Day 2. Appreciate

Roy

"Roy-Boy remember to behave properly, like the gentleman I know you can become." My aunt said to me before I left for Riza's grandparents' house as they had invited me for a swim.

"Of course I will."

"Well, have fun, kiddo."

"Thanks, Aunt."

When I had barely gone a block a car pulled up beside me startling me as I saw Riza opening the door.

"Come on, Roy, get in." She said to me as she moved to give me room.

"Hey, Riza. I appreciate it, but don't think it's a good idea-"

"Don't talk nonsense, boy, come on up." Said Riza's grandfather who was the one driving.

Slightly sheepishly I obeyed. "Thank you very much, sir. Thank you, Riza."

"There's nothing to thank, it's only fair that you guys have a little fun. Besides, you have to take advantage now that my daughter and son-in-law are gone."

Said Riza's grandfather laughing lightly.

I still found it hard to believe that there were people like Riza and her grandparents. In the previous homes we had been in, none of them had treated us that way, although some were not rude, they did make a point of making a difference between them and us.

Suddenly I felt Riza splash me with water in the pool, snapping me out of my reverie. "Come on, Roy!" She said laughing. I couldn't help but laugh and just as I was about to return the favor I stopped dead in my tracks. Causing her to look at me confused. "What's the matter, Roy?"

"I don't think it's proper for me to splash water on you, after all you are the daughter of my aunt's bosses."

"Roy, we are at my grandparents' house. It doesn't matter who we are here. Besides, we're friends, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are, but-"

"But nothing. Remember my grandfather said this day was for us to have fun, so let's do it. You can splash me with water and I can do the same. Unless you don't want to..."

She said worriedly at last.

"Of course I want to, it's just that it's my first time hanging out with my aunt's bosses daughter and I don't want to mess up."

"Were they that difficult?" She asked me.

"Most of them, yeah. Some treated me like I was a pest or something."

I didn't know how I could talk to Riza freely, but I really didn't feel uncomfortable. "One time, one of the kids who was a little younger than me broke a very expensive vase and blamed it on me." I ducked my head. "I tried to defend myself but in the end they didn't believe me, they said I was a liar, ungrateful, that because of me my aunt and I would have to leave that house." I swallowed a knot as I remembered that moment. "My aunt lost her job but she believed me, she told me not to feel guilty..."

I felt Riza's hand on my arm. "But you feel responsible for it, don't you?"

I nodded. "Sometimes I feel like I'm just a burden to her, because of me she sometimes gets denied work, that's why I try to do my best to help her and not give her trouble." The words flowed, including a few tears which I wiped away immediately. "I'm sorry." I felt her hug me.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Roy and you shouldn't feel that way either." I lifted my head and met her auburn gaze. "Your aunt loves you very much, Roy, of that there is no doubt so she would never consider you a burden. You are her only family just as she is to you. Believe me when I tell you that you're a good boy, I've never met someone my age who helped his family so much. You're great, Roy, no doubt about it and I really appreciate having you as a friend." She said with a smile.

Without knowing how, I hugged her. "I really appreciate having you as my friend too, Riza." We broke away from the hug. "I've never met a girl like you before that allowed me to live with her as equals." I smiled. "Thank you for being my friend, Riza."

"Thank you for being my friend, Roy." She said smiling at me. "Now, come on, let's enjoy this day." Again she splashed me with water and swam a little to get away from me. This time I chased after her and splashed water.

We spent the next couple of hours playing in the pool, laughing and enjoying each other's company until we got tired and Riza's grandparents treated us to sandwiches and lemonade. When we finished and taking advantage of the nice weather, I laid down on the grass under the shade of a tree.

"Come, Riza. Lie down for a while, you'll see it's very nice." I invited her, I wasn't sure if she would accept but I had to try. I must admit I was surprised when she lay down next to me.

She turned her face to look at me. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

I laughed lightly. "If I'm honest, I thought you wouldn't. You know, a lot of girls like you are taught that this isn't very appropriate."

"Well, you see I do, although I must admit it's been a long time since I've done it. Maybe when I was five or so and I was just doing it with my grandparents." She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes. "I'd forgotten how nice this was. Thanks for reminding me, Roy."

"Anytime, Riza. My pleasure." I said smiling before mimicking Riza and closing my eyes.

It really had been one of the best days of my life, I couldn't help but be grateful to have a friend that I really appreciated. I hoped that in the future I could spend more moments like this with her.

