Chapter Six
She prepared honey-soy glazed chicken drumsticks with pomegranate and almond couscous. She made potato wedges and fried beans to serve on the sides. Satisfied with her preparations, she cleaned up the kitchen and then went about cleaning the house too. She arranged Axel's room which was in a mess. Dirty clothes were strewn all over the room. She collected them for washing. She went to Allen's room and found soiled clothes in the laundry basket in the en-suite.
She went to the laundry room to get them washed. After starting a wash cycle, she went upstairs, back to Axel's room, arranged his stuff and vacuumed it. She found some spare bedsheets in the laundry room closet and changed Axel's bedsheets and pillowcases. Happy with her handiwork, she went to Allen's room.
The bed was neatly arranged. She blushed thinking of him sleeping on it. Everytime she looked in it's direction, her mind subconsciously started imagining herself in it, wrapped up in his arms. Blushing to the roots of her hair, she changed his bedsheets and pillowcases too. She vacuumed his room too and went downstairs with the soiled sheets.
She explored the whole house, humming to herself. She felt so comfortable in this house, as if she had been living here forever. She folded the cleaned laundry and kept them in Axel and Allen's room. Then she washed the soiled sheets and pillowcases.
The door clicked open when she was in the laundry room. Checking the wall clock, she saw that it was 2:15 in the afternoon. How time flew by she had no idea? It might be Axel, she thought and walked out of the laundry room.
Axel whistled as he walked in and dumped his backpack on the table in the foyer and walked to the kitchen to get a bottle of orange juice. He opened the cap and was about to drink directly from the bottle, when his eyes fell upon the food at the kitchen counter.
"Yum, delicious," he said, as he went up to the food, kept in casseroles.
"Wash up first, Axel," said Hazel. Axel whirled around on his heels, unable to believe his ears.
"Hazel?" He asked incredulously. Then grinning happily, he said,"You've come to live with us?" He asked, with a wide smile stretched across his face.
"Yes. Now hurry up and freshen up while I serve us lunch. I've been waiting for you," she said with a smile.
"I'll be in a minute," said Axel, keeping the orange juice back, fetching his backpack from the foyer and rushing upstairs to his room.
Hazel started warming the food to be served. The front door clicked open and Allen strode in. He came straight to the kitchen.
Hazel turned around and saw him. He looked so handsome in his black well-tailored suit. He grinned seeing her checking him out,"I'll be down in a minute for lunch," he said. He had hurried with his work, finishing in record time to come home to Hazel. He just couldn't wait to see her, feel her in his arms. He felt oddly excited just at the thought of her. What she would be doing at home? He rushed home and could smell the wonderful aroma of her cooking. It felt like all his life he had been waiting for him.
Axel came down and sat eagerly waiting for his food. "This looks delicious, Hazel," he said, excitedly eyeing his plate as she heaped food onto it. He started tucking in instantly, without wasting a minute.
Hazel served food onto another plate just as Allen rushed in rubbing his hands together excitedly. He too tucked into his food immediately and Hazel chuckled. She served herself and sat down to eat.
"This is the most amazing lunch, ever. Isn't it dad?" Asked Axel and Allen nodded with food in his mouth.
"Dad, can Hazel stay with us forever? Marry her please," said Axel casually just like he was discussing the food.
Hazel's cheeks flushed red at his candid comments. She drank a glass of water to avoid choking. Allen smirked at her and winked at Axel. Father and son shared a look and went back to eating.
"Did you get your math grade results, Axel?" Asked Allen.
"Yes," said Axel in a low voice.
"And?" Asked Allen, looking at him with a serious look on his face.
Axel lowered his eyes. He glanced towards Hazel and kept silent.
Allen kept down his cutlery and stared at Axel. "I'm asking you something, Axel," he repeated.
Axel played with his food. Then looked up at his dad with scared eyes,"I didn't get through but I promise to do better next time," he said with round eyes.
Hazel quietly looked at Allen's angry face. "You say that everytime yet you flunk everytime. Why can't you practice math more?" He said angrily.
"You go for math tuitions everyday. What do you do there?" He shouted at him.
"I don't like it there. They don't teach the concepts well, " Axel said.
"Then you don't need to continue there anymore," said Allen, strictly.
"But I need help, " wailed Axel.
"I can teach you Axel," said Hazel. "I used to teach math in middle and senior school a year back at Travis High," she said and Axel's face brightened up.
"You will teach me Hazel. Then I won't go anywhere else for private tuitions," he said.
Allen calmed down instantly and looked at her, "You will teach him then, Hazel?" H asked hopefully.
"Why not? I would love to. So that's settled there. Enjoy your lunch now," she said and they all again resumed eating.
Axel thanked her when his dad went to the kitchen to get more water. After lunch they both helped Hazel clean up and do the dishes. Axel played with the soap sud in the kitchen sink and Hazel pulled his ears playfully. He grinned and wiped his hands on her apron and ran up to his room, laughing all the way.
Allen lingered in the kitchen. "Thank you for everything that you're doing for us. I know you have cleaned up the whole house, as well as my bedroom," he said, coming closer to her.
"Thank you for having me here, Allen, " she said, and he smiled.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and whispered, "I'll keep you here forever just like Axel said," he said with a wink and left the kitchen to go upstairs to his bedroom.
Hazel stared at him with her mouth hanging open. Did he indirectly hint that he wanted to marry her?
