Oh, Betty, where are you?

Tertia writes in her blog, So Close, of her kids that needed to see the paediatrician while she was away on a business trip. She organized her father's driver (!) to pick up Rose and the children and take them off to the paedi.

Oh! Sigh! Why didn't I cherish my Meisie / Betty / Katrina more? I remember the day I was catering for a wedding and she phoned me to work to tell me that the dog had jumped on the table demolishing the pork roast, which was already neatly sliced and sauced. I sent her to buy a new one, cook it, garnish it and have it ready by the time I got home to rush to the function. And she did! What about all the times she cooked, cleaned, folded and sorted for me, that I didn't find so spectacular. I even grumbled when the laundry was less than spotless! I was particular about the spider webs BEHIND the toilet. I frowned at the carpet not being 100 % square to the door. What a pain I must have been as an employer!

As a Cleaner, I'm absolutely useless. OK, granted, I do work (teach) full time. (And if any of you have any illusions that teachers work half-day or have holidays, think again.) In NZ we have no Betty, no Rose, no cleaner. I just don't feel comfortable having a strange woman in my house, that is not Betty, or Rose, or Happiness, or Beauty. Djy wiet!

Now this is my predicament. I'm leaving for SA in 2 day's time. The 4 teenagers are staying alone, and I've arranged for a cleaner. Now I've had wonderful cleaners over the years in SA. I've felt comfortable having them inspect my house / scrub the toilets / fold the laundry. My cleaning ladies have become my confidante, my children's other mom, and a trusted friend. I knew what to expect, and knew how to act. And I was never embarrassed my house's lack of cleanliness. I could always blame it on the just-departed Betty / Rose or Happiness.

But now my new cleaner is called Karen de Vos. She sounds really well educated, and speaks Afrikaans, like me. We're on the same social rung! Only I'm a teacher, and she's a professional cleaner. I won't elaborate, but if you're South African, you'll understand my feelings about this! (Of course she'll be getting a professional cleaner's wage, too!)

'Mev. Karen de Vos' is coming to see me on Saturday morning about the job. I'm so nervous. I hope I'll have time to tidy up and clean before she comes! How would you feel in this situation?