I pressed the bell of the huge door of an even bigger house. I did see the pictures in magazines and online news websites but those pictures seemed so much less beautiful than what it actually is.

The door in front opened and a maid came into my vision.

“This way please”

She says before I could introduce myself.

I followed her into the house.

I thought there would be a number of servants here but it seemed quite opposite and vacant.

When we reached the first floor she pointed to the first door on the floor saying,

“Sir is in the room”

She stood there until I moved forward.

I wonder which one of the men in the room is the ‘sir’ she mentioned.

I knocked on the door and walked in.

“Good Evening Miss Martin”

Said Mr. Ken putting his phone down from his ear.

“Good Evening, sir”

I said extending my hand for a handshake.

“Oh no don’t dont call me Sir, please. I am just a mere manager here”

He shook my hand anyway.

“Please take a sit”

He offered and I graciously took it by sitting down in the glorious couches put very mindfully on the warm carpet.

“I heard there is a contract-”

The door was knocked and the same maid came in with a tray of tea cups and other offerings I had no interest in. This is the first and possibly the most important turn of my career so far and ahead.

We did not speak while the maid was still there.

“Yes, the contract is ready. Here take a look”

He said when the maid left handing me a thin file.

I opened it and started reading each and every line while he kept speaking.

“Dr. Thomas is a highly respectable and experienced doctor in the US. He has been handling every health issue related to the Carter family and his respectable father before he got his degree in the early 70s. He has no offspring and is turning old maybe that is why he suggested taking your assistance for our young master”

He paused and I took the opportunity to speak.

“But this is a lifelong contract, Mr. Ken”

I say surprised.

“It certainly is”

He says merging his palms together.

“What if it does not take this much time to cure him?”

I object.

“According to Dr. Thomas, it will”

He says overruling my objection.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“In that case if that is not curable then what about the cases I might have to take in the future for my career? I can’t possibly be stuck in a particular patient all my life who is not even curable like Mr. Thomas suggested”

I said almost very selfishly but I must be selfish for a career path I paved myself going against my whole family. Becoming a clinical neuropsychologist has not been any easier since I left my house 5 years ago, freshly out of high school.

“According to the contract, you will get each and every facility you might need in life. It’s not just a single patient, it’s the whole Carter family. Being the therapist of this well-known family will not be any less than an award itself”

He stood up, but his tone still remained calm.

I looked at the vapor that came running through the cup of tea kept on the table.

Mr. Thomas’s face came flashing into my mind. There must be a reason why he chose to allot me when he knows how passionate I am about curing the little lives that need help out there in this cruel society. It has always been a dream for me.

I am pretty sure Mr. Ken’s ‘young master’ will get plenty of psychologists like me to take care of him in the ample wealth he rides on but the socially obsolete lives need me more.

But how can I turn Mr. Thomas down? After all when I was only left out in the university, he came forward to take me in seeing how socially weak I am. How can I possibly let him down?

“Miss Martin?”

Called out Mr. Ken snapping me out of my thoughts.

“I am not sure if you want a psychologist for him, a babysitter or a lifelong caretaker yet"

I need some time to think if you don’t mind”

I say standing up with visible confusion in my eyes.

“Sure… Do let me know later, Miss”

He says slightly bowing his head down and I nod making my way out of the room.

I was about to walk down the stairs when I heard a loud thud from one of the rooms at the far end of the floor.

Then there was a hoarse shout briefly after that.

I step forward in the direction of the noise instead of the one that led to the stairs. I had not yet noticed if Mr. Ken was behind me or not.

With each step the noise got louder… the shouts, the banging of things, the footsteps and sighs that followed.

I slightly glance back at Mr. Ken behind me before slowly opening the door.

“LEAVE!”

The clean-shaven man in the center, his hair a mess, shouted throwing a chair at the two men who stood at the corner of the room.

He then pushed away the other one who held his arm tightly.

The men started getting back to him, holding him tightly… not giving him the freedom he so evidently wants but maybe is unable to convey.

“Stop… go away”

He shouted again to the two men who held him tightly but this time his voice sounded way more dull much like he was frustrated.

“What are you doing?”

I say stepping inside the clumsy room and looking at one of the men who held him.

“Who… Who is this”

Vivian’s deep voice flew over the whole room, more agitated now.

“Go away”

He said in a timid voice looking at me and then turning his gaze to the floor.

“Go away”

He repeated in an even lower voice, considering something.

“Leave him”

I instruct the men.

“But the food-”

The one who stood away from the other two men started saying but stopped as soon as his eyes met Mr. Ken’s behind me.

“Do as she asks”

Mr. Ken says.

Vivian’s face now looks up at mine.

I take a step forward stitching my hands to instruct the men how much am I asking them to move away.

“They won’t do anything to you, Vivian…”

I reassure him.

He groaned in denial.

I look at him in confusion.

“Our young master does not like anyone calling him by his name other than his family or close friends”

Mr. Ken gave out a silly laugh after he was done explaining.

“Okay. I won’t call you Vivian. Now, if you don’t want them to grab you again, you should not throw things here and there”

I say stepping forward again, this time, instructing the men to completely go out of the room.

I glance at the food tray kept on the table in the farther corner of the room.

“Can he eat alone?”

I turn to Mr. Ken

“After the accident, the servants are mostly responsible for feedi-”

He could not finish.

“I can…”

A low voice interrupted our conversation which made me look behind.

“You don’t need to worry, Young master. Julian will feed you”

Mr. Ken said insisted.

“I DON’T NEED ANYONE”

My eyes sparkled when I saw a frustrated man speak through him.

But then in a moment, he was back to groaning to himself yet I can’t overlook what I saw just now.

No stutters, no fluid release from nose or ears, no problem in choosing the right words.

I walked out of the room with longer steps than usual.

“Miss Martin, it’s not curing him anyway. He just needs proper check-ups from time to time. It would be really helpful if you could give him some of your precious time”

Mr. Ken called from behind when I was halfway down the stairs.

I turn my head around to look at him.

“Mr. Ken, I don’t know about Mr. Thomas but if you want me to take responsibility of your master then it is me who decides whether he is curable or not. Send me the contract tomorrow when you bring him to the clinic for the application”

I smiled and started walking downstairs.

Vivian Carter is no way near to the hopeless cases I've seen Mr. Thomas treat from afar, I can swear my life on it. He just needs someone like Erica Martin to bring him back to his own self. In short, he needs me and I am helping him this time.

TO BE CONTINUED