010

THE car which had arrived the airport to take Oswald Dino Escobar straight home was now at the front of the gate of his mansion, honking.

Soon, the gate slid open in his usual manner, and the car slowly drove in.

The driver was about to drive towards the parking lot when Oswald growled in a deep voice.

"Stop the moment you get to the front of the house," he said.

"Okay boss," the driver replied.

He halted and a guard in the car immediately came down and opened the car door for him, and he alighted. Then the car drove to park.

As soon as he alighted, he began looking around the environs, the guards stood behind him, waiting.

He looked at the security tower, the parking lot, the compound, the mansion, everywhere.

He saw two maids working on the flowers planted to make a pavement or demarcation, and he called them up.

"Hey hey, you two fellas," he called in a high voice and they looked up.

"Come here," he ordered.

Instantly, they dropped the sprinkler they were holding and rushed up to him.

"Sir. Welcome sir, welcome," they said in unison as soon they got to him.

He derogatorily looked at them, from the crown of their head to the sole of their feet, with his eyes spitting fire.

"Who the hell are you two doing that for?" he asked and pointed towards the flowers they were working on.

They were stunned and befuddled. What does he mean?

“Sorry sir, I don't understand what you mean?” one of the maids asked.

A deafening slap landed on her right cheek instantly, and the others cringed, including the guards.

She held her cheek and began sobbing quietly.

"You dare not reply my question with a question," he said, "I ask again, who the hell are the both of you stupid maids doing that for?" he shouted, looking from one to the other.

The other maid refused to say a thing, she just watched at her colleague as she was holding onto her slapped cheek and sobbing.

Another slap from him landed on her, and she shook in fear, unexpecting it.

"Sir," she cried out.

"Have you girls lost your sense of reasoning now? You can't answer the simple question I asked you," he said, "do you realize you both are keeping me standing?" he ranted.

"Sir, we… we are… do… doing that for, for you. We are working for you," the second maid replied, stuttering.

He snorted.

"Doing that for who? Have I been around?" he asked and they shook their heads.

He frowned and stretched out his hand to drag their right ears, and they winced in pain.

"You don't nod when I ask a question. You talk, you aren't lizards," he shouted.

"No sir, you haven't been around," they replied in unison.

"So you both are trying to tell me that, for five years now, for the five years I was absent, you guys have been here, watering flowers. Watering the flowers for who? Who had been living here all this while?" he asked, pointing at the mansion.

"Nobody sir, nobody", they replied.

"Good. So you weren't working for anyone, and the worst of it all, you were receiving fat pays, working for no one," he said, and kept mute for a while, looking at them.

The maids stood in fear, wondering what he was gonna say next. As far as they were concerned, it was their working place, it never really mattered if he was around or not, besides, his parents were aware that they were still working at the mansion, they have been the ones paying their salaries. So, what the hell was wrong with Oswald?

After a few minutes of silence, Oswald spoke out.

"You are fired!" he blurted out.

"What!" they both exclaimed, and glanced at each other.

"You aren't working for me anymore, I need no gardener maids. Go into your rooms, pack out your pieces of clothing, and leave this environs immediately," he said.

They went down on their kneels immediately, and began pleading. Huh?

His angry eyes looked at them and they went chilled immediately.

"This pleadings of yours disgusts me, it is irritating to my ears. Leave my sight and never you return. I do not want to see you, or a part of you around this premises. Now, leave," he shouted and they scrambled to their feet immediately and ran out, towards their quarters.

As soon as they left, he looked around, they weren't any of those lazy workers working, and so he continued his walk into the house, the guards followed him.

He got to the large entrance door and met two guards standing by it. Huh? He halted, and they bowed.

"Welcome sir," they said.

"So, you two have also been standing by this door for five years now, actually opening for who, or guarding who?" he asked.

The guards glanced at each other looking befuddled. They said nothing, they had nothing to say.

"You both must be very stupid ignoring my question. Now, get out you both, I do not want to see you around the premises again", he blurted out and their eyes widened in shock.

One of the guards with him immediately rushed forward and opened the door for him, and he entered, followed by the guards, leaving the two at the door shocked.