Beyoncé sat with her family in the fifth pew that Sunday, their usual spot. Mathew and Benjamin were on either side of her. All three of them were fanning themselves to cool off from the heat. Their tiny church had no air conditioning system, and it got hot quickly with all the dancing and singing. She watched her animated pastor pace in front of the podium.
"I think y'all are sleeping," Pastor Jenkins yelled hoarsely. "I said, can the church give me an amen," he cried again while wiping the sweat from his forehead. On cue, the church clapped and shouted amen. Beyoncé was interested in this sermon. He didn't deviate off course to discuss oppression or injustices like usual. She understood his anger but didn't agree with everything he said. She didn't believe that all white people were racist. She knew for a fact that it wasn't true.
Most of the servers at Rue's diner were like family to Beyoncé. Her father's employer was a generous and loving man who gave Mathew all the paid time off he needed when her mother, Tina, died. Then there was Kyle... She had just met him yesterday, but his simple gesture of returning her book proved to her that you couldn't just paint white people with a broad, racist brush.
"Now, brothers and sisters, are we not the anointed ones?" Pastor Jenkins continued. A round of applause followed his statement. Beyoncé couldn't understand why they were clapping. He says the same thing every Sunday. "Was it not Moses who led the chosen people of the mighty God out of Egypt," he said.
"Amen, yes it was!" An older lady shouts.
"And so I ask; was Moses a white man?" He questioned. The congregation all said no in unison. "So, my colored brothers and sisters, why do we continue to let the white man oppress us? He couldn't keep us down in Egypt." He slammed his hand on the podium.
"C'mon and PREACH," a deacon yelled.
"—and he ain't going to keep us down now! Can I get an amen?" The crowd says amen again. "Choir, come on up and join me!" The pastor exhaled. Beyoncé sighed, glad that his tangent was short this time. She felt much comfort in the Church. It was where she could forget her problems and be close to God, the only constant factor in her life. But when Pastor Jenkins pushes his agenda, it irritates her. This is God's house, not a lecture hall. She didn't allow her irritation to overcome her and instead stood and clapped along to the choir.
Sunday was the only day Beyoncé had off to enjoy herself, and what was she doing? Sleeping. Benjamin came into her room without knocking first and sat on her bed. He gently shook his younger sister's shoulder to wake her up. "Bey, wake up!" he stated.
"Benjamin, I'm tired. What is it?" Beyoncé opened her heavy eyes.
"There's some guy here to see you," he informed her. She sat up slowly; she never had any visitors.
"Who is it?" she questioned.
"I don't know... He's some buff Mexican guy. He said he worked with you," he told her. Beyoncé knew precisely who he was talking about.
"His name is Lorenzo," she said as she rolled her eyes.
"Look at little Bey with a Mexican boyfriend," Benjamin teased.
"He was born in Chile, and he's not my boyfriend," she huffed.
"Well, he came here asking Pops if he could take you out for the day," he revealed. Beyoncé froze.
"What?" She squinted her eyes at her brother, trying to tell whether he was lying. "You're a liar, Benjamin Knowles. He did not," she laughed.
"Sure did. He's in the kitchen," he stood. "Oh, and he IS your boyfriend!" he smiled.
"Stop being so childish," Beyoncé scoffed. She then realized that Lorenzo was alone with her father if Benjamin was with her. God only knew what Mathew was saying to him. She rushed out of her room, determined to "save" Lorenzo from the wrath of Mathew Knowles. As she approached the kitchen, she surprisingly heard laughter. When she revealed herself to the men, they rested their backs on the counter, looking like they were old friends. "What's going on here," she asked, crossing her arms.
"This Lorenzo kid, I like him," Mathew smiled at Lorenzo, who was still laughing. "He may have a funny name, but you're alright with me," he said, shaking the young man's hand.
Beyoncé concluded that this was not a reality and that she must be dreaming. Her father was so protective of her that he would only let her go on dates with guys he had known for a long time in advance. But even after that, he was still suspicious. Mathew often reminded the young men who showed interest that he had a double-barrel shotgun in his closet and wasn't afraid to use it if necessary. "Lorenzo, why are you here?" she asked as Benjamin stood beside her.
