Egyptian Vanity

vagary (noun)vay-guh-ree: an erratic, unpredictable, or extravagant manifestation, action, or notion.

I held my breath and tried to pop my ears as we reached the highest altitude of the flight. I huffed and leaned against the window, watching the clouds slowly pass us by. I had my earbuds in, blasting my music, hoping my mom would get the hint and leave me alone.

“Oh, honey. This trip is just what you need before you start college. Cairo is beautiful, baby. You’re going to love it.” My mother said in an attempt to make me excited about our ‘vacation’ but I knew this trick.

“I can only imagine,” I comment and force a fake smile before turning and looking out the window, trying to block out her faux plans. She didn’t plan to do anything but escape with my dad to work on business. Much like they did last year in Dubai.

I popped my earbuds back in and tried to drown out the noise of the plane. She thinks I’m stupid, that I didn’t notice her and Dad gathering papers and shuffling them into their briefcases. I’m 18 and I still have no clue what it is that they do. It’s all silent in regards to their career and I liked it that way.

However, it was aggravating that they couldn’t even spend time with their daughter before sending her off to some private college on the other side of America.

The flight from Miami to Cairo was almost 17 hours and we had taken off half an hour ago. With 16 hours and 30 minutes left, I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and never wake up again.

I closed my eyes and tried to think of all the fun things I was going to get to experience alone. It gets quite lonely sometimes, though I never complain. They give me everything I could ever way.

My only issue is I haven’t asked for any of that, and don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful. The one thing that I’ve only ever asked for was something they just couldn’t give me.

Their attention and love.

It seemed the only free, and supposedly unconditional thing I wanted was too expensive for them to afford.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I was being jostled awake. Sharp kicks jabbed into the back of my seat. Turning slightly, I see through the crack between the seat and the window, a little boy with an evil grin on his face. When he caught sight of me, he laid another series of vicious kicks to my seat again. All the while, his parents were sitting right beside him, letting him kick freely.

I sighed and turned around, letting the kicking ensue. Surely, he’d tire eventually and stop.

I was wrong.

Twenty minutes later, he was still going strong. I tried everything. I moved my seat forward, cleared my throat, turned to glance at the parents and at one point I even pleaded with the boy with my eyes. To no avail, the boy persisted.

I was one to avoid confrontation but this was getting a bit ridiculous. How had the parents not noticed? After mustering up enough courage, I turned to the boy.

“Could you please stop kicking the back of my seat? I’m trying to sleep.” The little boy feigned sadness before trailing his finger down his cheek, pretending to cry. I tried to keep my composure but I felt the redness blossoming on my cheeks, which only intensified as the boy smirked before sending another round of kicks to the seat.

I huffed, collapsing back into my chair. Being nice to people only got you so far, I guess. I was being decent and this little kid was being nothing but a brat. A pushover like myself could do nothing besides take what this child was giving. Perhaps, if I tried hard enough, I could pretend it was a back massage.

After some time, the child tired and fell asleep like his parents. I sighed, relieved my back was going to get a break before closing my own eyes and trying to find my own peace. My phone must’ve died while I was asleep so when I couldn’t sleep any longer, I had to resort to looking out the window. It was completely black outside, the only thing I could see were the blinking lights on the wings of the plane.

A bit later, I got the urge to pee. I stepped over my parents before shuffling to the back of the cabin. On my way, I caught the time on someone’s phone. We had been in the sky for over ten hours now but somehow it felt like an eternity.

Just as I was about to reach out and open the door to the bathroom, it swung open on its own. A young man stumbled out and after him, an older lady. As she fixed her skirt, he zipped up his pants. Unsure of what to do, I openly gape at them.

The man put his pointer to his mouth, shushing me as if I was going to scream. If anything, I’d squeak out of embarrassment after finding a cougar with her young man rushing out of a bathroom. They scurried back to their seats before anyone else could catch them.

I wondered if going in was a good idea. Was it safe? Could I catch an STD or something? Surely not, right?

I shrugged it off after deciding that I needed to pee too badly. I awkwardly squatted over the toilets, careful not to let the seat touch my lady bits. While I trusted the people who just shuffled out of here, I haven’t seen everyone that has sat their butt on this seat and I don’t want to.

I finished and washed my hands before leaving the bathroom. I passed the couple who fell out of the bathroom on my way back to my seat. Keeping my eyes forward, I tried to pretend that I didn’t see her going down on him in public.

I carefully brushed past my parents one last time before getting situated in my seat once again. As I was about to fall asleep I felt kicks being jabbed into the back of my seat once again. I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed, knowing I’d have to endure this for the rest of the flight.

