“Yes, you did, Maureen. Just think of how good it would be to have all the money in the world. You can now get to go to college, get lots of stuff. And then your parents, too. You can send them lots of money. Then you can also get to date any guy you want. Isn’t that going to be wonderful?” the man asked, rubbing his two hands together.
Maureen looked at the mop again. She then glanced at him, shaking her head. “I am sorry.”
He frowned. “You are sorry? Why? For what?”
“I don’t wish for anything, mister. You can keep your wishes.”
The man was surprised. “But what about college? Don’t you want a different life instead of working all these shifts every day?”
Maureen smiled. “I do. But not from you. I am going to be patient and wait for my wishes to come true. And when they do, I hope it will not be because of you or your tricks.”
Maureen saw the man suddenly clench his fists. It seemed as if he was about to hit her. For a moment, she felt scared. She was also not sure if she had seen some wisps of smoke or steam rising out of his clenched fists.
Then, as suddenly as it had happened, the man seemed calm again. He smiled warmly and stood up calmly. “Very well then. I see that you have had a change of heart. I really don’t know why. Maybe the events of the day have shaken you off balance. Anyway, I am not bothered. I am sure you will soon come back to your senses, Maureen.”
She shook her head. “I will not change my mind. Never.”
He smiled again. “I know you will, Maureen. It is in your nature as humans to always change your mind. You definitely will.”
Maureen shook her head and waved the mop at him. “You don’t know anything about me. I am not going to change my mind.”
The man tapped the rim of his black hat. “We’ll see about that soon, won’t we?”
Maureen did not say anything. She just watched him walk away through the doors of the restaurant. After he had left, Maureen sat down heavily on one of the empty seats.
She shook her head as she tried to process everything that had just happened. One thing she was sure about was that she was not ready to give in to anyone forcing her to make a wish.
She was content with herself.
She did not want any wishes to be granted for her.
THE END
The Old Woman's Paintings
CHAPTER 1 He lifted the cup to his lips. But rather than sip the tea that was in it, he raised it higher, to the level of his nose. He then sniffed in the aroma, savouring the appeal of its flavour. Thereafter, he brought the cup back to his lips and sipped in its liquid contents.
On his table was a plate of sandwich and some paper towels.
As he lowered the cup, a waitress came over with a tray. On it were two plates of sandwich and some items of cutlery.
“I have brought you two more plates of sandwich, just as you requested,” she said as she dropped them on the table.
He adjusted the pair of plain glasses on his face and looked up with a smile. “That is very nice of you. And it is good, too, that you took the liberty of covering them up well. My friends are not yet here. But I am sure they will soon be around.”
The waitress shrugged. “You are sure they will soon be here? I would have thought that it’d be more appropriate to serve them whenever they arrived. I can still take them back and keep them in the fridge, you know?”
He looked at the watch on his wrist. “No, never mind. They will soon be here. I am quite sure of it.”
“Okay then. Enjoy your meal, sir,” she said, and walked away with her tray.
After she left, he took another sip of his tea. He then opened his own plate and began to eat.
“Sorry we’re late, boss,” someone said close to him.
He looked up at the three faces in front of him. They were all dressed in blue jeans and coloured tshirts. Unlike him, they looked much younger in age. He allowed his eyes to gaze over at his three new visitors as if he was making an assessment of artefacts in a museum.
His gaze stopped at the third man in front of him. “Wait a minute. Who is this?”
The first man on the right raised his hand. “I forgot to tell you, boss. He’s a friend of mine. I thought I might bring him along.”
As the man turned to face him, a frown was visibly written all over his elderly face. “You thought? Wait; let me understand this for a moment, Peter. You actually thought it would be a good idea? You actually made a decision without consulting me?”
“No, it’s not like that, boss. I figured that he would be an asset, you know? I am sure we can use him,” Peter said.
The man nodded. “No problem. You all should sit down. I already ordered some sandwiches for you. But since I did not envisage you were inviting a friend along, I will have to order one more plate.”
As they all sat down at the table, the man turned and waved to the waitress. She hurried over to his side.
“I am sorry, but can I have another plate of these lovely sandwiches?” he asked with a smile on his face.
“No problem, sir. And you don’t need to apologise. That is what I am here for,” she said before hurrying away.
The man turned his attention away from her. He then glanced around the restaurant briefly. There were not too many people around. There was a couple seated at a corner not too far from them. An old lady was picking at a plate of rice and vegetables close to them. A young woman was eating and drinking with two young girls, probably her daughters. He could not sense any threat from them, he reasoned, as he turned his attention to three men seated in front of him.
“Tom, are you aware of our new friend that Peter decided to bring along?” the man asked.
Tom nodded. “Yes, boss. I know him, too. He has always been a friend of Peter’s, way back from high school. He is okay, boss. I mean, I can say that he would be an asset to us all.”
The man sipped his tea and nodded. “Really? And what is your name, young man?”
“Nigel, sir. My name is Nigel,” the third man replied.
“I see, Nigel. And what do you know about these two gentlemen seated with you?” the man asked, taking another sip of his tea.
