Yes master, p.12
Yes, Master, page 12
“Sadly, that is not the way corporate real estate works,” Andi answered.
“When it comes to a building like this, it should work like that! This is not an upscale part of town!” I yelled, the anger building inside me.
“What you didn't know is that currently, this part of town is becoming more popular. People are buying up buildings for renovation based on the profit margin demonstrated by this building after it was upgraded,” Andi explained.
“So, it's just like wishing for money. It would only end up biting me in the ass,” I commented more to myself than to her. “I've seen enough.” The girls walked over to me and put their hands on my shoulders. I felt a quick squeeze, and then I was sitting back at my dining room table in my shabby apartment. I looked up at the girls and saw their concerned expressions.
“Are you okay?” Vila asked softly. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that what I had seen had not actually occurred.
“Yes, I’m okay,” I answered her. “It is just very disheartening to see those types of misfortunes in the world, even if they are not real. Just the possibility that they could happen is enough to make me sick.”
“You are the only master we have ever had that we believed would see things that way. That is another reason we chose to let you preview wishes,” Vila replied.
So far, both wishes I had considered would have turned into disasters. I, once again, was very appreciative that the girls decided to give me a sneak peek.
“Thank you for that,” I told them both. The two of them smiled at me and then looked at each other. They both stood up and walked over to stand beside me. I looked up at them.
“Are you finished eating?” Vila asked me. I looked down at my plate, which was half empty. Even so, I was no longer hungry. The girls had put so much food on my plate, to begin with, that I didn't think I would have been able to finish it under normal circumstances.
“I am finished,” I answered. “Why?”
Instead of answering, each girl took me by a hand and stood me up. Then they led me to my living room and sat me down in my favorite lounger. Andi disappeared for a moment and then returned with my gaming controller and headset. She handed it to me with a smile and a wink.
“I can't do anything with that out here,” I laughed. “My system is in the bedroom.” The girls grinned at each other, and Vila raised her hand in the air and snapped her fingers. Suddenly my entire gaming system was arranged neatly in front of my living room entertainment center. My flat screen turned on and showed that everything was loaded and ready for me to play.
“Show us what it is you do in these games,” Andi asked, clearly interested.
“You really want to sit here and watch me play video games?” Her words and interest stunned me.
“Yes!” Vila chimed in. “It seems to be a large part of your life, so we'd like to know more about it. Plus, we got the impression that it was a good way for you to take your mind off things and relax. And this evening is all about you relaxing!”
I looked at the two of them, wondering if they had gone crazy. I most certainly wasn't going to argue with them about it, though. I had never met any female that wanted to watch me play video games voluntarily. Then again, Andi and Vila were not ordinary females by any stretch of the imagination.
The rest of the evening turned out to be some of the most fun I've ever had while gaming. I didn't have to explain much to the girls, and it was like having my own private cheering section. They got into it as much as I did. The three of us sat there in my living room, playing and cheering, well into the early morning hours. At some point, I fell asleep in my chair with the two girls snuggled up next to me.
10
I woke up in my lounger Sunday morning feeling like I had slept for a week. I didn't remember having any dreams and felt more refreshed than I thought possible after just one night’s sleep. I glanced around my living room and saw that my television was still on, and it looked like someone was playing a game. I looked to my left and on the floor, sitting cross-legged, were Andi and Vila. Their mouths were moving excitedly, but no sound was coming out. The way they were holding their hands looked like they should have game controllers in them, but there were no controllers.
I pushed the footrest on my lounger down and sat forward in my chair. I watched the screen, then looked back at them repeatedly. It looked like they were playing without any equipment. The realization didn't shock me as much as it would have a mere twenty-four hours earlier, but it was still really cool to see. I sat still and watched them, hoping they wouldn't notice I was awake. I was most amused by how they were talking without making a sound. Andi threw her hands up in the air as would any typical gamer when they lost a round. Vila pointed at her and laughed silently. Andi shot some comment back at her, and Vila stuck her tongue out. I couldn't help but chuckle out loud. Both girls looked up at me, and their faces lit up.
“You're awake!” Vila said happily, sound suddenly emanating from her mouth.
“Yes, I am,” I laughed. “What are you two doing?”
“After you fell asleep, we wanted to try your game out. We hope you don't mind,” Andi answered. Both of them looked at me with big, questioning eyes.
“Of course, I don't mind at all. Who won?” I realized the moment the words left my lips that I had opened up a can of worms.
“Hands-down, I did!” Vila hollered excitedly. Andi threw her head back in laughter.
“You are so good at fiction!” Andi laughed back at her, sarcastically.
“What? I did!” Vila countered, frustration creeping into her voice.
“If you call winning almost consistently having the lowest score, then, by all means, you are a champion!” Andi taunted her.
“My darling Andi,” Vila shot back, seething as fire flared in her eyes. “You are looking at the wrong number. That low score is the extreme lack of kills that you had!” Vila stuck her nose up in the air and grinned smugly.
