Housemaid for a Week

by Monica Graz

a true account with some elements of fiction

 

PROLOGUE

Last Christmas I had a unique experience working as a housemaid for a week in a Victorian mansion in Melbourne which belongs to family friends that know and eagerly accept my ‘domestic situation’.

A few words as a prologue, to explain my ‘domestic situation’. For a long time now I work as part time maid/housewife in my own house! It is a mutual agreement with my wife/employer and we both benefit from it. Every morning she goes out to work and I stay home to catch up with my daily chores, properly uniformed and firmly tied to an apron!

I work as a home based free lancer, and somehow I manage to have enough time to keep house, plus maintain all the other activities of a normal housewife, like shopping and other outside errands, cooking etc.

For the majority of people we live a conventional life of a married couple, since the conservative society of the town we live, somewhere in Europe, wouldn’t accept our somehow ‘eccentric’ lifestyle. But when we visit Australia, usually once per year to spent Christmas with relatives and friends, things are more easy going and I always manage to work as a maid for a day or two in our friends’ mansion, the ones that are aware of my ‘domestic situation’.

This time though I was in for a double surprise, disappointing and exciting at the same time. We arrived in Melbourne two weeks before Christmas. The second day of our arrival, still recovering from jet lag, my wife Patricia, or Pat as she likes to be called, announced to me that she was going on her own to the Australian tropical north for a week, to participate at an international convention, concerning her work. I certainly was very disappointed, because all along we were planning to do that trip together and I was looking forward to visit one of the unique parts of the country. I sort of complained to her, but she cut me short saying that she just found out that expenses were paid only for the participant and not for the spouse and there was no way to afford the extra expense.

But before I had the chance to recover from this mild shock, the second surprise came. In a very easy going manner she said to me, "Well, don’t worry dear MG, I organized something equally exciting for you." She calls me MG, referring to the initials of my femme name. She always calls me that way when alone and I am not the maid, because when I am, I am simply Monica!

She could see that I was dying to hear what she had in mind, so she continued, "I have arranged for you to spend that week with my good friend Melissa Burns and her husband Paul. You know them both well and Melissa needs some help around the house, Christmas is coming and her helper is in hospital for an urgent operation. In fact she sounded quite desperate on the phone, she is going to have a big Christmas party and the house is apparently in a total mess. And you know how big and difficult this house is!"

Indeed, I knew this house very well. Several times in the past we have been there as guests in formal or informal gatherings and also on a number of occasion I helped with the housework.

But this time was different. Being Melissa’s maid for a whole week! My stomach started to flicker in a manner so familiar to me, when something really exciting was about to happen. But how was I to cope with Paul Burns, whom I know only as a friend, though during their recent visit to our town he saw me dressed and acting as a maid. I have to admit here, that I still do not feel very relaxed and confident in the presence of a male, even when ‘I know’ that ‘he knows’.

My wife, as if reading my thoughts continued, "Melissa said to me that you shouldn’t worry very much about Paul’s presence in the house, he is in the middle of preparing an exhibition for immediately after Christmas and he practically spends all his time in his studio."

I must mention here that Paul Burns is a very well known painter in Australia and his paintings are very much in demand. His studio is in a separate part of the plot in which their house is built and you have to cross a lovely garden to reach it. I know, when he works he is in his own world and he often sleeps in the studio.

My wife continued, "So, you must be at Melissa’s tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock. Don’t take any outer clothing, except of course what you will wear to go there, something simple like your shorts, a T-shirt and runners. But of course you take your lovely lingerie."

She paused there and looked at me meaningfully. We both knew that for years now my underwear is panties and pretty vests and pantyhose and the occasional bra and waist cincher under my maid’s uniforms at home. So the message was clear. No male clothing at Melissa’s house. Second and bigger exciting flicker in my stomach!

Somewhere there our conversation ended. The last words of my wife in a hardly concealed ironical tone were, "Have fun darling, I am sure Melissa will make good use of you and for a change you can understand what it means to be a real maid in a house other than yours!"

