Icing on the Cake

TEN

Jaden leaned on the door and waited for her to speak. He really was tired and was feeling somewhat dizzy.

"Just go on with whatever you want to say," Jaden said when Sylvia was not saying anything but staring at him.

She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Is that how your parents taught you how to greet?" she asked.

He eyed her and huffed silently. "Good evening, Miss Browne..."

"Sylvia."

"Good evening, Sylvia." He ground out with a tinge of sarcasm. "What do you want me to do for you?" he rasped.

She eyed him now. He was becoming rude. Or maybe, he just wasn't feeling well. Besides, his voice was... "What is wrong with you?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

He paused. "You once said you hated that question, so how come you ask it?" He sighed heavily. "If that's all you wanted to say then, good night."

He turned to go back into his room

"Have you eaten?"

He stopped and looked at her, surprised but not surprised at the question. Yeah, she had been friendly with him today and yes, he suspected that she was attracted to him but it was still a surprise that she asked that.

He shook his head.

"Come down and let's eat."

He stared at her for a while.

"What if I don't want to?"

"Then I'll just have to drag you? We don't harbor food haters in this home."

His lips curved in a faint smile. "I would've loved to see you do that but I really don't need food."

"Why? Are you sick?" He didn't reply. "Just come down and eat."

"Go on, I'm not coming."

She snorted lightly. "You're so dumb. Can't you see that you're weak? I don't even think you've eaten anything today."

"Hey! I've taken coffee."

She paused. "Is that all?"

"I also took bread and some eggs with it."

She sighed and kept quiet. Then, she blinked. "Is that really all in your stomach?"

"Yeah," he muttered.

There was silence for a while and the only sound was the very faint sound of the clatter of plates from the kitchen.

"Just put on your shirt and let's go down and eat. You don't want to waste the food people have suffered to prepare, do you?"

Little silence.

"What if I don't want any shirt on?"

Sylvia groaned. "Oh, just do anything you want as long as you're coming down to eat!"

Jaden smiled slowly. "You're cute when you're vexed."

She scowled and his smile grew into a full grin. He entered his room to put on his shirt. When he came out, the shirt was not any better than when it was not there. It was one that snug tightly against his body and only made his chest and stomach muscled more apparent.

"Okay, let's go." He closed his door. "But if anything happens, I was just obeying orders."

Sylvia eyed him and started walking. Jaden coughed. Her head flew to his. His cough was hoarse.

"Are you okay?" she asked, wanting to touch his forehead to check his temperature but withdrew at the last minute.

Jaden nodded and cleared his throat. The last thing he wanted was Sylvia caring for him. That could jeopardize everything. He guessed he just had a small cold and he knew it was because of the swimming in the morning. He had already started sneezing the previous day and since he swam, it only worsened it. He now had cold.

Not wanting to make her worry more, he walked faster towards the stairs. She caught up with him and they walked to the living room. He made to cough again and gestured for her to go on. He coughed, longer this time, holding his chest the whole time.

"Are you sure you're okay? Do you have fever?"

He shook his head, barely. "Just go on."

She stood there a while before turning and walking down the stairs. He followed but at a slower pace. She waited for him to get to the bottom of the stairs but he really didn't look like he wanted help, although he needed it. She reluctantly went on and got to the dining room.

The table was filled already. Wayne sat at the head of the table while Ashley sat at the other head. Ms. Humphrey, Jane, and Mary and Ben sat at one side of the table and four other workers sat at the opposite side. The two empty chairs on either side of Ashley confirmed Sylvia's suspicions. Ashley was trying to match-make Sylvia with Jaden. Sylvia sighed inwardly. Would her mum ever stop?

"Where is Jaden?" Ashley asked.

"He's coming."

Wondering if Jaden was coming or not, she looked back at the living room. He was just entering the living room. She watched him for a while as he tried to walk care–freely when in reality; she knew he was in pain. She turned back to sit at the table when a loud, crashing sound came from the living room. Everyone looked at the living room and they all got up.

Jaden had fainted.

Sylvia's eyes widened and she rushed to the living room too. Wayne had already started giving orders to everyone to do something. He raised Jaden from the floor with the help of Ben – the chief chef – and laid him on the sofa. Ashley took off his shirt. Ms. Humphrey rushed to draw open the curtains of the closest window while Jane and Mary rushed into the kitchen to serve chicken soup. Peter – the gatekeeper – who came to eat once in a while with the family went into the storeroom to get drugs. Mr. John – the gardener – stood by Wayne and Ben, already praying.

Sylvia just stood there, feeling useless as there was nothing she was doing.

"He's running a temperature," Ashley said as she touched Jaden's forehead. "Sylvia?"

"Yes, mum," she replied almost immediately, ready to be put to use.

"Get a bowl of cold water and a clean towel. Looks like he has fever."

Yeah, right. Why didn't she think of that? She turned. Now, where was that road to the kitchen? She thought. She blinked and slightly shook her head to clear her thoughts. He just fainted, he didn't die, she assured herself.