“No, it is not!” Andi yelled at her. “You should at least learn how to score points in the game, Vila!”
“Oh! I know how to read the score! The only number higher than my kill score is the number of times I had to carry you!” Vila shot back.
“YOU carried ME?” Andi’s voice was getting louder with every syllable. “YOU--”
“GIRLS!” I had to yell to get their attention. “I can't believe I'm going to say this out loud, but it is just a game! By the look of the numbers on the screen, the two of you are better at the game than most gamers I know!”
The two of them crossed their arms, huffed at each other, and looked in opposite directions. It was adorable how they could go from gamer-fight to mean-girl drama in under a second. I couldn't help but start laughing. They both stayed that way for a solid thirty seconds before Andi finally broke the silence.
“How does that relax you?” she asked me, her tone serious.
“It relaxes me because I am out to beat myself, not anybody else, and there are very little consequences when I lose. It's like nothing else in life!” I explained to her. Vila slowly turned her head and looked at the two of us.
“So you aren't trying to beat the other players?” she asked, looking shocked.
“Well, yes, kinda. Look, if I beat other people in the game, that's awesome. However, if I beat my own high score, the satisfaction is in that,” I tried to explain further. The girls looked at each other, both scowling. Then they both looked up towards the ceiling as though they were doing calculations in their heads. It was like watching copycats. Both their eyes moved in the same directions, at the same time, and then they both looked back at each other simultaneously. Huge smiles crossed both their faces.
“You beat your high score every game we played!” Vila complemented Andi, rather loudly.
“You did too!” Andi replied. “Awesome job!”
“Thank you! You too!” Vila cried out. The two of them threw their arms around each other and started bouncing up and down while they hugged. Vila looked over Andi’s shoulder at me.
“Thank you so much for explaining that! We were playing with the wrong goal in mind the whole time!” she said. In all of my years in the gaming world, I had never seen such joy from newbie players.
“You're more than welcome!” I laughed back at them. They let go of each other, traded their legs for mist, and floated over to me.
“Do you want to play some more with us?” they asked me in unison.
“I appreciate the invitation, but I have to go out today,” I told them.
“Go out?” Andi asked.
“Yes, I do yardwork for the elderly on Sundays. There are a few couples I know that are getting too old to push around a lawnmower or hold up a weed-whacker, so I go help them out,” I notified the girls.
“Oh, wow! That is so sweet of you!” Vila cooed.
“Can we come with you and help?” Andi asked, excitedly hopeful. I hadn't considered having the girls go with me. I wasn't sure how I would explain them to other people. They seemed so excited to help, however.
“Yeah, I guess I could find some way for you to help,” I told them. “Have you ever done any type of yard work?”
“Why, yes! Of course! I lived in the country as a girl, remember?” Andi replied.
“Ah, yes. I think that the yard work of today will be quite a bit different from what you've done prior,” I responded, chuckling.
“We are quick learners!” Vila chimed in.
“I know you are, and you can come, don’t worry,” I reassured her.
“What should we wear?” Andi asked.
“Legs, to start with!” I joked. Both girls rolled their eyes at me.
“Duh!” they said in unison.
“And jeans,” I continued. “T-shirts or tank tops would work. You also must have shoes that completely cover your feet. Are you sure you are ready to get dirty?”
“YES!” they both called out cheerily.
“Alright, alright! We leave in ten minutes!” I instructed them.
“But you haven’t eaten yet!” Andi protested.
“A granola bar and coffee are my breakfast items of choice on Sundays,” I notified her.
“Oh!” Vila started. “That is easy enough. Do you have a preference for coffee flavor?”
“I usually get a hazelnut blend at the local coffee shop on my way,” I answered.
“I could make it for you right now if you’d like!” she offered. I considered it. Having her whip it up would save time for sure.
“Okay, you can make it,” I answered.
Vila raised her hand up in the air, palm up, as she had done the night before when she produced my beer. She winked at me once again, and my coffee was in her hand. Then she floated over and handed it to me with a smile. I took a small sip and nodded in her direction to let her know that it was indeed good. Without saying a word, the girls whisked away to the bedroom to get ready.
Ten minutes later, we were in a cab and on our way. I had considered putting the girls back inside the money clip so that I could ride my bike, but I couldn't think of a way to explain how they just showed up at the houses I was visiting. When we pulled up to the first house that I would be working at, my decision paid off because the owners were outside in the front yard already. The three of us climbed out of the cab and headed through the white picket front gate.
“Bennett!” the older gentleman, Mr. Calla, called out when he saw me. “It's great to see you!” His wife stood beside him, waving as I approached.
“Mr. Calla, Mrs. Calla, how is your Sunday going?” I asked as I shook Mr. Calla’s hand and hugged Mrs. Calla.
“It's perfect weather so far, so Gladis convinced me to come to help her with the flower pots,” Mr. Calla informed me, grinning at his wife.
“Oh, all I asked you to do was hand me things,” Gladis swatted him on the arm with her gardening glove. Both of them laughed at each other, and then their eyes drifted to the girls.
