Now her eyes were closed and obscured, but she did not have the will to stand up, did not have the strength to run—she was lying in a half-conscious state, wanting only one thing: to die. Only one thought still trembled in her like a life—the thought of God which was born of her unspoken prayer.
That evening, Lisa went to the bus to go to her friend, Lena.
The car moved. Lisa looked out the window and tried to hold back tears. All that had happened in those year touched her deeply.
She was just a babysitter from a poor country, no more and no less. Her dream was the only thing she had in her life.
37
Wednesday morning was welcomed with open arms.
After Lisa's so-called “family” had kicked her out of their home, she was naturally shaken. She had done so much work for that family. She was diligent, even when they were unappreciative of all the hard work she put in. They simply tossed her aside, like none of it ever mattered to them. They had done nothing but take advantage of her kindness, her hard work, her obedience. They took advantage of her in general.
Lisa knew that negative energy was better left in the past. But, she had to stick it out until the year was over and her au pair program had finally come to a finish. Lisa knew she couldn't expect a happy ending. She expected nothing less than sadness and misery. But, at least it was over. She could hold some shred of happiness just knowing it was behind her now. She was moving forward. She was finally free.
Of course, she had every thought for happy ending, especially at the beginning of the program. She had come to the country with positive thoughts and an open mind. She was going to take the opportunity to learn about a culture that was different from her own. She was going to meet people, pick up the local language and hopefully make some friends. Then, she was going to go sight-seeing before she went home. As the year passed, her hopes and dreams began to slowly fade. But she did manage to make a friend.
Today was the day she would finally be united with her friend Lena. She had booked a bus ride to the city where Lena was staying. She was also an au pair, but had better luck because she had found a supportive and caring family to stay with. Unlike Lisa, who had been through two homes, both of which were awful experiences. She had counted down the days until her contract was ended.
Now, the day was here. Her bus boarded in the evening, and she her destination was clear: freedom. While she was on the bus, traveling to her destination, she opened her laptop. She booked her long-awaited flight to Paris. When she was finished booking her flight, she closed her computer back up. She rested her head against the window and stared out at the passing roads. She did her best to hold back the tears and the last year played over in her mind. She had been through so much. It started with the binding contract that she couldn't get herself out of. Then continued into long working hours that seemed endless, leaving her with no time for herself. She had to work for ungrateful and thankless host parents, as a slave to spoiled children who knew nothing about the value of money or time. She was supposed to be a member of the family, that was the agreement. But her host parents never saw it that way. She was never their equal, never a part of the family. When she tried to do anything for herself, they complained she was spoiled. She felt like was imprisoned for the entire year she lived in that house. Like a bird, trapped in a cage. It was just a nightmare. Her heart grew heavier as each day passed, until she felt like she could no longer go on.
But even through the hardships, Lisa never let her dream die. It was the only thing she had in life, a direction and a purpose. She came close a few times, feeling fed up and hopeless. But, she always believed she would be able to do what she wanted; Visit Paris. It was the big dream she had, sight-seeing and taking pictures of the Eiffel tower. Walking around the streets of Paris, going to different bakeries and trying different dishes.
Lisa felt herself smiling, despite the year that tried to destroy her. She rose above. She overcame. Now, she was heading to Lena. She was free. That freedom she had held close to her heart, the only reason she pushed through each day. Now, she finally had it in her grasp. No one was telling her what she could or couldn't do. No one bossing her around. No chores or schedules. No screaming children or nagging adults. She was able to live her own life for the one person she should have been living for: herself.
Lisa was happy when she finally arrived in the village where Lena was staying. Lena didn't know how lucky she was to have found such a great family. Her host family was so nice, they weren't even bothered by letting Lisa stay in their home. They were friendly, to Lena and even Lisa. They were also appreciative of everything Lena did for them. For Lena, it was more like a real family. They did treat her like an equal. Of course, she still had chores to do. She was an au pair and that was part of the agreement. They would leave Lena a list of everything that had to be done in a day. It was usually washing the floors, cleaning the carpets, and cooking for the children. Both of the host parents were busy, since they owned a restaurant together. They spent a good deal of time there, leaving Lena at home. While Lisa was staying with the family, she did the best she could to help out. She went to the restaurant with the parents and helped however she could, washing dishes mostly. This was her way of showing her gratitude for the family letting her stay there. The least she could do was help out. When she wasn't at the restaurant, she was the home with Lena, helping with the chores and the children. Lisa enjoyed the time she lived with this family. They were always happy to have the help. Unlike the families Lisa had stayed with, this family spent quality time together. They even cooked together each night. It was a nice change, from what Lisa had been used to.
The host family was very nice, even letting Lisa stay with them. They were friendly and appreciative.
She lived there with the family for two weeks, while Lena finished her au pair contract. After the two weeks were finished, Lisa and Lena got to take their dream trip.to Paris. Finally together and finally free.
The host family was very nice,and Lisa enjoyed getting to live with the family.
They lived in a beautiful home surrounded by skyscrapers. Lisa was allowed to live with this family while her friends finished up her program.
Finally, Lisa got to take her trip to Paris with Lena at her side.
It took a long time to get where she was. But finally, she could breathein the smell of the flowers. She was able to look into the windows of the shops she strolled by. She was able to smell the fragrances of the bakery and an assortment of expensive perfumes.
There was another smell Lisa had long awaited.
It was the smell of freedom.
Lisa went walking through the fields. She headed in the direction of the Tower. It had been flirting with her over time. Often surrounded by hundreds of lights. She knew before her visit that the Tower was tall and monumental. But now that she was standing in front of it, she was speechless. She tried to capture the beauty before her with her camera. She took a trip to the top of the Tower and snapped pictures of the city she was looking over.