"I came to ask your father's permission to see if I could spend the day with you," he replied. Beyoncé could feel her light cheeks turn red as she blushed at his words. No one had ever asked her father's permission to spend time with her. She looked at her father, unsure what to say.
"It's alright with me, Bey! We already went over the rules. Right, Lorenzo?" Mathew turned to him.
"Yes, sir! You have my word," he assured him.
"Okay, let me get my purse," Beyoncé smiled.
"You won't need it," Lorenzo smirked. Beyoncé raised her eyebrows. She had no idea what he was doing nor what to say next.
"Goodbye, Mr. Knowles," Lorenzo politely shook his hand.
"Have fun, Bey!" Benjamin piped up.
"I'll bring her back by curfew," Lorenzo added to Mathew.
"Damn right you will," Mathew said as his smile transformed into seriousness.
Lorenzo couldn't stop smiling as he led Beyoncé out of her home. "Surprise!" he said as they both stopped in the front.
"Lorenzo, I'm happy to see you, but why are you here? And how on earth did you get past Daddy without any bullet holes," she questioned.
"Well, honestly... my uncle Hector has fallen ill back in Chile. He's got seven children, and my aunt Maria can't take care of all the children and him. So we're going down there for a couple of months to help," he frowned.
"Oh no! Will your uncle be alright?" she asked concerned.
"We think so, but Aunt Maria needs us, and that's what family is for, right? So I came to spend my last day here —with you," he smiled nervously. Beyoncé didn't know how to respond to his last statement. He would be away in South America for a few months, yet he wanted to spend his last day with her. She thought they were just friends, but they could spend the day together, right?
"I'm flattered, Lorenzo. When are you leaving?" she questioned.
"Tomorrow! We need to get there immediately," he replied.
"Okay," she smiled even though he would be leaving so soon. She enjoyed his company but told herself that it wouldn't be forever. It wasn't their last day together. "So—where are we going?" she asked excitedly.
Lorenzo had borrowed his father's car to take Beyoncé all over town. First, they went to the movies. After that, they stopped by the diner next to the theatre, where they had an inexpensive dinner. She asked him everything she could think of about Chile during the meal. She was so fascinated with the country. He should consider himself lucky to be able to explore South America while she was stuck in plain old America.
Beyoncé had excused herself to the bathroom towards the end of their dinner. She was conflicted. She considered Lorenzo a good friend, but there was no denying it now. They were on a date, and what scared her the most was that she was enjoying herself. He made her feel so at ease, like she had known him for years instead of weeks. He was so kind and tender to her. She knew that he had feelings for her —and it was reciprocated. A wave of sadness washed over her as she realized he was leaving tomorrow.
After dinner, the two went to one last place, which was somewhere he knew was special to her: the park. It was at the park where their day took a romantic turn. Lorenzo lowered his hand into Beyoncé's. To his surprise, she welcomed his grasp and intertwined her fingers in his.
A few hours later...
It was twenty past seven—ten minutes before Beyoncé's curfew set by her father. The two were sitting in the car outside of her home. Neither one of them wanted this perfect day together to end. "I had a great time, Lorenzo," Beyoncé spoke softly.
"Me too, Bey!" He smiled. There was an awkward silence as he shifted to face her. He looked down at her lips and the perfect curl on her cheek. He slowly brushed it away, never breaking eye contact with her. Without another word, he closed the gap between them until their lips met. Her touch was like he imagined, but it was over too fast.
"Lorenzo, my father will see!" she said, hurrying as far away from him as possible.
"You're right... I'm sorry!" He apologized and rushed out of the car to open the passenger door for his date. They walked to the front door together and stopped. "Well, I'll miss you, Bey!" he looked down at her.
"But we'll see each other again soon," she replied, trying to keep her voice from trembling. Lorenzo smiled at her before kissing her cheek and returning to the car.
.........................
Monday's were Justin's least favorite day. It was the day when all of the fun and excitement of the weekend ended, and he would spend the next five to six days in school. He got out of bed, staggering to the bathroom, and jumped into the shower. The warm water woke him up completely. Twenty minutes later, he was descending the wooden spiral staircase of his three-story mansion. He walked to the dining room. The scent of breakfast dominated the air.
