1 - Harriett
The sun was hot against my shoulders, making my mouth even dryer. That and the nerves I was so desperately trying to hide was making me feel nauseous, a smiling dark-skinned woman standing at the entrance, flowers blooming on both sides of her.
“Miss Quillen,” she beamed at me, holding her hand out as I shook it. Her black hair was slicked back, her smile wide and she was very smartly dressed, even in this heat. “I’m Amina, Mr. Kostas personal secretary, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” her voice was calming, welcoming and my stomach settled slightly.
“Likewise,” I managed to say. My dark blonde hair was tied at the base of my neck, but the waves of hair were getting stuck to my sweaty shoulders, making me even more uncomfortable. “How do you handle this heat?” I asked Amina and she chuckled, her back straight.
“I’m Kenyan born and bred so I’m used to it, but you will too, let’s get you settled,” she gave me another smile, and I followed her into the resort. The only word that came to my head was paradise as I looked around. Small wood and straw huts were randomly dotted around the green shrubs, a slim path connecting them all. I could see the beach from here, crystal clear sea and Amina turned to me as we got to one hut.
“The main pool is to the left of the restaurant,” she pointed out to a longer hut type building, and I nodded, not sure I would get pool time. “This will be your suite, I hope it’s to your liking,” she said softly, opening the door. “One of the boys will bring your luggage in,” she told me, and I stepped into the hut, the air conditioning hitting me and finally giving me the relief I was so desperate for.
“Oh my god,” I whispered and heard Amina laugh next to me.
“Yes it’s beautiful isn’t it,” she agreed, and I put my backpack down, taking in the whole space. The walls and floor were wooden, a huge white shaggy rug in the middle of the room which had the double bed sat on top of. Fairy lights wrapped around the headboard of the bed and a matching wardrobe stood next to it, the wood deep in colour. “Bathroom,” Amina told me, opening a door to my right. I walked over, floored at the size of it. A freestanding bath stood in the middle of the room, a shower and toilet on each side.
“This is mine?” I asked her and she nodded, her hands in front of her.
“And I don’t have to pay?”
“No, it’s included in your employment,” she smiled softly at me. This felt too good to be true, which probably meant it was. I walked into the main living space, my head a muddle. I got to stay here and get paid for it? There had to be a catch, I had been a nanny for so many families but never had I stayed in a country on the other side of the world with a bath like that. “As discussed in your interview, during the time that Mr. Kostas is with Emily, you are free to do as you please,” Amina explained, her hands still in front of her. She was almost like a robot, how professional she was, her whole demeanor immaculate. “She does not return to school until September-”
“Then I’m finished?” I looked at her, that was my understanding.
“Mr. Kostas is open to further employment, depending on how Emily feels.”
“When can I meet her?” I asked, my nerves slowly turning to excitement.
“She is saying goodbye to her mother so around an hour? Please freshen up,” Amina smiled, closing the hut door behind her as she left. I stood still as I looked around for a second time, still not quite believing this would be my home for at least the next two months. I applied for this position on a whim, my current family no longer needed me as their youngest was now old enough to fend for themselves and the thought of moving from my permanent base in London to Kenya was enough for me to submit my CV. The interview was done by a young Kenyan man who informed me he was my new boss’s right-hand man. I had yet to meet Mr. Kostas, and I knew little details about him. He owned multiple luxury resorts, where I was staying was his African branch, but he had hotels in Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean. He clearly was an extraordinarily rich and powerful man, and I had to keep reminding myself that as long as his six-year-old daughter Emily liked me, then it would be okay and luckily for me, caring for children is what I was born to do
