1 A Twinkle in His Eye

It was the most beautiful sight Wyn had ever seen. The sparkling, iridescent fireworks in the night sky captivated him. The vibrant and dramatic lights engraved themselves in his eye, and he found himself unable to peel his eyes away from the spectacular sight.

His mind was a blur of wonderment and awe. In those short moments when the fireworks burned against the twinkling night sky, Wyn felt as nothing mattered. For a brief moment, the universe consisted of only him and the dazzling lights in the sky.

"Hey, stop staring."

A deep and husky voice pulled Wyn out of his reverie. In an instant, the charming and enthralling world that consisted of only Wyn and the fireworks melted away, and the real world reappeared around him.

Wyn's reality was a world away from his imagination.

He glanced at his friend, Eddie—a tall, swarthy and bespectacled young man with gleaming blue eyes—and sighed heavily.

"I was having such a good daydream, Eddie," Wyn said, clearly annoyed. "Why did you have to ruin it for me?"

"Those fireworks aren't for us," Eddie said curtly. "They are for them…"—Eddie gestured towards the dozens of people surrounding them— "and we will never be one of them."

Wyn glanced at the impeccably-dressed individuals surrounding him, whose status and position in the world was far from his, and pondered over Eddie's words.

The fireworks that briefly lit up the dark, night sky were set off in celebration of a rich young boy's birthday, an act that Wyn could never imagine happening for himself, for unlike the well-dressed people that surrounded him, Wyn was of a different status and a heavily contrasting world.

Wyn was a servant of the Ainsley family, a wealthy clan of English nobility. He was primarily the manservant of Alphonse Ainsley, the young master of the family. Alphonse was celebrating his 18th birthday that night, and a party was underway in Ainsley Manor—the Ainsleys' family mansion—where dozens of affluent and entitled guests came together to celebrate the birthday of the son of the richest man in Springton.

As a servant of the Ainsleys, Wyn had been tasked to work the party that was held in the large yard of Ainsley Manor. He had been at work for the entire day, first decorating the yard, then dusting the huge mansion with other servants, and finally working the party at night. For the entire day, Wyn had been dressed in a clever but tight polyester server uniform, with a suffocating vest wrapped around his chest and a neat bowtie placed around his neck. Though he was better dressed for the party than on other occasions, he found himself incomparable to the dozens of aptly-dressed guests that he stood behind.

The people present at the party were decked in fancy and opulent attire. The women were dressed in sequins and silk dresses, their necks and wrists adorned with gold and silver jewellery, while the men wore leather and lambskin clothing, their patterned silk ties embellished with glistening tie bars made of gemstones and pearls.

The outfits and accessories they wore were a luxury Wyn could never imagine owning.

As Wyn compared the cost of the outfit he wore to the value of the clothes the guests donned, he realised that Eddie was right. He would never be able to dress in their grandiose ensemble, but his life, though not as lavish or comfortable than the guests that surrounded him, would change for the better very soon.

Wyn turned his head and looked at Eddie with a curious grin. "Perhaps."

"You're strange, Wyn," Eddie said. "You've been surprisingly chipper these past fewweeks. Are you experiencing a midlife crisis?"

Wyn laughed, almost too loudly. "Why would I be experiencing a midlife crisis if I'm happy?"

"Exactly," Eddie emphasized. "Why are you happy? Our lives are horrible."

"Well, I don't know about your life, but my life…" Wyn was interrupted by the sharp and clear chink of a metal spoon making contact with a champagne glass.

The fireworks in the sky disappeared, and almost immediately, everyone's attention turned to Alanis Ainsley—father of Alphonse and patriarch of the Ainsley family—the man who had tapped his half-filled champagne glass with a metal spoon.

Alanis, a grey bearded man with a square jaw and a stern face, stood on a wooden platform stage—erected in the yard specifically for Alphonse's 18th birthday celebration—next to his tall, white son.

Alanis waited until everyone had their eyes on him before speaking.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," his firm and authoritative voice commanded the silence of the audience. "I thank each and every one of you here tonight for gracing us with your presence, and for celebrating my son's birthday with us," his eyes roamed across the yard, addressing each dignified and distinguished guest with a respectful smile.

"It is with great sadness that I announce our pleasurable celebration has come to an end with the wonderful fireworks display you have just witnessed," Alanis paused for a moment for dramatic effect. "As most of you might know, the 18th year of an Ainsley man is an important time period in their lives. It is the year where they will ascend the ranks and try their hand out at the family business," Alanis glanced at his son, who nodded his head and smiled at his father's words deferentially. "It is with great joy that I announce that Alphonse will be filling up a Junior Executive position at the company beginning this Fall."

Courteous cheers and claps echoed throughout the crowd. Wyn watched with an an interested eye as Alphonse, who stood quiet and obsequious next to Alanis, exchanged glances surreptitiously with Grace, a fellow servant of Wyn's working the party as a waitress. Though there appeared to be a conscientious and dutiful smile on Alphonse's face, Wyn could tell through his years-long knowledge of serving Alphonse's every whim and impulse that he was anything but pleased with the announcement. In fact, through his intense and sad blue eyes, Wyn could ascertain that Alphonse was frightened and dispirited.

By 10 o'clock, the celebration of Alphonse's 18th birthday had come to an end. While the Ainsleys retreated to their respective bedchambers to rest, the servants slaved away into the night. After ushering the guests out of the mansion, Wyn and his fellow servants got to removing the decorations in the yard, cleaning up the mess and dirt, and polishing the glasses and plates that they had been used.

It was an extremely exhausting day, but unlike his friends, Wyn was ebullient and as fresh as a daisy. His friends were baffled. They did not know how he could have so much energy and spirit.

Wyn had been curiously vague when asked. He would shirk their questions off with a smile, confusing the lot further. He had a constant twinkle in his eyes, for he had a secret, something that could relieve him of current situation and change his life forever...