 

DAY 1

The next morning at eight o’clock I was in the bus, on my way to a house where I was going to work as a maid for a whole week! It was a bright Tuesday morning, ten days before Christmas and summer was at it’s peak at this part of the world. My wife had gone very early to the airport and I was sitting in my seat carrying a small canvas bag with all my ‘personals’ inside. I must admit here that I sneaked in my bag my ‘white swan’ black uniform dress and my half white round apron and cap that I carried all the way from home, hoping that Melissa would give me a chance to use them. I had no idea what was in store for me, except for the fact that I probably would have to work very hard. But housework never worried me, on the contrary I was a very committed ‘house worker’, once the apron was firmly tied around my waist.

As the bus was moving along the tree lined boulevards of Melbourne I was thinking about the house I was going, not as a guest or even a visitor, but as a mere servant! It was an old Victorian house standing in the middle of a large plot of land. At one end of the land, Paul’s studio was located. Though it was in the inner suburbs, the nearby houses were at a distance and the surrounding fence was quite high cutting all views from intruders or passers by, an ideal place for a live in male maid.

Ten minutes before nine I was standing in front of the large gate, but I waited until nine o’clock sharp before ringing the bell. Immediately I heard the barking of the Burns’ huge rottweiler Bruno, as he was running towards the gate. I was slightly afraid of that dog, but he certainly knew me by now.

And then I heard Melissa’s melodic voice, "Come now Bruno, don’t bark at our new maid, it’s MG, remember him, he is going to do lots of things around the house".

She let me in and after an initial hug because I hadn’t seen her for a whole year, said rather bluntly, "Follow me please, you are not a guest now or a visitor, so I will take you through the servants’ entrance. This is going to be your way in and out during your stay here." The familiar stomach flickering again, Melissa was starting in a very firm manner.

From the servants’ entrance we crossed a small corridor with two doors. The left door was leading to the laundry room and the right door to a small spare room. We came in to a large and pleasantly arranged kitchen, which I knew very well from before. In the middle of the room there was a table with four chairs. Melissa sat in one of them and said to me, " Put the kettle on, you can make some coffee and I will explain to you everything". I started making the coffee, I could remember where everything was. I immediately noticed a huge pile of unwashed dishes, pots and pans in the sink and around it. That’s probably from where I am going to start, I thought.

As soon as I served the coffee, Melissa motioned me to sit down in a chair opposite her and she started talking at once, "I will come straight to the point. You are going to spend a week in this house as a maid, whatever that entails. You have to act as a proper servant, properly uniformed of course. I know that you are experienced in housework, but it is not going to be the same like when you work at your house under the rather lenient supervision of my friend Pat."

She posed for a minute to have a sip of her coffee and as she was getting ready to continue, a sudden thought crossed her mind, because she instantly said, "Before we continue, I want you to go to the maid’s room opposite the laundry room, which is going to be your room during your stay here. In a small closet you will find a blue striped cotton uniform dress and a matching work apron. Put them on and come back here. Be sure that you have a bra on and a waist cincher, I trust you brought some with you. You will find also black pantyhose and low heel shoes. Come back here properly dressed please and then I will feel more in the mood to deal with my new maid!" And with a rather majestic motion of her hand she dismissed me.

I came back ten minutes later, feeling rather foolish, because with no wig and make up on I felt half dressed. I had to admit though that everything fitted to perfection, she probably got my measurements from Pat. The dress was buttoning down fully in front and had two large pockets. A white braid was decorating the collar, the short sleeves and the pockets, a standard symbol for a maid’s dress. But the unusual garment was the apron, large and practical, but pretty also. It was rounded and ‘double faced’, if I can use this expression. One side was made of the same material like the uniform dress, the other side was white thin vinyl. Large ruffles were edging the apron skirt and the shoulder straps. I was wearing it as a matching one to the dress, but I wasn’t sure if that was the right way.