Nigel looked sideways at his two friends. “They are okay, sir.”
He frowned. “Okay? What do you mean by ‘okay’?”
“I am sorry, boss. I meant they are nice, like trustworthy and stuff. I mean, they were kind enough to introduce me to you. See? They are okay,” Nigel replied.
“Is that so? Well, I don’t know much about you. I just have to work with whatever references they have given about you. And from the looks of it, the references are good,” the man replied.
“Good? Yes, they are both good,” Nigel said.
“I meant their references, Nigel. Their references about you seem okay,” the man added.
Nigel nodded. “Okay. Yes, they are okay.”
The man glanced at Peter and Tom. “Your friend here seems very excited. Am I wrong about my assessment?”
Tom shook his head. “No, you are not, boss. You are absolutely right about that.”
Peter grabbed Nigel’s arm and shook him. “Come on, man. Just relax, okay? You’re with the boss now, okay? Just calm yourself down, okay?”
Nigel nodded. “I am sorry, guys. Boss. I am really jumpy and all excited because of the opportunity that they have given me to work with you all. I mean, I never expected it. You all don’t know what this means to me.”
Just then, the waitress arrived with the additional plate of sandwich and another cup of tea. “Would you need anything more?”
The man shook his head. “No, not really. But, could you perhaps get me some more of the tea? I really love its taste and aroma.”
“No problem, sir. I will get you more tea,” the waitress replied, and left.
After she had gone, the man turned his attention back to them. “Why not start eating your meals, gentlemen. The sandwich is particularly good, I must say. But for me it is the tea that is making my day.
”
While they were all eating, the man pointed at Nigel. “Like I was saying earlier, Nigel. I am going to work with you based on the recommendations of your two friends here. I have worked with them a couple of times in the past.”
Nigel nodded. “Yes, boss.”
“That is good. I hope they told you what I like about my co-workers? You have to be dedicated, calm, and focused on the job at hand. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yes, boss. I can be all that on the job,” Nigel replied.
“You can be what on the job?” the man asked.
“Dedicated, calm, and focused, boss,” Nigel replied.
The man nodded. “That is right, Nigel. Because the efficiency and success of our operations are hinged on those three factors. If one of them is lost, then we might as well forget about succeeding. And for us, success is paramount, right, guys?”
Both Peter and Tom nodded in unison.
“Sure it is. Otherwise, why should we engage in an operation in the first place, unless it is to be successful at it?” the man asked.
Nigel nodded. “Yes, boss. It would not make any sense to engage if we are not sure of succeeding at it.”
“Exactly, Nigel. Now tell me, how much experience do you have?” the man asked.
“Me? Experience?” Nigel asked.
“Of course, yes, Nigel. I want to know where I am going to place you, what roles you would undertake on our next assignment,” the man said.
“Is there another assignment lined up, boss?” Peter asked.
The man adjusted his glasses and smiled. “Of course there is, Peter. Why would you think I would take the time out of my schedule to host you all to a meal in this restaurant? You think I am in love with your young faces or what?”
They all laughed briefly.
The man adjusted his eyeglasses again. “It is funny, isn’t it? I mean, anyone would think that we are having a jolly good time together. Right? But it goes beyond all that, guys. And you know that, don’t you? It is all about being closely knit, working with precision, and being focused on the job at hand.”
Nigel saw Peter and Tom nodding. He joined them as well, even though he was really not sure what their boss had just said.
“So, boss, about the new job you were talking about?” Peter asked.
The man sipped some more of his tea. “Yes, I am about to get to that, guys. Are you sure we shouldn’t call the waitress for some more tea?”
Nigel shook his head. “Nah, I am okay, boss.”
Peter nodded. “Same here, boss. I am not really a tea person.”
Tom glanced at his friends. “Really? I don’t know, but somehow I am beginning to love this stuff. Man, it is so relaxing, and cleanses my system like magic. I think I’ll have some more.”
The man clapped his hands together. “There, I knew I was going to soon have a convert. Tom is now a disciple of my tea-loving enterprise. I suggest, Nigel and Peter, you had better join the winning train before it is too late.”
“How has drinking tea suddenly become your favourite pastime, Tom? You used to love spirits and alcohol before,” Peter said.
Tom shook his head as he sipped some more tea. “You seem to forget that times change, bro. And as they do, people follow suit. Besides, the boss is into it. And that means it is good for us. You should try more of it, bro.”
Peter shook his head. “Nah, I think I am okay for now. I just want to know more about the next job.”
They were quiet now as all attention was focused on their boss. The man just kept on pouring more tea into his cup and sipping away.
Eventually, he placed his teacup into the saucer and looked at the three faces in front of him. He could see their eagerness and enthusiasm beaming out of their eyes.
He picked up the tablet that had been by his side all this while. He turned it on and selected some files before passing it over to Peter. “That is going to be our next job,” he announced as Peter looked at the image on the tablet.
Nigel could see Peter frown before passing it over to Tom. After Tom had looked at it, he passed it on to Nigel.
