Nessa & Nazar

I had just finished an interview and was about to have another. The first interview, was a lady in her forties. But I wasn't so sure about her. She looked stern. And I don't think I wanted that for Lilia. I wanted someone that was going to be soft and loving. I could at least give that to my daughter, after she had lost her mother. Plus, I hadn't been very nice lately.

I needed to hire someone though. I just hope that the next one, I liked. Or at least not so stern.

I heard a car pull up, ten minutes later. The girl wasn't due for another five minutes. I actually like that. It meant that she was eager. But, I didn't get up to look out the window. I stayed sitting on the lounge until I heard her knock on the door. Which, she knocked right on time. I was beginning to think this girl did things at set times. Like she was never late for anything.

When she knocked, I took a moment before I answered the door. Though when I opened the door, I was surprised by how young she was. I was starting to have doubts about this one. Yeah, I liked how she came early and then made sure she knocked on the door, right on time. But she was so young, and I didn't know if she could look after my baby daughter.

Before I asked her to come in, I glanced up over her and had a look at her car. I surprisingly found it cute. It was an old car. Though, I didn't know if it suited this girl. But I couldn't judge her for her car, just because I had money and drove an expensive car.

'Come in.' I tell her and then stepped aside.

I was impressed that she didn't hesitate and just walked straight in. And as she walked passed me, I got a whiff of her hair. It smelt of lavender and I think coconut. I didn’t expect that smell from such a young girl. I expected a floral maybe smell. A strong smell. But the smell, coming of this girl, it was faint. Just enough that you could smell it. But not a lavender and coconut smell. I was beginning to think she was different than the normal teenager. But I wasn’t to know that it was a good different or a bad. Maybe by the end of the interview, I might know.

When I turned to face her, after closing the door, I had found her to be just standing around. She was waiting to hear what I wanted. I guess she was a smart girl.

'You can sit, if you like.' I tell her. 'Would you like a drink?' I asked. It was the polite thing to do.

'Could I have some water please?' She asked. She sounded like a polite girl. It was a good impression. She could teach my daughter politeness. I thought.

‘Won’t be a moment.' I say.

I left the living room and walked straight into the kitchen. I poured the girl a glass of water and then hurried back to her. I just wanted the night to be over. So, I gave the girl the glass of water and then sat on the chair that was across from her. I watched as she took a sip of water and then placed the glass on the coasters I had on the coffee table. I didn’t expect that. But I was glad that she did. Not that I voiced it.

'Your name is Florence King?' I asked, starting the interview. I thought it was a bit of an old-fashioned name. That's why, I was expecting an older girl.

'Yes it is.' She says, with a small smile on her face. I liked how she was confident.

'And how old are you?'

'I am seventeen. I’ll be eighteen by the end of the year. But, every one who knows me, doesn’t think that I am a normal seventeen year old girl. Some tell me that I am a thirty year old in a girls body.' She says. Again, she wasn’t nervous to tell me. She was smiling, like she thought it was funny, what people said about her.

'What do you mean?' I asked. Because I thought that was a funny thing her friends would describe her.

'I stick to myself most of the time. Stopped going to school parties, because I have better things to do than getting drunk every weekend. I read instead of watching t.v.' She explained to me. I think she was holding back a bit. But that didn’t matter, because I understood what she was saying.

'How are you in school?' I asked. And for some reason, it made her smile. 'What?'

'I’m basically known as the nerd. The teachers all love me. My best subject is advanced Math’s. The worst. Well, I actually don’t really have one. I get A+ to a B. Very rarely do I get B’s though.'

I had to admit that she was quite impressive. And looking at her, I could see that she was smart. I wouldn’t call her a nerd, though that was a cute thing to say about herself. But I could see that she was smart. She could teach my daughter a few things. I thought. If she turned out to be the one, I hired.

'And your parents? What do they think of a girl working for an older man and working late nights?' That was probably a major question. Because I didn't want to hire her and then her parents say that she couldn't do it. I wanted to know if she was able to work for me, without any restrictions.