Melissa looked at me rather amused, but this time she didn’t ask me to sit down, she simply continued talking, "You look very neat in your uniform Annie!" She saw the questioning look in my face, because she immediately added, "I am afraid that your name will be Annie during your stay in this house, I think the name Monica is far too pretentious for a maid and I can add that the name Annie brings back fond memories to me. That was the name of the Filipino maid my parents employed when I was a young girl ."

I was quite taken by Melissa’s attitude, what a change from the lady I knew socially as a family friend. Now she decided to give me the name of the Filipino maid of her youth. I felt a sinister pleasure though. The fact that I was given a new name reminded me of the stories I was reading about Victorian and Edwardian maids. Their employers were usually changing their name to something more ‘appropriate’ according to them of course.

She continued her small speech in her assertive manner, "You probably wonder why I didn’t make you look more feminine with a wig on etc. The answer is simple and it is for your own benefit. We are in the middle of summer, it is hot and you are going to do lots of heavy menial jobs. You will be sweaty and dirty, imagine how uncomfortable and ridiculous you would look with make up and wig on, after all why to hide the fact that you are a male maid. Of course if visitors come to the house or when we go out, I will make you look more ‘convincing’".

When I heard the possibility of going out, for the first time I managed to open my mouth, "But Melissa, do you think it is wise to go out in public dressed like this?, What if..."

She cut me short with her hand and with a slight annoyance in her voice she said,

"To begin with I am not Melissa for you anymore, you will address me as Ma’am at all times, or Mrs Burns to other people. As for going out in your present position, it is entirely up to me to decide and I think the odds are against you. But I think it is about time to start working. Today it will be an adaptation day to your new status and I will keep you busy with general housework. You will start in the kitchen, I want this room spotless at all times, then you will take care of our bedroom, vacuum, change the sheets, and dust very thoroughly.

By that stage it will be lunch time, you will have a break and I will tell you what comes next. I am sure you remember where everything is, but I will be around and you can ask me for anything you don’t know."

She finally stopped talking and she gave me a look, as I was standing rather uncomfortably in the middle of the room, playing with the edge of my apron. That reminded her of something, because she said with a smile, "If you wonder about your apron, you can wear it both ways, that is when you do the dishes or any other messy and splashy job you can use the vinyl side, in any other occasion you wear it as part of your uniform, as a matching one. And since we are talking about aprons, I always want you to have one on, when on duty. Also you will find some triangle headscarves in your room. Put one on to protect your hair, at a later stage we might introduce a nice maid’s cap. Now off you go, time to start working!"

Feeling rather crashed, but also very excited after this imperious speech, I scurried to my room to get a headscarf and go back to attack the kitchen. My first day of ‘real service was about to start!

An hour later I was finishing my work in the kitchen, wiping thoroughly the counter tops, when Melissa came in for an inspection. I turned around slightly startled and in a completely spontaneous manner, that took even me by surprise, I gave a timid curtsey.

She looked at me half amused, half surprised and said, "I think you are an even bigger sissy than I initially thought. That suits me fine, it gives me an opportunity to explore your feminine submissive side to a point that your wife never really did. You are lucky in a way, if Pat was a different person you would have been a permanent maid by now and not the easy going part time maid-housewife she allows you to be. But of course this is not for me to decide, it is her life and your life and the delicate balance between you two!"

She said it all with an arrogance and determination that I never detected on her when we were mixing socially. She obviously is one of those, not so rare women finally, that when they have the chance they love to take the upper hand and dominate.

She interrupted my thoughts by saying, "As soon as you finish the kitchen you make some fresh coffee and I want you to take a cup to my husband Paul in his studio. I want you to carry it properly in a small tray and also don’t forget to change your work apron with a half white one you will find in your room, you should look the part when you serve the Master of the house!"

 

She realised that I wanted to ask something, because she said to me rather bluntly,

"Is there anything you want to ask Jenny?"

