Working with Gods

“Mom, I literally don’t see why I have to do this. It’s, like, not necessary.”

Keely Maddington walked with her mother down the Santa Monica streets. The ocean breeze carried the smell of seawater across the sidewalks, as the breeze from the road brought the sounds of people talking and merchandise being sold. The two women walked with almost an identical gait, one born from years of knowing and indulging in the same type of interest. Fashion.

Keely’s mother, Miranda Maddington, peered at her daughter behind her designer sunglasses, tinged a light rose pink. She gave a slight huff and resumed her strut down the sidewalk. “Honey, we talked about this. You need to understand the value behind the money we give you. No more allowances. No more of your father’s credit card. You need to get a job.”

Another groan came from Keely’s mouth. She had been complaining the entire time they had been job hunting. Going from store to store offering resumes and her time. And not a single one had accepted her.

“Mom, nobody accepts resumes in person anymore. Everything’s online; you have to turn in online applications.” This was the fifth time Keely had repeated this fact. And so far it had been true. Every store they had been to, the clothing boutiques and beachfront shops, all referred them to their websites. But Keely’s mother was in a state of denial.

“They just weren’t places that were worth your time. You know, when I wanted to work in fashion, I-”

“You walked straight into Mrs. Madam’s design shop and demanded a job. I know, Mom, you’ve told me the story too many times.”

Miranda kept her mouth shut, but it was hard. She loved telling that story. The perseverance of her youth was something she held as a source of pride. And it wasn’t unfounded. Her designer brand, Sunday Cranberries, was one of the most successful brands in the Western Hemisphere. And soon, it would be expanding into Europe. All because she stayed stubborn and true to her passions back in her youth. It was something she wanted Keely to experience as well, forging your own name in the world. But based on her daughter’s own initiative, that wasn’t something that was going to happen on its own. Which is why she was giving her a push today.

Keely walked beside her mother, effortlessly keeping up with her pace. “Why don’t you just give me a job at your designer shop? You know I want to go into fashion anyway. Or Dad’s business as a secretary. Why do I have to go out and apply to a bunch of places?”

Miranda shook her head. “Oh no, no nepotism for you. If you get a job in fashion, it won’t be at my design shop.”

This comment put a slight falter in Keely’s steps. She looked at her mother in genuine shock. “Wait, what?! Wha- seriously?! But that was my plan after high school!”

Her mother shrugged. “What can I say? I want to earn your place in the industry. No handouts. Just like how I did it.”

A loud groan came from Keely. This day was turning out to be the worst day of her life. Worse than the time she came to the freshman dance with a pimple on her forehead. She could feel her potential for a successful life peetering away by the second. If she got a job today, she’d be stuck working on the Santa Monica beachfront for the rest of her life, sucking away at her soul.

“Mom, please, after this next store you pick, can we just go home?” Keely was metaphorically on her knees at this point. But still, she kept walking with her mother.

Miranda sighed, but said nothing. The truth was, she was also getting tired of being referred to online applications as well. But more than that, she was tired of her daughter’s complaining.

So she relented. “Fine,” Miranda said. “After this next store, we’ll call it quits and go home. But I pick the store, okay?”

Keely perked up at this compromise and quickly caught up to walk evenly with her mother. Her demeanor was back to putting on the mask of any Cali girl, one of smiles and bright teeth. Miranda gave an approving look. She taught her daughter well.

The two walked down the streets, looking for a final place to turn in one last resume. Hotels with luggage carriers took in swaths of tourists, always busy with the next elderly couple who wanted to tour the beaches. Cars drove by in the lazy heat, as tacky beach-themed bars and grills called out to hungry mouths with the sounds of glasses clinking and sizzling meat. Sliding automatic doors slid open and shut, letting out blasts of air conditioning from the clothing stores that lined the sidewalk with their overpriced, name-brand lineups. On the sidewalks themselves, homeless people lay on concrete as people with brochures stepped over them to hand out another to pedestrians who walked by with a “no thank you”.

