benevolence

noun

1. the quality of being well meaning; kindness

I moved around on my cold butt, giving her time to have a think about how I saw her. And I had a choice to make too. Try to manipulate her into becoming my crony, what would amount to a glorified slave. Use flowery language, glorified motivational posters. I could probably get exactly what I want out of her for the rest of her life, but I don't want a slave. And I realise that now.

"In my previous life I spent over six months in a mental institute. You know, my own mother put me in there, a horrible, absolutely filthy place. I was only 23 years old. I wasn't even medically insane. When my darling step sister, who orchestrated the whole thing, she came back for me, she got me released, then ran me down and killed me, with my lover at the driving wheel." OK, I'd said too much. I take a deep breath.

"Point is, I know enough psychology to spout out exactly what you want to hear right now, about how when life gives you lemons make lemonade, and bullshit like that... But I'm not going to. I hated being manipulated by almost everyone around me, and I vowed that I wouldn't pull that shit on anyone who wasn't my step sister this time around.

"So, um. Yeah. Don't kill yourself. I have a job waiting for you if you decide to live. OK, That's all." I get ready to stand up and realise I have a problem.

"Oh, actually, not it isn't. Could I bother you to help me get up off the sand? I just had knee surgery three days ago and I'm, ah... I'm stuck." I can't help giggling at my own stupidity.

"Yes, Miss, I can do that." She gets up and stands before me and gently helps me up, hands me my crutch and leads me back to the board walk.

"What's you name, by the way?" she asks in her quiet dry voice.

"I'm Lily Twice. Pleased to meet you. If you have a pen and paper I can give you my number?" When she shakes her head I ask her to accompany me to the car.

"Mum, can you please pass me your business card and a pen?"

"Sure, honey. Here." She passes the pen and card through the open window and I write my name, number and 'Pyrus Projects' on the back.

"If you need anything, place to stay, job, purpose in life, I can offer you this and more. I need an assistant, you see. I'm planning on being very a busy little lady and I need a body guard, an event planner, a secretary and a friend. If you're interested, I'm all yours."

"What I can promise you in return is a very lucrative remuneration package starting at $200,000 a year, which I know is piddly compared to your highest paying contract, but its what I can offer right now, but I hope to increase that to $800,000 within five years."

I pause then wait until she's looking me in the eyes, her scars in deep contract in the light from the car.

"I can also promise you that I will never lie to you. Full stop." I wait until she nods then open the car door and get myself in. She is kind enough to hand me my crutch and close the door on me.

"Home please, Stirling." I've always wanted to say that...

"Who was that, Lily?"

"That is, hopefully, my soon-to-be new assistant. Her name is Ms Palmer and she is amazing. I'm in the process of poaching her from someone else who will become a very successful businessman if I don't poach her first."

"Oh, you. Already making so many plans, its like you're already grown up." She rubs my shoulder and helps me with my seat belt as her driver moves off down the road away from the lake.

"Mum, do you think that I could finish high school early?"

"This is out of the blue. What makes you ask me this?" I'm happy that she is taking me seriously and really listening to me, instead of just brushing me off.

"I've come to realise that I don't need to stay at school any more. I've completed all the credits I'd need to get into the local university, I have a course of action I'd like to take, courses in business and arts, and I have a business ready to start up and the money to run it. I think there is a lot going on for me that going to school would be detrimental to my development at this stage."

"I think we'll have a talk with Wallace about it. I'd prefer you finish the high school year out, but I hear what you are saying."

"Actually, there is a mid year enrolment at the local university that begins in two months. Could I apply for the business and arts faculties there?"

"Double major? Do you think you could pull that off? That's a lot of hard work and study, could you do that and run your start up business as well?"

"I think Wallace might have a better idea of what I'm capable of. Should we pose that question to him and see what he says?"

"That's a good idea. OK, we will tentatively give you two more months of school then get you enrolled at uni. But you have to promise me, no more accidents and jumping over railings or anything."

"Hey, that was completely unplanned."

"I know, honey, but it gave me one hell of a fright. Don't do anything like that again, OK?"

"OK, mum."