"Good morning, Justin," the older colored woman greeted him.
"Good morning, Stella. What are we having today?" he asked as he sat at the table.
Justin's late mother designed most of the house. The foyer contained an imported all-crystal chandelier and a miniature version over the long dining room table. The walls were painted a deep maroon color with matching furniture. Art from all over the world hung perfectly on the walls.
"Only your favorites!" Stella smiled. Justin smiled back at the woman who cared for him since birth. She was the nanny for years and was promoted to head cook and maid. She ran the house! What he loved most about her was how patient she was and how she often treated him as her child —since she and her husband were never blessed with one of their own. Her dark pigment was not significant to him. In his eyes, she was a surrogate mother.
On the other hand, Justin's father repeatedly reprimanded Stella, reminding her she was only the help and not his family. This would always upset Justin when he heard such conversations. He didn't view her that way. Only Kyle knew how special Stella meant to him. He would go through hell if any of the others found out that the only mother he truly ever had was a poor, uneducated, colored woman.
Stella returned from the kitchen with a plate of waffles, syrup, fruit, eggs, and bacon. "Stella, you're going to get me fat," he joked.
"I sure hope not," she replied, laughing.
"Thank you!" He told her.
"You're welcome! I had some extra time, so I thought I would make something special for you, but you better hurry. Don't their classes start at nine?" she questioned.
"Don't remind me," he answered, rolling his eyes.
.........................
Benjamin and his sister pulled up to the gate of the Dukes' estate at 9:20 am with Beyoncé in the passenger seat, mesmerized by the beauty and grandeur of the property. It looked like a Victorian castle with incredible landscaping. A colored man in a uniform was in charge of the gate and walked to their vehicle.
"Good morning!" He spoke to them.
"Hello. My sister has an appointment —a job interview at nine-thirty," Benjamin said to the man.
"What's the name?" The man looked at his clipboard.
"Beyoncé Knowles!" she spoke up.
"May I see some identification?" He asked. She rummaged through her purse, pulling out her wallet. She showed the man her new driver's license.
"Thank you," he said, nodding and tapping the top of his hat. He then pushed a button, which slowly opened the gate. Only then did Beyoncé see the true beauty of the place she hoped to work at soon.
In front of the large home was a beautiful fountain that sprouted clear water. It was a circular road that Benjamin followed until he got to the roundabout at the front of the house. Immediately, another man appeared in uniform, opening the door for Beyoncé once the car was parked.
"Good morning!" He said while he held Beyoncé's hand to help her out of the car.
"Good morning! Thank you," she said. She wasn't used to this kind of treatment. Her attention was then caught by the beautiful, white steps leading to the double doors' entrance. "This place is amazing," she thought to herself.
Benjamin stood by his sister's side. "She is here for a job interview with Stella Watson," he informed the man.
"She's waiting right inside. Just go up the steps," the man instructed.
"Thanks! Ben, are you waiting in the car?" Beyoncé questioned her brother.
"Yup!" He nodded. He and Beyoncé smiled nervously at each other before she went up the steps. She immediately saw an older woman in a black dress with a white apron.
"Are you Beyoncé Knowles?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Beyoncé spoke politely.
"Good morning, Beyoncé, I'm Stella Watson!" she said. Beyoncé shook her hand.
"Thank you for making time for me, Mrs. Watson. You must be busy —with everything," Beyoncé said as she looked around the expensive estate.
"No problem. Follow me," Stella smiled. Beyoncé followed the woman past the foyer of such beauty. She has only envisioned a place like this in the fiction novels she read. She could see her reflection through the Crystal chandelier. "It's overwhelming the first time, isn't it?" Stella asked the young girl when she noticed her taking notice of every fine detail of the foyer.
"Yes, ma'am. It's beautiful, just beautiful," Beyoncé gawked. Stella smiled. She liked this girl already. There was a sort of innocence to her that was lovely.
Stella walked into the kitchen. She and Beyoncé sat at a small table where some servants ate their meals. "So Beyoncé, tell me what can you do," she started the interview.