Amidst the noise of the California street scene, Miranda was occupied with her daughter’s quest. She wanted to make the last application of the day a good one, one to get just a little payback at her daughter for acting the way she had been. Either a video store or an electronics store. Something filled with people that would embarrass her daughter.

A strong gust of wind hit the pair, whipping dust and trash from the road up at them. Both of the women squealed in hyperbole, raising their hands to cover their hair and eyes from the flying debris. Through her shielding fingers, Miranda caught a glimpse of a store she had never seen before. As the wind died down, she gave the store a more focused look.

Gold lettering was placed on a dark blue background. It was much too fancy for the street, something akin to what a pimp would wear out in the sticks. The lettering rolled and formed words in an impressive font, definitely not something that would cut costs for advertising. The windows on the store were impossibly clean. They showed the contents within the store as plain as day. And inside the store was…

“Toilets…” Miranda said in a surprised voice. She didn’t know why she said it out loud. It was almost as though the words were pulled from her throat. For some reason, the toilets in the windows looked like the best toilets she had ever seen in her life. Shaking her head, a slight smile appeared on her lips. She looked at her daughter, who was busy straightening herself out from the gust of wind.

“Keely, honey, this way. I found our last store.” Miranda began strutting to the crosswalk to go across the street. Keely tracked her mother with her cut eyes, suspicious of what was planned for her. Following her and trying to predict where she was going, she snapped onto the toilet store with ease.

“Mom, you’re joking, right? I’m not working at a toilet store.” A ring of disbelief sounded out from her as she followed her mother without a choice.

The two crossed the street, Miranda with a lot more enthusiasm than Keely. Meeting the sidewalk, they looked up at the store sign that seemed to draw just the right amount of attention. It read, in ornate gold lettering, The Waters of Heaven. After reading it in all its glory, Miranda walked in, expecting her daughter to follow. After a few seconds, she reluctantly did. As she passed through the entrance of the store, a quiet ring sounded out from a bell positioned at the top of the door.

The inside of the store was a cool, smooth temperature. Not cold enough to be uncomfortable, but nice enough to be a reprieve from the heat outside. Bathroom appliances lined the walls in droves, aligned in perfect orientations. Toilet seats, toilet bowls, toilet brushes, toilet paper, and many other things dedicated to toilets were at the forefront of the store floor. It was not shy in telling customers what the specialization was here.

The two women stood in stunned awe at the organization of toilet matters within the store. The sheer amount of it was a stark confrontation, almost daring them to look away from the subject matter. No toilet setting, from any other store, showed a dedication to the matters of relieving oneself as much as this store did. This was the message set sternly before them.

“Huh…” Miranda said in a stunned voice. “I… kind of like it.”

Keely gave a sideways look at her mother. “You’re kidding. Whoever runs this place is a massive weirdo. They have to be.”

As if on cue, footsteps could be heard approaching them. The two turned their heads to the left, as if anticipating who could be around the shelving corner. A few seconds later, he appeared.

Standing at a shorter height for a man, he was still taller than both of them. On the thinner side, he had a clean cut of bright gray hair. But it was a full head of hair, and what was even more odd was that the man didn’t look a day over twenty-eight. Hands clasped behind his back. He gave a sweet smile, one that immediately felt welcoming.

But what was most drawing of his features was his eyes. They were hazel colored and seemed weathered with age. They stared not through the two women, but rather into them, as if he could see their entire story at the front of his shop. Feeling his gaze, Keely felt as though she was going to shudder. Not from fear, but from something else. A foreign feeling that she didn’t know how to describe. Unbeknownst to her, her mother felt the same way.

The man gave a slight bow and continued his smile. “Welcome to The Waters of Heaven, home to all your bathroom and washroom needs. Did either of you come today with something specific in mind?”

The man’s voice surprised the duo. It was kind, polite, and ready to serve. Hearing him speak, they felt at ease, as if they had finally reached the right place that they needed to be. Taking a few seconds to reply, Miranda spoke up.