He could now understand why Peter was frowning. In the image was the picture of an old house.
“An old house,” Nigel said, in a voice that sounded more like an announcement rather than an enquiry.
Their boss nodded. “Yes, it is, Nigel. But not just an ordinary old house.”
“Not just an ordinary old house, you say?” Nigel repeated.
Their boss nodded. He looked around the young faces in front of him. “This one has got prospects, and lots of potentials. Believe me when I say that this is really going to be worth it, guys.”
Peter cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, boss. It’s not as if I want to question you or your plans, but I really don’t see why we have to work on an old house like this. I mean, what prospects could there be in it?”
“That is what I was expecting you to ask about, Peter. You want some evidence of how worthwhile it would be to work on this house, right? Well, I’ll show you some of it,” the man said. He tapped the screen of the tablet and opened another folder.
After a while, he pushed the tablet towards Peter. Peter looked at the screen for a while. The frown that was initially on his face began to dissolve into a glow of interest.
“What is it, Peter?” Tom asked as he shifted closer.
“Take a look for yourself,” Peter replied, and pushed the tablet towards Tom.
After Tom had gazed at the tablet for a while, he whistled softly. “This is wonderful, boss. Seriously.”
“Can I have a look?” Nigel asked.
Tom nodded and passed the tablet to him.
“Paintings?” Nigel asked, on taking a look at the tablet. “There are paintings on the wall.”
Their boss nodded. “Lots of them, I must tell you. In fact, the whole house is full of them.”
“Really? Do you think they are worth anything?” Peter asked.
“They are, Peter. A lot, for that matter,” their boss replied.
“Are you sure?” Tom asked.
Their boss nodded. “Very sure, Tom. The old woman told me so herself.”
“What old woman?” Peter asked.
“The owner of the house,” the man replied.
“Wait. You mean the old house belongs to an old woman?” Peter asked.
“Yes. It has been hers for a long time. According to what she told me, it is their family house. It has been theirs for several centuries now. And so have the paintings on the wall,” the man replied.
“She told you all this? But how? When did you meet with her?” Tom asked.
The man smiled. “A call was made to my office last week. Apparently the woman wanted some help with some of the electrical fittings in the house. I was sent there to take a look at what the problem was. And, guys, I really got an eyeful. That house is a gold mine waiting to be exploited.”
“Really? That is wonderful. So where did she get all those paintings?” Tom asked.
“She told me that it was her family’s tradition to always collect paintings. They have been at it for several centuries now. And the wonderful thing is that she has continued the practice as well. This means that she is updating the collection from time to time,” the man replied.
“There are so many of them. Where does she get them?” Peter asked.
“Who cares? All I did was contact an expert in paintings, and he told me that each of those pieces is worth at least fifteen big ones,” their boss replied.
The three young faces in front of him lit up in anticipation.
“Fifteen big ones? Did, did, did you just say fifteen thousand dollars for each one?” Peter stuttered.
Their boss nodded. “You heard me right the first time. And there are over a hundred of them in that house.”
“Then, boss, what are we waiting for?” Tom asked.
“Of course, we need to perfect our plans, Tom. That is what we are waiting for. Or do you expect us to ju
st knock on her door and ask her to hand over the paintings like that?” the man asked.
“No, not really. Gosh, it’s just that I am so excited. I cannot believe this. This should be the easiest job that we have ever done. It will be as easy as taking candy from a little kid,” Tom said.
“Yes. But even taking candy from a little kid can backfire if you do not do your homework well, guys. That is why we need to go over our plans meticulously,” the man said.
“As always, the boss is right. We cannot just take chances because of what we perceive as an easy job. We need to look over everything to make sure that we have covered all aspects properly,” Peter added.
“That is right, guys. Now, this is a rundown of how it is going to go down. It is good that you brought Nigel along for this meeting. We are surely going to need an extra hand on this job. Nigel, are you ready to work and earn some good money?” the boss asked.
Nigel nodded. “For fifteen big ones? Boss, I am ready to do anything.”
“That is the spirit, Nigel. Now, I want you all to listen very well to the details of this job,” the boss said. He then began to discuss his plan with them.
CHAPTER 2
There was a knock on the door. An elderly woman walked to the door and opened it. There, standing in the doorway, was the man.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” he said with a smile.
The old woman squinted at him through her eyeglasses. “Hello. Who are you?”
“It’s me. The electrician. Remember? I was here last week to check up on your electrical fittings.”
Her old, wrinkled face brightened up. “Oh, yes, yes, yes. You are very right about that. My, it has been quite a while. It’s so nice to see you again.”
“Yes, ma’am. I was actually in the neighbourhood and I thought it would be nice to come around and see how you are doing.”
“That is really wonderful. Please do come in,” the old woman said, and stepped aside.
The man walked in and she closed the door.
The man adjusted his glasses and quickly scanned around the house. As he did so, his eyes took in the images of the paintings on the wall. “I wanted to know if there were any more problems with your fittings, ma’am.”
10 Paranormal Stories Page 3