"Well— I've been cooking since I was a little girl, so I could always help. My mother was a seamstress, so I am fine at mending things. I've been running my house since I was eight—" Stella raised her eyebrows, surprised by that statement. "—so I'm not a stranger to cleaning. I've worked at a diner for two years, so I'm used to being on my feet all day and tending to people for parties. I'm a hard worker. I do what needs to be done," Beyoncé finished.
"Very impressive!" Stella said. She already made her decision. She liked this girl because she reminded her of herself at that age. With her sweet manner, Beyoncé would blend well with the staff. "Well then... The hours would be from nine until six, Monday through Friday, and you can pick your Saturdays, if any. The head of the house lets the staff who don't live on-site have the day off on Sunday. And from the address Mr. Duke's secretary gave me, you live in the neighborhood of some of our staff. Alice Marshall, does she ring a bell?" she asked.
"Mrs. Marshall, I know her," Beyoncé smiled.
"You would be tending to Ms. Morgan. You two will get along. She's a doll and only two years older than you. The woman who quit used to tend to her. Is that a problem with you?" Stella looked at the young girl, who looked confused.
"Wait, do I have the job??? Oh my goodness! Yes —yes, of course!" Beyoncé tried not to become overly excited.
"Fantastic! You can start tomorrow." Stella stated without really asking if that was feasible. Beyoncé wanted to do backflips. Finally, she could give Rue a piece of her mind. Goodbye to rude customers, an evil boss, and that hideous pink uniform. She watched the older woman reach into the chair beside her and pull out a black uniform with a white collar. She then ducked under the table to look at the girl's shoes. "You can wear those with this dress, and I'll talk to Alice. She'll be by your house to pick you up at eight-thirty sharp," she smiled.
"Perfect! Thank you so much, Mrs. Watson." Beyoncé was highly grateful.
"Call me Stella. Can you find your way out?" she asked, standing.
"Yes, ma'am. I look forward to tomorrow," Beyoncé spoke in an excited tone.
"Me too! It's always nice to have young people around," Stella replied.
Beyoncé did her best to stop herself from running down the steps to tell her brother the great news. She startled him when she opened the passenger door.
"That was fast..." Benjamin stared at her wide-eyed.
"I got the job!" she squealed.
"Of course you did. They'd be a fool to turn you down," he said as he started the car. "Did you meet the big boss?" he questioned.
"Of course not... He's probably busy at work," she assumed.
"How about the son?" He glanced over at her.
"Now, why would I have met his son, Ben? It was a job interview," she chuckled.
"Maybe it's good that you didn't. You'd be running in the other direction," he snickered. She glared at him.
"I think his name is Jason, and I hear he's a terror. He's supposedly a stuck-up prick. You probably won't see him much, though. Some guys at the shop talk about him. He has a bad reputation," he rained on his sister's parade.
"You gossip like a woman," she sighed as they drove towards the exit.
The next morning...
Alice Marshall was in front of Beyoncé's house at 8:30 am on the dot, and Beyoncé was out of her house faster than a bullet. "Good morning, Alice!" She greeted her neighbor. "I'm so excited about my first day." She was unable to suppress her smile.
"I can only imagine what a blessing this job must be for your family," Alice exclaimed.
"Indeed." Beyoncé was ecstatic that she would not have to share a twenty-minute car ride with a stranger. Alice lived a few doors down in a slightly larger home and went to her church. She was a sweet woman with four boys; one came to her reading class on Saturday mornings.
"Did you get rid of that waitress job?" Alice asked as she drove down the road.
"Yes, I did?" Beyoncé answered, remembering what happened in her head. She smiled.
*Flashback*
Immediately after her interview, Benjamin dropped her off at Rue's. She went straight to the employee room without a word, cleaned out her locker, and then went to find her now ex-boss.
"Where the hell are you going?" He nearly yelled when he saw Beyoncé with her arms full. "Go on and get to your shift, or you're fired!" He demanded.
"I'm getting far away from here, Mr. McCoy. I can't say it's been a pleasure to work for you, but thank you anyway," she said.
"You can't just leave," he insisted.
"Oh, I can't?" She said in a sarcastic tone. Finally, she didn't have to hold her tongue in fear of losing her job. "I collected my check last Friday —and let's not fool ourselves, sir. You never wanted me here to begin with. So I get to move on out of this dump." Rue clenched his fist as he watched the ungrateful, colored girl joyously whistle as she exited his diner for the last time.