“Um, yes, actually, we did.” She felt a bit flustered as she spoke, normally feeling more confident in professional settings. The man’s voice had made her relax too quickly. “My daughter here was hoping you had any job openings for her to interview for.”

The man’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. I see. I will be honest, I am a bit surprised to hear that. Normally, young ladies do not choose washroom markets to work as their first job.”

Miranda gave a polite laugh. Keely, snapping out of some sort of daze, gave her mom a sideways glance, then looked at the man.

“Well, if you don’t have any positions, we don’t want to waste any of your time,” Keely said in a quick tone, so that her mother couldn’t interrupt her to stop her from offering the man a way out. Sensing her daughter’s intentions, Miranda clicked her tongue silently in annoyance.

The man held up a hand in a pausing motion, as if to stop Keely’s attempts to end the conversation before it began. “Nonsense, you have come all this way. I may as well interview you.” He held out a hand to Keely.

“My name is Nahu. Yours?”

She took his hand, her professional mannerisms imbued into her by her mother, kicking in without hesitation. “Keely. Keely Maddington.” As she shook his hand, a slight electric tingle ran up her arm. She wondered why he didn’t offer a last name. And where did a name like Nahu originate from? Probably somewhere from Africa or the Middle East.

“Keely Maddington, it is an honor to make your acquaintance.” He turned to her mother. “Mrs. Maddington, I presume?”

She gave him a shake of the hand as well, feeling the same electric tingle in her arm. “Yes, but Miranda is fine.”

Nahu nodded and turned his attention back to Keely. He straightened his posture a little, taking a more serious look on his face. “Well, let me take you around the store. I will show you the merchandise we sell here. I take a lot of pride in my work, I will have you know.”

As the man began leading the pair deeper into the store, Keely looked around as they walked. Further in, the variation of products changed. Shelves shifted to being filled with bath towels, washcloths, and scented candles. Cleaning supplies, shower curtains, and polish. It seemed this wasn’t just a toilet store, as the windows had made it seem. It was a bathroom store. Anything that was even slightly related to a bathroom, this store held.

Miranda was also looking around curiously. “You have a lot of diversity in product lines.” She said with a touch of respect in her tone. Nahu nodded.

“Yes, we here at The Waters of Heaven pride ourselves on providing anything you need for a perfect bathroom experience. We do not offer installation, but we believe the quality of our products makes up for that. For example, our scented candles.” He stopped to grab a candle off the shelf. It had a brown label, but not from any company Keely had ever seen before.

“Handmade from talented craftsmen with natural ingredients. The wax was made from melted beeswax, with scents from handpicked constituents. We have a wide selection, ranging from fruit to wood scents. This particular one has flecks of maple wood in it.”

“Sounds beautiful. You said handmade?” Miranda asked, mostly for polite small talk. “Where are the craftsmen sourced from?”

Nahu paused for a moment, then answered. “Ah, well, you see, we have people from all over the world working on crafts. This particular batch of candles, I believe… a man from Germany, I believe?”

“Lovely,” Miranda said, not wanting to delve deeper into the subject. But Keely frowned. What kind of company sourced batches of candles from different people across the world?

Setting the candle down back on the shelf, Nahu brushed his hands off and clasped them behind his back again. His attention returned to the job interview.

“Tell me, Keely and Miranda, when was the last time either of you had an unforgettable experience in the bathroom? A time when you felt truly relaxed?” Nahu asked with a contemplative look on his face, eyes watching the women not just for the way they speak, but how they act as they answer as well. “Here at our store, we try to reproduce those moments for our customers as best as we possibly can.”

Keely shrugged. “I mean, I can’t really think of a specific time. Maybe when I used a bath bomb and lit some candles?” She didn’t truly feel relaxed thinking back to this moment. The bath bomb left a weird residue in the tub that had to be cleaned later by the housemaid, and she constantly worried that the candles were going to fall and burn something after she lit them. Really, she had just done it to follow the trend that all of the other girls were doing at school.