"Excuse me Ma’am, how shall I address your husband?" and before she had the chance to answer I added in a small voice, "And Ma’am I must say that I am a bit shy to appear in front of Paul, the way I look, after all I know him for years and ...."

She interrupted me rather annoyed, "Now, look here Jenny, at the moment your are the maid in this house and nobody is going to pay any attention who and what you were before, especially Paul who is totally lost in his world. When you see him you will address him as Mr. Paul and act politely as any domestic would."

She left me as abruptly as she came in and soon I was down on my hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor, which certainly had lots of accumulated dirt. I could see that Mrs. Burns needed badly an efficient maid to bring this house back to a state of order and tidiness.

Later, as I was knocking at Mr. Paul’s studio door, carrying the tray with the coffee, my heart was pounding not knowing what I was going to face. Probably he could laugh at my face, calling me a sissy, or God knows what else. And you can imagine my surprise when I heard him saying, "Come in Betty and live the coffee at the table over there, mmm.. It smells good..!"

He didn’t thank me, he didn’t even turn to look at me. He just dismissed me! At that moment I realized how servants feel usually, like objects of the house they belong..

When I mentioned to Mrs. Melissa (isn’t that funny, I started thinking of them already as Mrs. Melissa and Mr. Paul!), that he called me Betty, she laughed and said that this is their regular maid’s name and I could see for myself that Mr. Paul couldn’t care less which person was serving his coffee, it was simply the maid of the house.

The rest of the day went in a hectic manner and I managed to crawl to bed a bit after ten o’clock, dead tired, wearing a long cotton nightie that I found in my room closet, obviously an outcast of Mrs. Melissa’s wardrobe. I kept my bra and panties on, it made me feel more feminine. As I was drifting away, scenes of my day 1 of ‘real service’ were coming back to my memory. I still couldn’t believe that this was actually happening to me. Just as I was falling asleep the name Annie came back to me, yes Mrs. Melissa is right, maid Annie sounds better than maid Monica!

 

 

DAY 2

The second day I spent the whole morning doing the windows of the house inside out. It was a tedious job even for someone like me who usually loves housework. I was wearing the same uniform like the day before. The only difference was that Mrs. Melissa gave me a short pageboy wig to put on below my headscarf. That gave me a distinct maid’s look for the occasional neighbour who could look at me, from a considerable distance though.

Mrs. Melissa has been out all morning shopping. When she came back I was in the kitchen, getting ready to take Mr. Paul’s late morning coffee. She was waiting for me to come back, sitting comfortably in the kitchen table and drinking her cup of coffee. She was in a good mood and she praised me for my neat appearance and for remembering to wear my white half apron to take the coffee to Mr. Paul. She asked me to serve myself some coffee and join her to the table.

She started talking in her usual straight to the point manner, "I said before that you look neat and tidy, but I can see that your uniform dress needs washing. Too much messy work I am afraid, but this is what you are here for, isn’t it Annie?"

"Yes Ma’am" I answered in the brief manner that I was expected to.

"As you probably know" she continued, "your Mistress/employer allowed me to use you as our maid for a week without any payment, though I was willing to pay normal domestic help wages, after all I don’t approve of slave labour, but she was adamant, so I finally gave in."

She stopped briefly to have a sip of her coffee, as my mind was racing.

I realised that for the first time she called my wife ‘my mistress’ and of course I had no idea about any payment.

"But in return", she continued, "I decided to be generous with you and buy some clothes and accessories which you can keep when you go. Don’t expect anything fancy or expensive, I mostly bought practical items, one more morning uniform for general housework with matching apron, some cheap underwear and another pair of low heel shoes."

"Thank you Mel.... I mean Ma’am for your kindness" I answered back in a spontaneous and excited manner, I thought was a bit out of line for a servant. She didn’t seem to mind my interruption, so I continued, "If I may add Ma’am I brought with me a black and white uniform, not very fancy, but formal enough for evening wear. If you think it is appropriate I could use it as well."