The five hours couldn’t have passed more slowly but I managed to make it through. I did it without yelling at the boy, without having to pee again, and without throwing up at the sound of the older lady gagging on her partner’s privates. I wished I would’ve had my music to at least drown out the sound of her giving him head.

My mother, father, and I shuffled off the plane. When I looked back, I saw the little boy stick his tongue out at me before disappearing into the rushing crowd with his family.

“Ella, don’t get lost. It’s this way,” My father called after me as he took off with my mother into the mass of people. Just like last time, I got lost. I sighed before wandering around the airport, looking for the exit I knew they would be at. She had already gone over the plan multiple times before we landed which I was thankful for, knowing I’d have to navigate that all by myself.

Finally, I made it to the exit and stepped outside, not before grabbing my luggage from the baggage claim. The sweating ensued quickly. At that moment, I was very grateful that I had put on some deodorant before we left yesterday, though I had a feeling I was going to need more soon.

I didn’t even want to check the thermometer, afraid that it would say I had entered Hell. It was hotter than the hubs of Hades right now and I wanted nothing more than to get to the home that we would be staying in for the summer.

I slid into the car that my parents had rented and relished the feeling of the air conditioning. I felt bad for the poor man who had to load our bags into the back of the car but when I glanced at him, he wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

Was this normal? Was it going to get even hotter?

“Aren’t you excited, sweetheart?” My father asked, looking at me through the rearview mirror.

I forced a smile before nodding, “I’m thrilled.”

And just like that, I’m forgotten once again in the back seat as my parents talk about all the plans they’d made. I knew for a fact that as soon as we got to the house, they were going to leave once again, telling me to be careful and that they would be back soon. I fell for it every time.

I looked out the window and watched as the city passed by my eyes but my brain wasn’t picking any of it up and committing it to memory. My mind was blank, empty, and absent.

My parents have been to Cairo multiple times in the past so that would explain my father’s amazing driving skills through the bust city. This was my first time here. Last year for summer vacation, we went to Dubai. That was a trip I’d never soon forget no matter how much I wanted to.

They left me at the airport. Thankfully, they remembered when they got back to their room that they even had a daughter and came to pick me up.

The year before that was the trip to Malibu, where they had forgotten me on a beach. While it was jarring to be left alone as a 16-year-old, to fend off the old men by myself, I was used to it. I cried as I walked back to the hotel that night, only to find that they were out at dinner with some clients or something.

I think it was at that point that I realized that my parents put more thought into work than they did their daughter. I knew I shouldn’t be okay with that but I really had no choice.

The car came to a stop in front of a big home which snapped me from my absent mind. I tended to drown in them at times since it was the only way to get through the loneliness in my life.

I carefully stepped back out into the heat to retrieve my bags. My father started to unpack the back of the car and set the bags on the sidewalk for us to grab. With my suitcase in tow, I followed my mother inside the huge house.

The garden surrounding the outside was absolutely beautiful. The grass was clipped and a stunning shade of green while the flowers in the beds added a nice pop of color to the lush ground. If I was being honest, I was surprised they hadn’t wilted in this heat.

The house was just as pretty as the garden, if not more. It was a yellow-plastered, two-story home with a pool to the side. Truly, it was an amazing house and a good thing too because no doubt, I’d be spending all my time in it.

“Let’s get unpacked,” My mother said, pulling out a key and unlocking the door before pushing it open. The entrance gave way to a massive living room. A sectional leather sofa wrapped around the room, surrounding a coffee table with decorations spaced neatly on top.

The kitchen was stocked with anything I could ask for and it seemed that it also had any utensil I could need. Further into the home, there was a small reading area with ceiling-high bookshelves and a polished wooden desk.

I followed my mother up the stairs into our rooms. We had to walk through another seating area that looked out over the downstairs. Mom pushed open the door and gestured for me to go in and I did, spinning slowly to get a look around the entire place.

“This is your room. Your father and I’s room is down the hall.” She said, pointing to another door at the end of the hallway. I nodded and turned back around, still in awe of the place.

Perhaps staying in this house by myself all summer wouldn’t be so bad. It had everything in here. A giant TV, a giant closet, and another door which I assumed led to a giant bathroom. Even the bed was huge. It definitely could sleep four people comfortably.

I fell back onto it with a giggle, looking up at the painted ceiling. The comforter was just as soft as it looked. I cuddled into the maroon fabric and nearly fell asleep but the knock on the door jostled me awake. I looked up and saw my mother and father standing in the doorway.