“I'd like to introduce you to Vila and Andi. They are friends of mine who would like to learn more about residential landscaping,” I introduced the girls. “Would you mind if they shadowed me today while I work in your backyard?”
“I don't see why there would be a problem with that,” Gladis answered, glancing at her husband to see if he was in agreement. He nodded his head and smiled.
“Sure thing!” he concurred.
“We really appreciate it,” Andi said, stepping forward to shake their hands.
“You're welcome. Not many young people want to get their hands dirty these days, so if we are able to give you that opportunity, please make yourself at home in our yard!” Gladis told them.
“Perfect! We'll get started straight away,” I said, gesturing toward the fence that led to the backyard.
“Don't forget to come in the house for tea before you leave!” Gladis instructed us.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied. The girls and I headed into the back yard. On the other side of the house, there was a small storage shed that contained the lawnmower and other landscaping tools. I walked over, opened the shed, and started pulling out the things we'd need. Vila paused to look at a pegboard with gardening hand tools hanging from it. There were miniature shovels, hoes, hand forks, and cultivators neatly hanging in rows. The look on her face was almost fearful.
“What are these?” she asked me quietly.
“Those are tools that Gladis uses in her smaller gardens. The small shovel is used to remove dirt so that she can plant seeds and sprouts, and the cultivator and hand fork are used to break up the dirt so that it’s easier to dig and move,” I explained to her. “Why the look?”
“They look so mean,” Vila answered softly. She turned, glanced up at me, and shrugged her shoulders. She was instantly happy again and bounced out of the shed to join Andi outside where she was waiting. I took a second look around the shed to make sure I had pulled out everything we needed before walking out and closing it back up.
“Where do we start?” Andi asked me.
“I like to begin with mowing the lawn. That way, when we weed-whack, it is easier to blend the edges without having to go back through with the mower. We also need to pull the weeds from the fence-line flower gardens, cement cracks, and vegetable garden. Lastly, I like to check and make sure that their fire pit is emptied out,” I told them.
“Where would you like us?” Vila asked, looking around the yard.
“You two can start with the weeds that grow right along the fence. Anything that is not a flower, gently tug on it until it comes up out of the dirt,” I answered. I waved at them to follow me and walked over to the fence. On that side of the yard, Gladis had planted petunias. I found a weed growing up in between two of the flowers and pointed at it so the girls could see what I was talking about. I gave it a tug, and it pulled easily out of the ground.
“That looks simple enough!” Andi commented.
“It is very simple,” I started. “You must be careful when you are pulling them out, however. You can't just yank them, or you might pull the flower next to it out with it. Sometimes the roots get tangled. If you are pulling on one and the flower next to it starts moving, simply put your hands on the dirt beside the flower, and then tug gently on the weed.”
“Got it!” the girls said together. “This is going to be fun!” Sometimes I wondered if they said the same things because they knew each other so well after centuries together, or if they magically read each other's minds. Either way, it was a cute quirk they had together.
“Have at it,” I gave them permission to get started. I left them by the fence and went back to the mower. The machine seemed ancient. It was one of those old string-pull, gas-powered push mowers. It didn't have the help-along feature, so it required one-hundred percent manpower to move it. I had joked with Mr. Calla about getting a more modern machine, but he had always just laughed off the idea. He had purchased the mower the day that he and Gladis closed on the purchase of the house, and he refused even to consider using anything else. I really didn't mind because it was a great workout plus, I thought the sentiment was kind of sweet.
I popped the cap on the mower’s gas tank and filled it with gasoline from a nearby container. When it was full, I returned the cap, stood behind the mower, and started pulling on the string to start it. As was typical, I had to yank on the string approximately ten times before the machine roared to life.
I started mowing along the part of the yard closest to the house. I took pride in making sure that all of the lines were perfectly even so that the yard ended up looking professionally done. After a few passes back and forth, I glanced up at the girls to see their progress. I was happy to see that they were taking their time. I assumed it meant they were being careful, which was a relief. I went back to mowing. I only had to make a couple more perfect lines before I hit the halfway point of the yard where I usually stopped, to rake up the grass cuttings from the first half of the yard. Something else the ancient mower didn't have was a bag attachment. One line before I was going to stop and grab a rake, something caught my attention in the corner of my eye. It was the flash of a faint green-colored light coming from near the fence. I instantly cut power to the mower and turned my attention to the flower beds. My mouth dropped open as I saw little green sparks of light start dancing through petunias.
My eyes followed the lights until they led all the way around the yard to where the girls were standing. Andi and Vila were both watching the lights as well. Vila had one hand on her hip and the other one out in front of her. Her fingers were moving in a wave pattern, and her hand was glowing the same green color. Andi was pointing here and there toward the flowers while leaning close to Vila and whispering in her ear. I started walking towards them as fast as I could without breaking into an actual run. Occasionally, Gladis would look out her kitchen window to check on me when I was working in her yard, and if she was watching, I didn't want her to feel anything was wrong.