Nahu stared at Keely as she answered. When she finished, he tilted his head a little. “I see.” He didn’t sound convinced.

Miranda shifted her weight as she considered the question herself. A very special time came to her immediately. It was a mountainside chateau in France. The bathroom was an open concept with a hot tub on an outdoor balcony. You could see the entire Morvan mountain range from the wide windows that revealed the entire room. It included bright, white tiles and gold lining. The walls were a beautiful gray granite. The sink was big, but it still drained perfectly. The toilet was comfortable, and it was one of the few times her husband remembered to put the seat back down. It was their tenth anniversary of their first date. Nathaniel had organized it all, and he surprised her by remembering it in the first place. And the hours they had spent together in that hot tub, drinking wine, eating chocolate, and…

She coughed a little and looked up to Nahu with a slight smile. “I have a very vivid memory of a beautiful chateau in France. Burgundy, next to the mountains. The vineyards were fun to visit. I do recommend it if you get the chance.”

The storeowner nodded. “Burgundy, so the Morvan massif, yes? Beautiful fall colors, and the sunsets are gorgeous. I have been a few times. What, if I may ask, was the best part of the chateau’s bathroom?”

Surprised that this toilet store owner could describe French mountains so accurately, Miranda took some time to think about her answer. “Probably the tiling. You could tell it had the most attention paid to it in the whole building.”

Nahu nodded in agreement. “Yes, that sounds right. If there is any place not to slack on tiling, it would be the bathroom. No one likes to look at gaps in the floor while sitting on a porcelain throne, do they?”

The man turned his attention back to Keely. “Tell me, young Keely, you say you can not think of a specific time. But what would be the ideal bathroom visit for you?” Keely shrugged once again. “I… don’t really know. I mean, like, I guess leave it to the architects and designers to know how to make a bathroom. It’s not like you spend a lot of time there anyway, you know?”

A quick tsking of the tongue came from Nahu. He wagged his finger.

“That is not the way to think about it, young lady. You may not spend a lot of time in the bathroom, but it is about quality, not quantity. It is the time that you do spend there that needs to be appreciated fully.”

A look of indifference came onto Keely’s face. She didn’t really care; she just wanted to go home already. “Sure, whatever you say.”

Hearing this tone in her daughter’s voice, Miranda turned to give her a warning look to remain polite and professional. But before she could, Nahu spoke.

“Let me ask you, Keely. What is something you would want to make that has the best quality possible?”

Keely answered immediately without hesitation. “A dress.”

Smiling at the answer, Nahu continued. “Ah, you have an interest in fashion. Tell me more. The details, how you would go about making the dress, what you would consider in the process?”

Galvanized by a topic she loved, Keely went fully in-depth. Passion poured from her as she began her thinking process. First interviewing the client, to then taking body measurements. Finding fabric that’s comfortable, while also presenting a good status and image. Nitpicking details and making sure the client has no doubts that what they want is what they’re buying. Keely rambled on much longer than would be considered professional. As she finished, she glanced at her mother. Miranda’s eyes were hidden behind her sunglasses, but the smile on her face said a thousand words.

Nahu listened attentively the whole time, not daring to interrupt. When Keely finished, he gave an approving nod before making his decision.

“Miranda, I believe your daughter would make a great fit here at our store. I’d like to offer her a job.”

The two women looked in surprise at the storeowner. “Really?” Came the response from both of their mouths. Miranda, with a look of pleasant surprise on her face. Keely, with a look of doubt on her face. The enthusiasm from her fashion deviation quickly faded as she realized her mother wouldn’t let her get out of working at a toilet store.

Nahu nodded. “Yes. Keely here is a very passionate person, that is plain to see. And there is no better employee than a passionate one. I believe working here would be a good spur of growth for her. A way for her to diversify her knowledge by working somewhere new. And someone’s first job should always be about growth, yes?”