'My parents know what I am capable of and they trust me.' She says, shrugging like it wasn’t a big deal. 'My mother in particular. When I told her that I was going to go for a different job, she was happy for me.'

'What was your last job?' I asked. I did read it on her resume. But it was something to ask her.

'I worked in a small cafe. I worked very hard, mostly everyday for little pay. The only thing good about the place, was its free coffee.' She says, and it made me smile. But I quickly dropped it, because I wasn’t in the position to smile. Not yet.

'And why, do you want this job? Do you have experience with looking after children?' It was a double question. But they went together.

'I’m an only child. But I have helped look after my two best friends brothers and sister’s. My girl, her youngest brother is six months old. And Tyler’s sister, she is two years old. To them, I am their favorite aunty.' She says and then looks down to smile. And then she looks back up to me. 'I want the job, because I need money for college. My parents had to use my college money on some medical expenses. So, I want to show them that I am capable of funding my own way.'

'Ok.' I begin to say, but she cuts me off.

'Mr. Dimochka. I am great with children. I am disciplined. I have my own routine, I never break. I am clean and quiet. Though, I will speak my mind if I need to. I am brutally honest. Yet,. I’m soft and caring. And one thing I loved to do is read stories. And I believe, that’s one thing that a child should have for them. Is someone to read them books.' She says.

I could tell that she was passionate about her books. And I liked that. It was a good quality to have. I especially liked hearing her say that a child should have books read to them. I wanted that for Lilia.

I knew she was young. Younger than what I would have expected. But I thought she sounded like a mature girl. I could see what her friends say about her. She wasn’t a normal seventeen year old girl.

'When can you start?' I asked her. I had decided to give her ago. Because, I couldn’t actually fault her on anything.

'I would say tonight, but it’s a little late. Tomorrow or any day really.' She says. And what I liked is that she didn’t get excited because she was expecting to get the job. And I could tell that she wasn’t pretending to be unaware that I had given her then job. She just didn’t know.

'How about you come around tomorrow, three thirty. I will be around to show you a few things and then I will need to go to work.'

'You’re giving me the job?' She asked, slowly. I could have laugh. Did she expect that she wasn’t going to get the job? Didn't she think she was good enough?

'Did you think I wouldn’t?' I asked. I didn’t get her reaction at all. Most young girls would jump up and start squealing. I have known a few of them. But not Florence. Maybe she was a thirty year old in a girl's body, after all.

'I don’t get my hopes up about anything. Because it leads to disappointment. So, I just wait and see what happens.' She tells me. And now, I was convinced that she wasn’t a normal seventeen year old girl.

'Ok. Well to confirm it, you have the job.' I tell her.

When I confirmed it, I could tell that her eyes were excited. She was happy that she got the job. Yet, she still didn’t jump up and squeal. And I had a feeling that she was going to be just fine, watching my daughter. I didn’t have to worry if she wasn’t going to be good. I could tell that she had something mature about herself.

‘Thank you, Mr. Dimochka.' She says smiling.

I watched as she picked up her glass and finished the water. And then she hoped up, so I stood up with her. What surprised me, is that she took her glass into the kitchen and rinsed it and then placed it on the sink. She didn’t have to do that, but I liked that she did. She was proving that she was clean and a responsible person. I thought she would be, once I heard her say that she stopped going to school parties because she had better things to do other than getting drunk.

Hell, she was nothing like me, when I was her age. I admit that I was going to school parties with my best friend and getting drunk to oblivion. We were still doing it when we went off to university. I wasn’t like it now, but my best friend pretty much still is.

Florence then left. I walked her to the door and we both said good bye and then she walks off to her car. I didn't close the door, until I saw her begin to drive off. Which took a moment. I didn't know what she was doing, but when she hopped into her car, she didn't start her car straight away. But when she did, she took off slowly.

As soon as she drove off, I shut the door. It was only seven thirty. So, it was quite early still. But I have had enough of the day. So, I decided to have a shower and then go to bed. There was nothing else I could do today. I didn't want to do anything else today.