It's the landlord and her sister, natalie, who lived in the apartment next door. It's more the sister, the thing with the landlord- well that's for another time maybe.
It was obvious that I keep to myself and don't interact a lot with people and the neighbors. As a my closest neighbor, Natalie seemed to worry about the shy guy who usually kept to himself. On the few occasions when I encounter her, she asks about my life and how I manage with different things. I sheepishly answer the questions and if she happens to suggest something to me; I loved her suggestions and did as she said.
Even though our encounters were not frequent, over time she could see I respond well to her and is receptive to her suggestions. She grew more comfortable talking to me, asking more questions and giving more suggestions. She started inviting me to have tea and come for short visits, which I never failed to accept. When at her house, Natalie could see I was very respectful almost revering to her and her sister (the landlord), but I was more open and less meek when the landlord was not present.
As she got used to my company she began asking me to help her with some little things and accompany her for things like grocery shopping. On my visits for tea or dinner, she started asking me to help her with preparations, making tea, setting dishes for cake and sweets and later washing them after all is done.
Over time she started doing less, just watching while I did most of the preparations. She also started asking me to run errands for her, buy her groceries, fetch things and similar things.
It was becoming obvious that I do as she tells me to do. She also started replacing the polite requests (could you please) with more direct instructions (bring me, do this/that). Over a few weeks, I was turning into her personal servant with her demands becoming more frequent and more revealing of my subservience (more cleaning duties, laundry, even more demeaning tasks like bringing her slippers/shoes and helping her put them on).
One evening, she told me to come to her room after I did the dishes. She went to her room and I proceeded with my now regular duties. After I finished I went to her room, knocked and entered to find her lying on her couch reading. She told me to come and sit tapping the couch with her foot to indicate where I should sit. I went and sat down by her feet. She lifted her feet and put them in my lap. After a couple of minutes, without looking at me, she told me to massage her feet, which was, at that point, something I never did before.
Nervously, I started massaging her feet, alternating between her right and left and trying to do a good job with something I'm not experienced with.
