have bigger hips or a bigger bottom. Her breasts weren't very big, she considered them to be a B cup, but she wasn't positive as the bra she had to wear was worn and didn't show a size. She thought they were considered smaller since Sadie would throw insults and call her the itty bitty titty committee, which hurt her feelings and made her feel a little self-conscious. She quickly let those feelings go, as she knew she was a good person with a good heart and didn't deserve their words.

After she finished her morning routine, she walked to the kitchen quarters to help the maids prepare breakfast for the family and friends. She also had to set up the table and dinnerware in a proper way to the family's liking. They were having a guest over today, and Sakiya already had an inkling of who it could be. She wanted to find out more about the mysterious man Holly and David seemed to keep in frequent contact with, for reasons unbeknownst to her, or her children apparently. "Hello Martha, what will we be cooking today?" Sakiya asked the head maid, who had directed them around the kitchen and dining room on what to do.

"Well, firstly I need you to get the big griddle out of the pantry. As I'm sure you know, the Cohen's said they have a special guest coming today, so we have to prepare accordingly." Martha smiled. She was such a sweet woman, and hated the way Sakiya was treated, but she had a job to do or else she wouldn't be able to support her own family. "Hey Sakiya, Can you come help me set the tables?" Melani asked her. Sakiya sat the huge griddle on to the marble countertop before heading to the dining room to assist. Melani is Martha's daughter. She decided to get a job with her mom to help out now that she was 16 and old enough to do so. "So do you know who will be coming over today?" Melani questioned. Sakiya shook her head, as she didn't want to give anything away. "I don't, but I guess we shall see when they get here." Sakiya told her. Melani smiled and nodded. Sakiya grabbed the pure white table cloth with laced edges out of the dining closet attached to the wall, motioning for Melani to grab the other side so they could drape it over the long dark wooden table. Once that was completed, Melani brought in the white and gold glassware to set the table in a classy manner. They had to make everything perfect, or else she was sure she would be punished for it if anything was not the way the Cohen's expected. What's ironic though, is Sakiya shares their last name, however one wouldn't know it because she wasn't talked about as if she were apart of their family. She was the adopted daughter, not blood, so she was looked at as a maid and servant, nothing more.

"Everything is ready, I suspect?" A voice came booming in the room, Holly walking in with Sadie in tow. They were both wearing similar dresses, their corsets seemingly too tight. They had to make themselves look slimmer. That was the look they were going for, as it was the style these days. Sakiya didn't like it though, and couldn't fathom putting one of those things on to corrupt her breathing. She chuckled at that, how desperate these women were for attention and to be talked about for their looks. Holly sat at the head of the long table where there were two chairs, one for her and one for David as the head of the household. To her right sat Sadie, and Sylis would be sitting to David's left. Speaking of the duo, they both walked in and took their seats. Not long thereafter, the doorbell rang. He was here. "I'll answer that, Mother." Sadie grinned. She hopped up and quickly left the dining area to go answer the door. Martha and Melani, along with the rest of the maids, came in carefully with the trays of food. They made sausage, bacon, grits, ham, biscuits and gravy among other foods that were more than any one family could consume. That's the type of people they were, always wanting to look rich and abundant. Sakiya went to the kitchen to grab the wine, pouring each of them a glass. "You're no longer needed, Sakiya. Stand to the corner just over there in case we need a refill or our guest requests anything. Now shoo." Holly waved her hand, dismissing Sakiya to do as she had asked. "Oh it's lovely. Thank you for stopping by for mom and dad, Mr. Black." Sadie said as her and the powerful looking man walked through the doors into the dining room. So that's his last name. At least we have a starting point Sakiya told herself. Mr. Black took his place next to Sadie, immediately grabbing his glass of wine. "Chardonnay hmm. Didn't know your taste was so good in wine." Mr. Black said, the Cohen's smiling at his compliment. Although beneath Holly's smile, one could tell there was fear there. Sakiya wondered what had her adoptive mother so on edge about this man. She was keen to find out. "Oh thank you, Mr. Black. Only the best for the best." David smiled, holding up his glass for a cheers. Everyone at the table joined in, and it made Sakiya sick how fake these people were. Melani went around, asking everyone what they had wanted on their plate and distributing it accordingly. "Can I get you anything else, sir?" Melani asked him. He shook his head. "No, that's just fine darling. Thank you." He replied. Melani bowed before walking back to the kitchen. "I see you have good workers, David. It's refreshing to see them so polite and willing." Mr. Black smiled, showing his cunning facial expressions. Sakiya got a chill down her spine, knowing something was off with this man. "Oh they're quite lovely, Mr. Black. We have a tight team around here." Holly smirked. Mr. Black cleared his throat. "Let us eat, then we can dive into the happenings of the King, shall we?" Sakiya's heart dropped. Mom and Dad She thought, wondering what would transpire next.