*End of Flashback*
After about 20 minutes of silence, the women approached the beautiful estate. "Stella told me to tell you all your daily duties," Alice said.
"Okay, sounds good," Beyoncé replied as the women stepped out of the vehicle. She waved to the gentleman who helped her out of the car yesterday. She learned that his name was Greg. She took notice of the three expensive vehicles that weren't there yesterday. There was a red, blue, and black one —two being convertibles. It must be nice. She followed Alice into the mansion, where she could smell breakfast being prepared.
"Alright, you're responsible for Ms. Morgan's and her cousin's rooms. That means vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the shutters and windows, changing the sheets and towels every other day, cleaning the clothes in their hampers, and cleaning their attached bathrooms. Make sure you mop the bathroom. They get agitated when that's not done. When you're done with that, you're also responsible for Mr. Duke's study; he expects it to be spotless. And I mean it! You don't want to see him angry. Then, when that's through, you're responsible for cleaning the sitting room —full of wood furniture. That means get all the picture frames, vases, and the fireplace, but do that last. Then you will help serve dinner. After that, your day is through. If you do all those things properly, you should be occupied most of the day. Any questions?" Alice asked. Beyoncé shook her head. "Good, I'll go get your supplies," she said. Alice quickly came back with a large bucket filled with cleaning supplies. "If you need a mop, broom, anything, go to that cabinet over there," she points out. Beyoncé nodded again. She was at a loss for words. "Okay, good luck!" Alice waved goodbye before disappearing.
Beyoncé stood there in the foyer, wondering where she should go first. She decided Morgan's room would be the best place, but she didn't know where that was. She walked up the spiral staircase to the second floor without bothering anyone to ask. The hall was long. She opened the first two rooms and could tell they were for guests. The next one that she opened was a vast room. It was more like an apartment.
The large, purple bed would swallow anyone up. The section next to the door was like a mini living room with tables and chairs and an expensive radio on the round table. There were two bedside tables on either side of the bed. In front of it was a mirror and a seat, where Beyoncé assumed Morgan did her hair and makeup daily. To the right was a wardrobe large enough to fit clothes for four people. Next to that was a changing station and heavy drapes that matched the purple bed. She was in awe as she went to an attached bathroom with a separate tub and shower. The white, glossy tile was beautiful. She sighed as she left the bathroom. Then, she suddenly heard a male calling out.
"Morgan, have you left already?" The person yelled. Beyoncé moved further into the space only to run directly into the man. The momentum sent them both back. She looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. Justin?
"What the hell are you doing here?" Justin furrowed his eyebrows down at her. He quickly looked at her attire and couldn't believe it. "You're the new maid!" He nearly yelled.
Beyoncé just stood there. So this was "Jason." She knew never to trust her brother or father with names. "I can't believe it... You live here!" She shook her head.
"Of course, I'm Justin Dukes. How did you not know who I was? Haven't you seen the photos all over the house?" He questioned.
"I've only been in three or four rooms," she sighed.
"I can't believe you are working here. Why didn't anyone tell me?" He said more so to himself. Then he remembered, "Wait, you don't work at that trashy diner?" he asked.
"I quit yesterday," she revealed.
"Oh... Beyoncé wasn't it?" He wanted to make sure he had her name to be specific later. He wanted her fired. She smiled at the fact that he remembered her and seemed kinder —a little. It was a significant improvement from the last two times they've met.
"Yes, but you can call me Bey," she told him.
"No, I'll call you Beyoncé," he rolled his eyes. "Do you know where Morgan is?" He questioned.
"No, sir," she shook her head.
"Oh well, bye, Beyoncé." Justin gave the maid one last glance.
"Uh, bye, sir." She stood there wondering why she kept running into this guy. First at the restaurant where he was awful, then at the park where he was still terrible, and now she would have to see him every day. Of all the rich people who needed a maid, it had to be Justin's family.
Justin stood outside Morgan's room, listening to Beyoncé's whistle as she began cleaning. She was so peculiar, but why? She was just another maid. However, that entire day, the only thing he could focus on was her showing up in his life —again.