She immediately answered back very enthusiastically, "I am very pleased to hear that Annie and it fits rather well with my plans for the rest of your stay in this house. In fact since we are in a chatty mood, I might as well tell you those plans. Tomorrow is Thursday and you are going to do all the wooden floors, that means spending several hours on your hands and knees waxing and polishing."

 

She looked at me in a mischievous way and continued, "As you know, the wooden boards are treated the old fashioned way, which is more work for the maid, but the result is astonishing and emphasizes the character of this Victorian house. I trust tomorrow you will feel like a Victorian maid and you will realize how hard the servants were working in those days. Of course I am not that cruel, you will wear special knee pads and rubber gloves."

I managed to ask her hastily, before she had the chance to interrupt me in her usual bossy manner, "Excuse me Ma’am, but I remember from previous visits to this house, that you had a polishing machine for the wooden floors. Am I going to use it?"

"Good question Jenny, indeed I have a polishing machine, which you will use at the very end, as a final touch. But before, there is lots of manual work on your hands and knees. Don’t worry, I will be around to supervise and give you instructions if needed.".

She finished her coffee and I immediately took her cup and saucer back to the sink, I took mine as well. I didn’t sit back, thinking that the chat was over, but she continued,

"Before you go back to work, let me tell you the rest of the program, which I hope you will find intriguing. Saturday night I invited four friends for a small pre Christmas dinner party and of course you are going to serve and wait at the table. That’s why I thought that your black and white uniform is handy. What do you think, will you be able to do it?"

She stopped and looked at me quizzically. I thought for a moment and said truthfully, "I am not certain Ma’am, but I would like to try it. I don’t have previous experience, except of course serving at our own home, but this time it appears to be the real thing. And I must admit I was never exposed to totally unknown people as a maid."

She looked at me in a sceptical manner, as she answered back, "But this is exactly the whole point Jenny, you don’t know those people and they don’t know you in your male persona. All they are going to see is a properly uniformed maid serving their dinner. And being a servant you don’t have to say much apart from a yes Sir, or yes Ma’am. And I must add something else here, the people that come on Saturday are not exactly ‘straight’, there will be a lesbian couple and Paul’s gallerist with his wife, both very broadminded people.

And we don’t have to hide the fact that you are a male maid, in fact I am certain that the lesbian couple will enjoy that very much".

Her explanations put my mind at ease and at the same time excited me tremendously. And then an idea came which I immediately said, "Would it be wise Ma’am to have a small rehearsal, like serving dinner formally to you and Mr. Paul tomorrow or Friday night, so you can teach me some etiquette and correct mistakes?"

She obviously liked that suggestion because she said at once, "This is a great idea Jenny, Friday night you are going to cook dinner and serve it properly to your Master and me. As for Saturday, I will do most of the cooking, you will be my assistant. Anyway we will have the chance to talk more about the dinner party, I think it is time for you to go back to work and me to go for my afternoon nap."

And with this last remark she left me to tidy up the kitchen and go back to my windows cleaning

DAY 3

It was mid morning and I was already exhausted! For nearly three hours I was down on my hands and knees, scrubbing and polishing the endless wooden floors of the Burns Residence. Sweat was pouring down freely on my forehead and neck and my new pink uniform dress and matching apron were already messy. Mrs. Melissa was coming and going to inspect my work and often she was asking me to have another go in some parts of the floor. She obviously was enjoying my predicament. She was making little comments like, "I told you it was going to be a difficult job" or "Now you realise what Victorian maids had to go through!"

But in the other hand, I was working with a commitment that was even for me surprising. Yes, I was going to finish this floor to perfection. I was the maid and I had to satisfy my employer. Fortunately the knee pads and rubber gloves were considerably protecting me.

About eleven o’clock I heard the phone ringing in the other room and then Melissa’s melodic voice saying loudly, "Oh, hello Pat! How are you? Do you enjoy your stay there?" God! It was my wife on the line. All of a sudden I felt very shy. What I was going to tell her?