She finally went into the kitchen, got a bowl, poured cold water into it, and took out a clean towel from the storeroom. She went back to the living room and knelt on the floor next to Jaden. She soaked the towel and began mopping his forehead with it. She just prayed along with John that he would get well soon.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER, Jaden had regained consciousness. He had taken his drugs and had a small blanket covering him from the stomach down. He was still on the sofa, propped up against a pillow. Everyone else was now at the table and Ashley constantly came to Jaden to refill his plate of chicken soup.

As they rounded up their food, Ashley tried to coax Sylvia to take care of Jaden.

"Sylvie, take this plate to Jaden. I'm sure his soup is finished."

"Oh, mum, he must have had enough already," Sylvia said, glancing at Jaden.

"C'mon, remember he's sick and he's just another member of this household. You don't want your driver all lean and thin, do you?"

Yeah, right, like several plates of soup could make someone fat, Sylvia mused. She got up and took the plate from Ashley.

"Uh Mum, can I get an extra plate then?" Sylvia asked, grinning sweetly.

"Of course, you can."

Sylvia made to serve herself from the large bowl on the table as her mum had been serving from the bowl to give Jaden.

"No, not from this bowl, honey. Serve yourself from the kitchen."

Sylvia stopped midway, let out a breath, and dropped the spoon. So now, her mum was choosing Jaden over her, right? She pouted and went into the kitchen. She served herself and took both plates to the living room. She sat on the space close to his legs and passed the plate of soup over his face. He blinked and opened his eyes. She smiled at him.

"Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

He nodded slightly. "Better."

She looked down at the plates in her hand. She considered giving him the one meant for her but she reconsidered. It wouldn't be fair. Besides, she caused his collapse as far as she was concerned.

"Take. Drink it."

She handed him his soup and he took it.

"I'm kind of full."

She eyed him a little. "It wouldn't hurt if you drank it."

He wanted to argue more but he knew better. "Thanks."

She nodded and they started drinking their soups. Midway, she stopped.

"Jade."

His head shot up. That name. No one had called him that since the past three years now. Okay, except for his best buddy, Keith. And well, he liked the sound of it from Sylvia.

His eyebrows arched up.

"I'm sorry. I should've just left you in your room when you insisted. It's my fault you fainted. Hope you didn't sustain any injury?"

He shook his head. "No, it's just a sprain on my ankle. And no, it's not your fault. In fact, it was better I came down when you made me. If I had fainted in my room, none of you would've known. So instead, thank you."

Sylvia opened her mouth to argue and then shut it. She smiled instead.

Jaden finished his soup and she took their empty plates to the kitchen. Everyone at the table was through already. Jane and Mary cleared the plates while Helen and Nancy – two other workers – did the dishes.

Then, Wayne, together with Ben and Ms. Humphrey helped Jaden upstairs. Sylvia told the rest of the workers good night and followed Ashley upstairs. When they got up, Sylvia made to go to her room when Ashley stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going? Come back here," Ashley whispered.

Sylvia grimaced, turned, and gave her mum a sheepish grin. She walked to her mother, knowing exactly what her mum was up to.

"Mum, I wanted to go and sleep," she said, not whispering as Wayne and the rest of them were in Jaden's room already.

"When your driver is sick? I don't think so." She held Sylvia's hand. "I don't remember training any of my kids that way."

"Mum. I know what you're trying to do and I'm not falling for it. Jaden can take good care of himself and I'm a grown up now."

"Yeah, and I saw how he took good care of himself today."

Sylvia heard the tinge of sarcasm.

Ashley led Sylvia into Jaden's room and closed the door. Ben was already tucking Jaden in and Sylvia found it quite amusing for him to be treated that way. After a while, Wayne, Ben, and Ms. Humphrey left the room leaving behind Sylvia and Ashley.

"Thank you very much, ma. I'm sorry for what happened and how I was a burden to everyone," Jaden told Ashley.

"Oh, do away with the 'ma' title and you're welcome. But you weren't a burden to anyone. I didn't see anybody complain," Ashley said.

Jaden nodded and smiled.

Ashley smiled back and went to his bedside and sat down. She touched his forehead and saw it was no longer as hot as before.

"Your temperature has become better. Are you feeling alright now?"

"I'm a lot better, thanks to all of you," he said, glancing at Sylvia.

"Yeah, just call out if you need anything. If I'm not here to help, Sylvia will."

Jaden looked at Sylvia. He was pretty sure she didn't like that a bit. "Okay."

"Okay." She repeated and stood up. "I'll be going now so, good night."

She smiled and turned to leave the room. She got to where Sylvia stood and stopped.

"Stay with him a little. If possible, stay till he sleeps. It'll just be for today."

Sylvia rolled her eyes. Ashley pressed Sylvia's hands slightly and left. Sylvia continued to stand where she was, thinking. Her mum might have just said 'hey Sylvie, come over and spend the night with Jaden'. What the hell was the meaning of 'if possible, stay till he sleeps'? She snorted silently.