Miranda Maddington stood up straight with a wide smile on her face. “Yes, exactly. Nahu, I think we both have very similar ways of thinking, you and I.” She turned to her daughter. “Isn’t this great, Keely? No online application needed.”

Keely stood in horror next to her mother. She needed to do something fast before she was stuck in this store with a toilet fanatic. But as her mother stared at her in pure joy, she realized she needed to reject this job offer with tact.

Straightening herself up, Keely began to formulate her arguments. “I mean, yeah. I appreciate the offer, Mr. Nahu. I really do. But, like, school’s kind of hard right now and…”

Before she could continue any further, a door off to the side opened up. Out of it came someone carrying a toilet. They did so effortlessly, as if it were nothing but a sack of flour. Walking to Nahu, the person behind the toilet set it carefully on the floor, full of care. Keely stared at them.

It was a boy, around Keely’s age, maybe a little older. Definitely still in high school. He had a mess of blond hair and a beautiful honey tan. His arms were toned and lean, but still well-defined. He wore robes of some sort, like something out of Egypt. His eyes were a bright blue, and they shone, even in the quiet lighting of the store. He had a polite demeanor, one that refused to make itself more obvious than the store owner. He ducked his head towards Nahu.

“My lord, the ToTos have arrived. Just look at their build! I believe these will sell quite well, considering our competition does not have much in the way of quality like this. And look at these curious things called bidets, they…” The boy finally noticed the two women standing in the store. He blushed a little. “My apologies, did I interrupt one of the ladies?”

Keely’s mouth was still agape from when she was talking. But all she was doing now was staring at the boy. Nahu coughed slightly.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, Cletian, you did. Keely here was considering a job offer. You were saying something about school, young Keely? Would working here be a burden on your scheduling?” Nahu stared at her expectantly, waiting for a response.

Closing her mouth, Keely turned slowly to Nahu. “Uh, huh? Burden? No uh, no not at all. I’d be happy to work here, actually. Yeah, I’d love to accept the offer. Totally, I’d love to learn about toilets.”

Miranda looked at her daughter in surprise. Then she glanced at the boy who had just entered. Giving a small smile, she looked to Nahu. “Well, it looks like things are unofficially official. I’m assuming there are some forms she’ll have to fill out?”

Nahu smiled, oblivious to the sudden change in Keely’s demeanor. “Oh no, no paperwork needed right now. I will have her take care of any particulars when she comes in on her first day. Say, next Monday?”

“Sounds perfect, she’ll be here. Right, Keely?”

“Uh-huh, yeah,” Keely said absentmindedly, giving quick glances at the boy. He was completely focused on the toilet, leaning down to check the seat and how easy it was to lift. That didn’t seem to matter to her; she was more than happy to keep looking at him. Miranda’s smile widened a little, and she tapped her daughter on the shoulder to signal that it was time to leave. The duo said their goodbyes and exited the store. As they left, Miranda gave a quiet humming tune.

“Keely, honey?” She said.

“Yeah, mom?”

“Make sure to ask the boy for his name next time.”

Keely’s face flushed red as the two strutted down the Santa Monica sidewalk, perfectly pacing with one another. After a few minutes, Keely looked at her mom.

“Was I that obvious? Do you think he noticed?”

Miranda chuckled. “No, honey, boys are ignorant of the world around them. He was probably focused on work.”

Her daughter nodded in response, thinking for a few seconds. Then she spoke up again. “Don’t you think that store was kind of… weird? Like the name Nahu? And how it’s a toilet shop in the middle of a bunch of beachfront properties. Like, who’s going to buy toilets next to a bunch of outlet stores?”

Miranda shrugged. “I think he might be a foreigner, honey. There’s no shame in letting a man go for the American Dream.”

Keely went quiet. Her mom was probably right. There was no way there was anything more odd in the toilet store than just dedicated employees. She’d work there for a couple of months, prove to her mom she knows the value of money, and then quit. Having a solid plan in mind, Keely swore she wouldn’t let anything get in the way of it. Not even a cute boy.