Before I had time to think, I heard Mrs Melissa calling me, "Annie, could you come to the phone for a minute, it is your Mistress on the line!"

I deeply blushed, because obviously my wife heard my new name and that she was called my Mistress. Hastily I removed my rubber gloves, wiped my hands and face on my apron and rushed to the phone. I said a timid hello and heard my wife’s voice at the other end, vibrant and happy, "Annie indeed, I love that name! How are you? I am calling from the Hotel pool. It is wonderful weather here and today I have to attend only an afternoon conference, so I am lounging by the pool, sipping my dry martini." She obviously had a sip of her drink and continued, "I can see that Melissa is keeping you busy. Do you enjoy working as a real maid?"

I answered in a low voice, though Melissa wasn’t in the room anymore, "Oh Pat, I do realise now, what it means to work as a maid for another employer. Mrs. Mel.. I mean Melissa is very fair with me, but she just treats me as a servant and I am in the middle of a major spring cleaning. Of course I can’t complain, you know how I enjoy housework, after all this is what I mostly do in our own house. Unfortunately it is very hot today and scrubbing floors in those conditions is not exactly fan!"

She answered back in her joky voice, "Well my dear MG, or rather Annie, I can see that she trains you well, you already refer to her as Mrs. Melissa and I heard that she called me ‘your Mistress’. Be careful though, if you get too much training, I might be tempted to change your status in our house and turn you to a full time maid!"

The half-joky remark of my wife left me speechless and at the same time provoked a peculiar excitement and the familiar tinkling in my stomach. Is this the way I am heading? Before I had time to answer, Pat continued, "Well, I better go darling, the water is so inviting and I am about to jump in. Have fun with your chores and be a good maid for Melissa, after all she is going to give me a full report when I come to pick you up on Monday, around lunch time. Bye for now!"

As I was heading back to continue my floor scrubbing, I stopped in front of a big mirror and looked at myself. I looked a bit dishevelled. So I smoothed the skirt of my uniform dress and retied my apron more tightly to emphasize my waist. At that moment Mrs. Melissa came in and caught me titivating. I saw her and turned back blushing and curtseying at the same time. She looked at me sternly and said loudly, "You big sissy!. Go back to work this very instant because I am going to smack you. You still have lots of floor scrubbing to do!"

I scurried to find my rubber gloves and polishing rags, feeling very small. Mrs. Melissa spoke to me as if I was a ten year old naughty girl doing something improper.

Two hours later, after a much needed shower and wearing a clean dress and apron, that I had to wash and iron the night before, I was sitting in the kitchen table eating a sandwich with a cup of coffee. My whole body was aching, but the floor was looking good and even my difficult employer finally praised me and let me relax a bit.

Later as I was doing the dishes, Mrs. Melissa came in and took me by surprise yet again by saying, "Ready for a walk to the park Jenny?"

I nearly dropped a plate from the shock! I turned around wiping my hands in a tea towel and opening my mouth to say something, but she stopped me in her usual arrogant manner, "Don’t be so shocked Jenny, let me explain to you. I have to take Bruno out for his afternoon walk and I thought you could join us. I see that you have a clean uniform on, just remove your apron and go to your room to fix yourself up a bit."

She must have seen my incredulous expression, because she said in a gentler tone, "Now, don’t you worry Jenny, I will come to your room in a few minutes and I’ll help you to look your best, for your first outing as a maid!"

It was about four o’clock when we finally left the house and I must admit that I felt a bit more confident, though still on edge, as we were heading for the nearby park. Mrs. Melissa tried hard to improve my looks and I think she succeeded up to a point. I was wearing my blue striped cotton uniform dress, fortunately without the apron. The padded bra and waist cincher gave me an adequately feminine look. Black pantyhose and two inch black shoes added to it. It was obvious that the dress was part of a domestic’s uniform, no question about it. The front buttoning and white piping around the collar, short sleeves and two front pockets were more than sufficient proof. A white hair band around my page boy style wig emphasised even more my status. Finally my make up was masterful, thanks to Mrs. Melissa’s skills. Not exaggerated but sufficient to soften my features.