When I woke up, it was because I started to feel itchy in my nose, when I opened my eyes I found Riza laughing and holding a dandelion in her hand which she had obviously used to wake me up.

"Come on, sleepyhead. We need to take a shower before we head home."

I stretched a little to wake myself up before standing up. "How long did I sleep?"

"A couple of hours. Me too, not long after I woke up."

After taking a quick shower, Riza's grandfather insisted that he would drive us back and that he wouldn't accept protests, but that he would do it after we had dinner. Since dinner was still an hour away, Riza took me to the living room where her grandparents had a beautiful piano. She sat down, invited me to sit next to her and began to play a little.

"Do you play?" She asked me when she finished a song.

"I haven't for a long time. My dad taught me when I was very little."

"Really?"

"Yes, he used to play in some restaurants and since we didn't have a piano at home, he would rehearse in those places and take me with him."

"You have a lot of hidden talents." She said smiling at me.

"The same goes for you."

"Come on, play with me."

At first I was having a hard time keeping up with Riza because of my lack of practice, but after a few minutes the music again flowed into my being as it did with my father. We began to duet and teach each other melodies that the other didn't know, before we knew it, Riza's grandparents had entered the room and were listening and applauding our performances.

From that day on, my friendship with Riza had been cemented and whenever we could we would spend time together, help each other with our homework and play jokes on each other. As the years went by we only became better friends, she didn't mind that I was her housekeeper's nephew and with some work and much prodding from Riza, I stopped seeing her as the bosses daughter and simply saw us as equals.

As Riza's 16th birthday was approaching, I started doing the math and thinking seriously about giving her a special gift. There was no doubt that I was very fond of her and I knew that for girls the 16th birthday was a very important one. Obviously, being an only child and heir to her parents' fortune, they were throwing her a huge party to be held in the big yard of their house. All the servants, including me, would be uniformed and attending the event.

Fortunately for me and at the suggestion of Riza's grandparents, Riza's parents had started giving me a small salary for helping with different chores around the house, which was helping me and my aunt save up for college which was getting closer and closer, but I didn't mind taking a portion of those savings to buy a gift for my friend. It probably wouldn't compare to the ones she would receive from her family and guests at her party, but I was sure she would like it because it came from me, but I still had no idea what to get her.

"What are you doing, Roy-Boy? I thought you were finishing your homework."

My aunt said to me as she entered our room.

"I already finished it, I'm looking on the internet for some gift ideas."

My aunt smiled. "You know Riza will like any gift you give her."

"I know, but I still want it to be special."

He looked into my eyes. "Roy-Boy, are you in love with Riza?" She asked me seriously.

"In love? Nah, she's just my best friend." I had never thought about it but I couldn't deny that internally that question had moved me.

She looked at me incredulously. "Why haven't I heard you going around with some girl from your school? Because young man you're not going to deny to me that you have followers."

I smiled sideways. It was true, some girls from my classroom and even from other grades had asked me out on dates but I just wasn't interested so I always turned them down. "Because dating isn't something I'm interested in right now. You know I spend my time studying and working here, so there's not much time for that."

I noticed my aunt grimace. "Roy, you know you don't need to work. With what I'm earning we can spend it and save little by little for your studies."

I felt guilty, obviously I hadn't expressed my point correctly. "I'm sorry, Aunt. I didn't mean it that way. I really appreciate everything you do for me, but I want to help you. I know studying for a degree is expensive and you've already sacrificed a lot of things for me-"

"Don't talk nonsense, boy. You're my nephew, my only family and obviously I'm always going to be there for you. Everything I do is because I want to not because I have to."

I smiled slightly, I couldn't help but be thankful that even though the universe had given me a rather difficult test by leaving me an orphan, it had given me such a wonderful aunt as the one I had.

"Thank you, really. But I still want to help, after all I was already used to be helping my parents in one way or another . Besides if I keep busy I stay out of trouble."

My aunt laughed. "You've got a good point there." She smiled. "I couldn't ask for a better nephew, kind of giddy but with a good heart."

I got up from my bed and hugged her. "And I couldn't have asked for a better aunt." We hugged for a moment before parting. She looked me up and down. "What's wrong?"

"Roy-Boy, you keep stretching too fast. Those pants don't fit you anymore." She ran her hand through my hair. "And you need another cut already. Over the weekend we'll go get a new pair of pants and when we get back I'll cut that hair off." Just as I was about to reply she stopped me. "And I don't take complaints."

"Okay, thanks."