I passed my high school final exams. I got 80% in Polish, 95% in English, and 60% in history. I didn't think so when I saw the results. But I still wasn't going to college. At least not yet. I had practically no chance of getting into my dream acting program anyway. My father was furious when I told him I was going to the States for a year to work as an au pair. My mother was even pleased. She claimed I'd improve my language skills, experience a different culture, and so on. A kind, middle-aged woman with incredibly bright eyes told me I could choose the state I wanted to go to. Then she added that if I wanted, there was the option of going to Hawaii, because there were American families looking for nannies there, too. I didn't hesitate. Hawaii was absolutely fine. And so it began. A whole new chapter in my life.
I learned that the family I was going to had one child: a two-year-old boy. His mother was Hawaiian and his father American. Their name rang a bell. Holloway. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember where I knew it from.
First, four days of training in New York, then a flight to an airport with the exotic name Kona. From there, either the child's father or mother would pick me up. We were supposed to go straight to their home in some small, luxurious town called Waikoloa. Yes, the woman in the office said the family I'd be going to was wealthy. Cool, I thought, all the better. But on the other hand, they might be rich jerks who would treat me like dirt. The woman with the light eyes must have read the apprehension on my face, because she smiled and assured me in a soft voice that I would definitely like this family. There was something mysterious about it all. Great.
The training was okay. I met a few girls who were also going to be au pairs. One I liked the most was from Pakistan, named Syliqa. Her English was much weaker than mine, which gave me a little courage. Although I'm not one to shy away from new situations, I was starting to feel anxious. On the day of departure, I couldn't swallow anything, my hands sweating mercilessly. I leaned against the sink in the airport bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror. "Calm down," I repeated like a mantra, "everything will be okay. You love a challenge." My fair, freckled complexion seemed so unreal when I looked at it. Like I was dreaming. I ran a comb through my long red hair and applied brown mascara to the lashes that framed my green eyes. "It'll be okay." I took a deep breath and boarded the plane.
She was waiting for me with her baby and a sign with my name on it. Before approaching her, I looked at her carefully. She was short, very slim, and very pretty. Her hair resembled that from a shampoo ad. Shiny, long, and jet-black. You wanted to touch it. The boy was beautiful. His Hawaiian-American features were visible. His hair was as black as his mother's. Finally, I approached them hesitantly.
"Are you Magda?" she asked in English, slightly distorting my name.
"Yes, that's me," I said, and smiled sincerely. She seemed very nice.
"Aloha," she greeted me and smiled back. I was a head taller than her, though just as slim as she was. I crouched down to greet James.
"How are you?" I asked, but he hid in his mother's flowing dress—he's shy—don't worry. I'm sure you'll get along quickly.
We were riding in a black Freelander. I've always been passionate about this brand of car, so it was a pleasant surprise. I told her, and she was thrilled. Overall, we got along very well. I knew right then that we were going to be friends. I also said that her last name meant something to me. She smiled and said she thought I knew her husband, Josh, was an actor. And he stars in the TV series LOST. Honestly, it took me by surprise. That's why they needed a nanny: Josh had landed a role in a new movie and would rarely be home. And Yessicka would have company. Every day, while she went to work, I would take care of James.
The house was amazing. Huge and luxurious, but not overly so. Whoever decorated it had a knack for it. I got a room on the first floor with a view of a hill with a cascading waterfall. I was thrilled. It was an incredible situation. I felt like my deepest dreams were coming true. I mentioned this when I called my parents. They were happy for me, at least Mom was. Dad was probably still a little angry... He'll get over it.
After I talked to my parents and took a shower in my bathroom, I went downstairs.
Yessicka was playing with James in the kitchen. I learned that Josh was meeting his agent in a city I can't remember the name of. He was supposed to be there for dinner, and the next day he was flying to California. To Hollywood. Yeah...
Yessicka showed me the rooms. There were pictures of them together on the shelves here and there. "Josh is handsome," I thought. I remembered him from that show. It aired in Poland once. I watched every episode. I was 17 then. Who would have thought that now...
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