Hakim wasn't used to luxurious neighborhoods. Even in his hometown in Accra, he never dared going near where rich people lived, scared to be categorized as a thief and being thrown in jail like so many other people before him.
Yet, now that he was in one of the nicest districts in Paris, he didn't feel like he'd missed out on much. The streets were quiet and deserted. Even the birds didn't sing. The young man had distaste clearly written on his face as he walked alongside Sasha. She, on the other hand, was smiling like it was the best day of her life.
They moved for five more minutes before stopping in front of Gigi Montagne's house. Hakim noticed how every curtain was drawn in front of the windows. It was as if no one was home. Sasha stopped at the gate and turned towards him.
"Before we go in...There is something you must know." She said.
"What?"
"My boss...She can be really mean. That's actually why I struggled to find her a housekeeper for so long. Every person who worked for her before knows that she has a bad temper and it only got worse with the passing of her husband. I am telling you now so you can brace yourself, alright?"
"Yeah."
"Don't take anything she says personally. She's just sad ok?"
"Uh-huh."
"Great!"
Hakim thought he should have been warned before accepting to come all the way here but didn't mention anything to Sasha. He followed the young woman through the gate and into the house of Gigi Montagne.
It was too quiet for him. As they walked down the hallway toward the living-room, Hakim could only hear the echo of his own footsteps. A shiver ran down his spine as he imagined the ghost of Mr Montagne, still hunting the place. Once they were in the living-room, he sat on the couch next to Sasha and she quickly texted her boss.
"She is coming down." She announced afterward.
They waited in silence. Hakim could clearly see the need for a housekeeper as the furniture in the living-room were all covered in dust and the carpet looked like it hadn't been vacuumed for a while.
As he was thinking of all the effort it would take to clean that room alone, he heard the sound of nonchalant footsteps coming closer. Hakim looked toward the door in anticipation. His eyes widened when a woman stepped into the living-room. The young man didn't expect anything in particular but still, Gigi Montagne was far from the image he had of a rich French woman.
Gigi had her hair up in a messy bun, strands escaping from it and floating in front of her face. She wore an old oversized plaid shirt with sweatpants and she hugged a bottle of wine against her chest. Her dull eyes didn't focus on anything in particular as she swayed lazily towards the center of the room.
Hakim thought she'd fall because of how unsteady her steps were. He hesitated to stand and help her walk but the woman managed to take herself to the couch in front of them and sit with a sigh. For the first time, she stared at her guests, her eyes passing quickly over Sasha but staring intensely at Hakim, her frown deepening with each passing second.
"Emmm...Are you alright, Mrs Montagne?" Sasha asked her after a minute of complete silence.
Gigi Montagne passed a strand of hair behind her ear. She blinked slowly.
"Who the hell is this, Sasha?" She mumbled, pointing a shaky finger towards Hakim.
"This is your new housekeeper." The assistant replied. "I was supposed to introduce him to you, Mrs Montagne. Remember?"
"Fuck yes, I remember. It's just that I wasn't expecting to see a black man. I mean, he is not the most accurate representation of a housekeeper, now is he ?"
Hakim winced at the curse word. Then, he started to feel anger rising from the pit of his stomach. Who was this woman to judge him? Had she looked into a mirror? She wasn't the exact representation of a businesswoman either! Hakim wanted to spit that into her face but his anger died down when he met the eyes of Gigi.
She looked pissed and arrogant but buried under that, Hakim could see something else. Something so sad that he couldn't feel anything but pity for the woman. His gaze softened and he smiled at her, not expecting her to return it.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs Montagne." He greeted. "I know you must be a little surprised but I guess there is a first time for everything, right? You might never have seen a black man as a housekeeper but why won't you be the first to hire one? I swear that no one can fit the position better than me."
Gigi blinked slowly before laughing. Hakim watched as she opened her wine bottle and drank the rest of it in one swift move. She was already so drunk, he feared she'd pass out.
"Yeah I guess you're right." She said. "Anyone can clean a house, right? Just don't steal anything from me or I swear to God, I will lock you up for so long, you probably won't see the sun ever again... What's your name?"
"Hakim."
"You will be picking my son up from school too."
"Sure. Does that mean that I am hired?"
Gigi Montagne made a sign with her hand that no one understood. She then stood up on shaky legs and started walking towards the exit, still hugging her wine bottle. Sasha stood up and followed her:
"Mrs Montagne...Aren't you coming to the office today?"
"Do I look like I am able to, Sasha?! I think I should be looking for a new assistant as well, you really are getting dumber by the day!"
Sasha stopped at the entrance of the living-room and watched her boss take the stairs. Once she was gone, the young assistant turned towards Hakim and shrugged.
"I guess you got the job." She said.
"Great..."
"I need to go to work right now, though. Since she won't come to the office, it means that I will have a lot of things to take care of on her behalf. Ugh, I swear she'd be bankrupted without me and I am not even getting paid enough...Do you think you can figure out what to do by yourself here?"
"Am I starting now?!"
"Well, sure ! I will text you the address of Thomas' school as well. Can you pick him up at five?"
"Uh..y-yeah?"
"Thank you, you are a lifesaver ! You have my phone number, don't hesitate to text me if you have any questions. See you later."
Hakim barely had the time to wave and Sasha was already gone. He found himself alone, in the living-room of Gigi Montagne. The silence was back, heavy and almost suffocating. He couldn't believe he was already starting this new job.
He had no idea where anything was but would have to figure it out by himself. He just hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for snooping around. First thing, he decided to open the curtains of the living-room and let the morning light slip into the room. He then went on to visit the ground floor of the house.
He found the kitchen, the dining-room, a gym and a bathroom. There was also a glassed door leading to the back yard. Hakim went there and saw a very dirty pool with two deckchairs next to it. The grass also needed a good trim and he'd have to pick up all the dead leaves laying around at some point.
Hakim returned to the living-room and took off his coat before rolling up the sleeves of his sweater. One thing was certain, he wouldn't get bored as a housekeeper for Gigi Montagne. There was plenty to do and he planned on taking care of the ground floor before seeing the rest of the house.
Looking around in the kitchen and backyard, he found the cleaning materials. Hakim plugged his headphones in. The gloves he could find were too small for him but he didn't mind working with his bare hands. The job wasn't actually different from what he was already doing at the tacos restaurant: sweeping, dusting, wiping, mopping. It was draining but nothing made him happier than seeing the place brightening up.
He was almost done with cleaning the living-room when he found a picture hiding behind the pillows of the couch. It was a polaroid on which he recognized Gigi Montagne, hugging a young boy to her chest and a man was sitting next to her, taking the picture.
The woman Hakim met minutes ago was just the ghost of the one in the picture. Gigi looked healthier, happier and younger. Hakim could only assume that the other people in the picture were her son and husband. The husband she'd lost.
Hakim felt his heart squeeze, thinking of all the pain she was going through. He'd never lost someone close to him but still, he could imagine how heartbreaking it could be. He wouldn't blame Gigi for becoming so bitter. Instead, he wanted her to grieve properly. Just like Sasha said, maybe he could help her with that. Maybe he could help her heal, if not for herself, then for the wellbeing of her son who was probably suffering just as much.
Hakim always wanted to be a person who would do good in other people's lives. Maybe this was his chance to finally fulfill that wish?