I just reminded a new maid something that is quite strange and very queer:
"you may not greet us at all times of the day" I said.
Is this irritation part of growing old?
She greets us "GOOD MORNING SIR/ MAM!" and that starts off our day jumpy and out of sorts as we move to the next moment of the day when she greets us another resounding GOOD MORNING MAM/SIR when we bump into her after a few steps. And she would demand a full attention and contact as she tries to search your face to catch your eyes.
Isn't she the happiest lark in town? The day is further punctuated with a noon, afternoon and evening greetings and not to mention the ones in between if you happen to be around.
She is 51, in great shape and quite handsome for a woman her age.
She loves to hang onto the grills of the full length windows holding on to a bar or whatever slot she can hang on to with one hand, while she washes the windows with the other one like a monkey wearing red. Except that she is also doing a Hathaway purposefully. This she does without paying attention to her chore and while she seeks our gaze in case it meets hers. This is now what I call a regular window show that she happens to do during mealtime, when everyone is just hanging around in the living room or while relaxing on the bridge.
"you may not clean the windows. Ramil does that once a month" I said.
She sweeps while we are eating if she is not fixing my spoon and fork each time I put them down or spot checks the glasses while we are about to bring them up to our lips!
"Thank you. You may leave us while eating. We can do this by ourselves" I said.
While in the middle of a delicate and heated meeting with my Admin team, where minds and perceptions clashed and while I was obviously not pleased, she came smiling and said, " KAKAIN NA MAM!" very coquettishly.
I almost had her for lunch and I wanted to eat her alive but only managed to say this very, very angrily, "do not do that again while we are having a meeting!!!!!!!"
A RIFA Christmas Party was held in our place the other day. Macho Coaches and Sports Directors from Metro Manila schools came. Some with arthritis and gout. Others with diabetes, heart condition, high blood pressure and alzheimers. Athletes of long gone era, EAThletes now.
Before that I gave her a brief orientation.
"Just greet once. Not loud. Stay out of their way. We are not in an entertainment business. You are not a hospitality girl. Your work is before and after the party" I said.
(When I first met her, without asking, she told me: "hindi ako mahilig Mam." I am not really sure what she meant by that.)
She did alright with the greeting. Managed to bat eyelashes as she moved around, asked a guest who just arrived what she will do with a tray of glasses (with a hi-hi-hi sir) she was carrying, just to break the ice. She wore perfume!!
Did partly as told, she was busy after lunch was served. She stayed in the garden where the buffet table was and ate while the coaches resumed their working Christmas party.
She ate
and ate
and ate
and ate
and ate
and ate
and ate
and ate as the December breeze blew her hair while she struck a pose.
Everyone who came to help were watching her from the kitchen in her moment of abandon and pure delight. I watched her from the kitchen too.
I did not say anything.
to be continued