“Comfy, huh?” My father asked, smiling at me.

“Comfier than it looks. You should try it out.” I said, scooting over and patting the space beside me. When they both hesitated, I knew what was coming next.

“Honey, do you mind if your mother and I go out for a bit?” He asked, wrapping his arm around my mother’s shoulders.

And there it was. The escape. All they had to do was ask to go to work. To get away from me. I wouldn’t turn them down.

These forced smiles were getting harder and harder to fake every single day.

“No, go ahead. I’ll be here-,”

“Thanks, honey.” They both called as they left me in the giant room to be alone with my thoughts. I sighed before cuddling back into my covers. Even though it was nearly boiling outside, it was still cooler in here. Cool enough to enjoy snuggling in the duvet and forget my loneliness.

After a quick nap, I got to work unpacking my things in the massive closet. I also plugged in my phone and as soon as I had enough of a charge, turned on my music. It was the only thing to fill the silence besides me talking to myself.

A warm bath might be what lifts my mood a bit.

So here I sat in my now steamy bathroom, humming along to the Bee Gees, sifting through the classifieds of the Egyptian newspaper. I was a little rusty on my Arabic and by a little, I mean I knew nothing of the language. I had my phone next to me, translating quite a bit of it, just enough to know what they needed and how much they paid.

As beautiful as this house is, I didn’t want to spend the entire summer stuck inside. Boredom would be unbearable within the week. Not only that, but I needed to save up some money for college. My parents had paid for my tuition but I still wanted a little spending money and I didn’t want to ask them for that. They’d already spent too much on me.

I was about to give up, tired of seeing low-paying jobs for so much work, and trying something different when one particular ad caught my eye. The pay was so fantastic that I didn’t even look at what the job entailed. Without thinking, I grabbed my phone and dialed the number on the ad.

It was an impulse, really, I was just desperate to not have to sit in this house all summer. I didn’t realize what I had done until someone picked up on the other line.

“Hello?” The other person greeted, their voice thick with an accent.

I faltered, I was never good at talking on the phone. “Hi,” I squeaked, cringing at my own shyness.

A few moments passed before the man spoke again. “Well, you called this number. Is there something I can do for you?” He asked.

“I saw an ad in the paper. Your number was listed,” I answered, fighting to keep my voice steady.

“You’d like the maid position?” I stilled, cursing myself for not translating what exactly the job entailed. But, I can’t go back now, I’ve already called.

“Uh, yes,”

“Perfect! That is wonderful. I can give you the address and you can swing by tomorrow around three to talk things over if you’d like.” The man said warmly.

“Sure,” What other things did I have to do anyway? My parents were going to be away for most of the day anyway.

“Great,” He then listed off an address that I quickly wrote in the steam of the mirror.

“Thank you,” I said and was about to hang up when I heard him yell for me to wait. “Yes?”

“Your name. I never got it.”

“Oh, my bad. It’s Ella Cardenas.”

“Thank you very much for calling, Miss Cardenas. I’m Fayez. When you get to the estate tomorrow, just ask for me and I’ll let you in.”

“Okay,”

After the call ended, I quickly snapped a photo of the address on the mirror.

The next morning, I stood outside the estate, clad in a knee-length black skirt and a white blouse. I had already fought with myself about if it was cliche or not but in the end, I decided cliche was better than over the top.

The massive estate screamed wealth and power, two things that I didn’t have. I took in a deep breath before walking up the driveway to the gate. In that short walk, I felt myself begin to sweat.

I pushed the buzzer and jolted back at the noise. “Hello?” A deep voice asked on the other end. Definitely not the guy I talked to on the phone last night.

“Hi-,”

“No escorts today, per Mr. Antar.”

My heart leaped to my throat and blocked any words from leaving. I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment and anger at the same time. Perhaps my outfit said escort rather than cliche? I’d prefer it to be that latter.

“Mr. Fayez told me to come here today at three. For the new maid position.” I heard shuffling on the other side and this deep voice came back through the intercom, telling me that the door was open. The gate screeched open, letting me walk through. I began my journey to the massive mansion and willed that I wouldn’t sweat through my deodorant. I was from Miami and I knew heat, but this was a whole different ballpark.

After making it up the driveway, I stood face to face with a huge set of doors, too big to be on a house. As I reached out for the handle, the doors opened on their own, revealing the most beautiful interior I’d ever seen. The rental home was very nice but this was different. While the rental seemed like a real home, this was straight out of a princess movie.

