“That you graduated from the university with your own effort? Very well done!” said Georgia with her right thumb up. “Ok. Now, help me get up from the tub and dry.” Malee nodded.
She helped to clear the plate and then pulled up Georgia’s body out of the tub and dried it well with the large towel on the metal handle bar at the side. Once dried, Malee passed the bath robe Georgia left on the table for her to put it on.
“You will have to do this every day. Aren’t you sick of it?” asked Georgia. Malee wasn’t sure she was asking her or playing with her mind what the older servants said about Georgia. She knew she would serve someone and accepted it long ago when she joined the rest in the servant’s house. Not that she had a choice then and even with the degree, she doubted she could get a better job and life than what she was having. She still went to the night market occasionally to talk to her friends, and their tales of jobs and running away from abusive husbands made her glad she was only babysitting a grownup princess.
“No.” replied Malee. She had no intention of Georgia messing with her mind, knowing full well that she could not counter her. If there was one advice repeatedly offered by the other servants when she became attached to Georgia as her personal servant was never to discuss with her on any topics. Not just because she was the mistress but because she liked to play with the minds of others, including her twin brother, George.
Georgia looked t Malee in disappointment and waved her hand. She would like to have someone to challenge her but, Malee might not be the one. Or she was avoiding her on purpose. Malee gave a slight bow to Georgia and quickly left the bathroom. She sighed once the door was closed. Her admiration for Mary grew every time she had to serve Georgia. It was hard enough handling Georgia, but Mary was the caretaker for both George and Georgia when they were young. Malee couldn’t imagine the chaos at all. Perhaps that was why Mary looked younger while the twins were out of the country.
It was the same set of events for that evening and the days after. Most of the time, Georgia was out of the house without asking Malee to accompany her, coming back only for the lunch and dinner. Malee was sure there must have been something happening that she wasn’t aware of, perhaps, it had something to do with the return of George? In no time, it was the day before the graduation day. Mary gave malee a day off from the chores to spend the night with her mates at the University hall and a new dress for her to wear.
Malee recognised some of them as her friends from the school for the privileged and not surprised that that could graduate without missing for most of the time from the lectures. That they had got a degree was more important to their families than how they got it. Malee also found one or two mates from the slums and overall had a wonderful night with them before the ceremony the next day. Soon, the fresh ray of light from the cracks on the wall of the hall hit their eyes, and the students were up and hurry to prepare for the event.
And it was an event fitting for a top university in the country with several of the high-ranking politicians as well as from the army and businessmen taking part in it. It was more of a business meeting for them than for students to graduate from the university. Georgia and parents would be there, of course. The only question was where would they be sitting along the first row. As Malee was one of the top students, they kept her and a few others in the room till the rest of the students received their graduation certs. Then it was their turn, and they were ushered to the back of the stage to go up to receive their awards from the VIPs.