The Weekend Freewrite- 5/12/2018 The Help

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This is my freewrite for the weekend freewrite hosted my @mariannewest. You can find the first prompt of the freewrite here: Weekend Freewrite -5/12/2018 - Part 1 - The First Sentence

This weekend's prompts were very difficult for me but I did manage to create a cute story. I hope you enjoy reading it! If you would like to read more freewrites, be sure to follow the #weekendfreewrite tag on Steemit.com.

The blanket was always left in a big heap after she was done. My father liked that about her. The linens were washed fresh every morning. But that didn’t stop him from complaining about the other chores being left undone.

Selma was from another country. My father told the name to me once. I remember it was a country far away that I had not heard much about. She came here with her mother who resided as the household cook. Mrs. Grande cooked all our meals and Selma tried her best to do the cleaning.

I always wanted to help her, but I wasn’t allowed. My mother rarely even spoke to them herself. She felt there needed to be some boundaries between the family and the help. But I always snuck Selma treats. Any time I would be given cookies for a snack after school, I would bring one to her and we would eat them quietly and smile.

As the years went by we became secret friends as such. My mother and father never noticed that we were communicating, and we never said a word to them about it.

My father finally noticed Selma and I were friends when he was planning a pet movie contest. Although I knew nothing about the movie industry, my father tried his best to help me fit in during the meetings. He had hoped that I would be more interested in the movie making business, but I never did become motivated enough to help.

But I loved animals and he knew this. Hence the contest. It was his way of trying to include me. I appreciated the gesture. I had only hoped to be able to save a few rescues while I promoted the contest. With every flier I would include another that highlighted an animal living at the local shelter; in need of a home.

The puppies always went first along with the kittens, but there was one dog that was never adopted. I decided I would make my own movie with this dog and enter the contest using Selma’s name.

My father looked at me when he reviewed the contest entry and didn’t say a word. He continued in this way until he discovered that he could not doubt one thing. That afternoon he let out a sigh and then smiled. “This is your work.” He said.

I stared at him blankly; not knowing what to say.

“I have to say that this is a great movie. But you know that you can’t win because you are my daughter.”

I didn’t say another word but left the office feeling sad. I had worked very hard on the movie and I had hoped to use the grand prize to help the local shelter. The prize was two hundred-thousand-dollars and a year of free pet supplies from the sponsor of the contest Pets R Us.

Later that week Selma texted me that she had won the contest. She was surprised because she didn’t know I had used her name. I told her I was sorry, but that she should use her prize money to make a better life for herself and her family.

My father and I never spoke about the pet movie contest again, the dog in the movie was adopted, and I became a film editor in his film company. The only time I ever heard him say anything more was when he would tell the new maid, “You just don’t make the bed as well as Selma did.”

The End

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