“Miss Cardenas, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” I whip around to see a short man behind me, holding out his hand in an attempt at a handshake. I accepted it hesitantly, hoping he didn’t feel the sweat on my palm. “I’m very pleased that you called about the position. I was beginning to think no one would accept.”

“I’d think everyone would be eager to accept this job. The pay is very generous,” I commented, following him through the foyer.

“So, when can you start?” He asked, holding open another massive door. As I walked through the threshold, I took in the dining room which, like everything else, was decorated with only the finest things.

“As soon as possible. My parents and I are here for the summer and I need to make some money before I’m off to college.” I watched his face drop at the topic of my departure.

“What about right after this?” He asked, not really leaving me with any other choice but to accept.

A wide smile pulled at the corners of his lips as he retrieved his phone from his pocket. He hit one number and called someone. After ordering something off, the person on the other end in Arabic, snapped his phone shut and pocketed it once again.

“Let me show you around the house. This is the dining room, over there is the kitchen. Leave these rooms alone unless you’re ordered to work here.” He waved his finger at me before taking off in another direction.

“The next room is the living room. We have three, one for each floor.” He showed me each room and told me what to clean, what not to clean, and how to clean each thing. Which seemed unnecessary but it seemed that other things required specific cleaning techniques. It was a bit much but I tried my hardest to keep up.

“This is your room,” he said, gesturing to the door in front of us.

I paused, confused. “I wasn’t aware that I would have to stay here.”

“I added it to the ad. You do know what this position is, correct?” Fayez asked, giving me an incredulous look.

“A maid?” My tone was more questioning than matter-of-fact.

“And you are Mr. Antar’s personal helper. You have to stay here,” He explained, pleadingly.

A woman abruptly showed up from the other end of the hallway and shoved a bag into Fayez’s hands. Without waiting for a command or some kind of order, the woman scuttled off back to where she came from.

“This is your uniform. Wear it at all times. I already had the room made up for you, I hope you like it.”

“Sir, this is all too much. I wasn’t aware of all of this. I was under the impression I was just supposed to be a maid.”

“But you are,” He argued. “And a personal helper to Mr. Antar.” The look on his face was enough for me to agree and again, I cursed my goody two-shoe behavior. It never seemed to work in my favor.

Once again, he gave me no other choice but to accept. With a nod from me, Fayez nearly jumped with excitement, pulling me into a hug in the process.

“Thank you!” He said, releasing me. “I’ll go tell Mr. Antar that you are here. He’ll be delighted to have you,” He exclaimed then rushed off, ignoring my pleas to make him stop. I sighed as I saw his small frame disappear around the corner.

What would my parents think? They most likely wouldn’t notice that I’m gone anyway. It brought a feeling of sadness into my gut but there was nothing I could do to change it.

I sat my bag down on the desk in the corner of my room. Like my rental bedroom, this one had an ensuite bathroom as well. I’m sure Fayez would expect me to start working soon but I needed a few moments to myself. In the bathtub to be exact. The dried sweat on my body was starting to get to me.

I started pulling off my clothes, excited to enjoy my bath when I heard someone start to speak from behind me.

“I was under the impression the woman Fayez hired was a maid, not a stripper.”

I gasped, turning around to see a man standing in the doorway of my room. I pulled my clothes flush to my body, trying to shield myself from him.

“Who are you? What are you doing in my room?!” I sputtered. Heat spread across my face, a heat that I would definitely not be able to hide.

“I think I’m your boss but I’m not sure yet. Usually, my employees don’t get naked in front of me.”

My mouth dried as I came to the realization. “Mr. Antar?”

“We’re past formalities, yes?” He teased while slowly bringing his hand up to cover his eyes. “You can call me Logan if you’d like. Since, you know, you’re in the nude in front of me-,”

“You came into my room. I’m not the pervert here.” I felt the blush start to spread down my neck to my chest. It was too hot in here.

“Relax, I’m not even looking.” He gestured with his free hand to his other and continued to stand there. The sound that left my throat was a cross between a mouse and a confused old woman. “Right, right. I’ll be going. It was lovely to meet you...” He prompted.

“Ella,”

“Right. It was lovely to meet you, Ella. Maybe next time we can meet when you’re fully clothed? And in the most professional way possible, you have a killer body.” He then turned and left.

“You said you weren’t looking!” I called after him and I swear I heard his low chuckle from down the hall.

He left me standing completely breathless and anxious at the same time. I knew this was a bad idea to begin with but something was holding me here. Perhaps it was the tall, tan, and handsome man that just took my breath away?

I was screwed.