 

Mrs. Melissa was talking to me all the time, "Now Annie, avoid big strides and keep your knees together as you walk. People usually don’t pay too much attention to passers by, unless something unusual catches their eye. In you case there is nothing unusual, the maid walks the dog in the park. In this rather upper middle class part of town this is very common, in fact this is a daily routine for our regular maid Betty."

She stopped to catch her breath because we were walking up hill and I grabbed the chance to say something, "Excuse me Ma’am, are you going to unleash the dog, he pulls very hard and I can hardly hold him." It was true, Bruno was about to throw me down, he was pulling so hard and I was getting more and more uneasy.

Mrs. Melissa laughed mischievously and said, "Don’t get panicked Annie, we will let him go shortly, he will run around for about ten minutes and he will come back to us. In fact I have some extra work for you, something that is definitely maid’s work."

I looked puzzled as she opened her bag and retrieved a small trowel and a plastic bag, saying, "Now, you watch Bruno carefully. When you see him defecate, you rush and pick up his faeces, put it in the plastic bag and dispose accordingly. The rules in this park are very strict on that issue."

And before I had the chance to absorb what she just said, Bruno was unleashed and 50 yards down the path he was relieving himself! Dutifully I rushed after him, slightly kneeled and picked up his faeces with the trowel. I must admit, I never felt so low in my life. I swallowed whatever little pride left on me and rushed to a nearby bin to dispose of it.

The rest of our walk was rather uneventful and though I was always aware of my looks, I gradually stopped feeling so nervous and I started feeling more excited. What was happening to me was beyond my wildest dreams, and yet Melissa’s ‘no big deal’ attitude made it look as the most natural thing.

As I was doing the dishes later in the evening, I was thinking that at the end of my third day as a maid to the Burns household, I was adapting to the role like a duck in the water. The Burns were sitting comfortably in the living room in front of their TV, Bruno was asleep peacefully by their feet and I was finishing my chores in the kitchen. As I was plunging my rubber glove hands in the warm soapy water, fiddling with the various pots and pans, I realised that I was feeling very relaxed and happy! Turning a bit philosophical, I was thinking how much more balanced our world would be if people and especially men, could choose freely what to do, ignoring the society’s stereotypes like ‘this is woman’s work’ or ‘men never cry’, etc, etc. I firmly believe that lots of married couples would be much happier in a ‘role reversal’ condition, if the outside environment would be prepared to accept it.

My ‘reverie’ was interrupted abruptly by Mrs. Melissa. "Are you daydreaming Annie?"

I turned quickly and gave a small curtsey, "I am sorry Ma’am, I was just thinking that I enjoy working for you, you are a good and fair employer. " I said that and blushed all over.

 

She looked at me slightly amused and said, "I just treat you as I would treat any servant, male or female. I know that you like being a maid and that suits me fine. For as long as you do what you are told and follow my instructions of course I will be fair with you, but I can turn really bitchy if I detect insubordination or sloppiness at your work."

She stopped to look at me as I was standing by the sink, nearly at attention, hands resting in front of my aproned skirt and eyes not looking directly at her. I felt tired after a long day of hard housework and I obviously looked it, because she said, "I think Annie it is bed time for you. Tomorrow it’s going to be another busy day, so you have to get your strength back. Just a few words for tomorrow’s program though. Of course you are going to cook dinner and serve it properly to Mr. Burns and myself, wearing the black and white uniform you brought with you, as a general rehearsal for Saturday’s dinner party. But you don’t have to start that activity until about four o’clock in the afternoon. The rest of the day you are going to spent in the laundry room and of course our bathrooms need a good cleaning and we have five of them!"

She looked at me sceptically and continued, "Your Mistress tells me you are an excellent laundress and also you iron very carefully. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow how good you are. Now you better finish tidying up here and go to bed. Goodnight."

I managed to say a meek "Good night Ma’am" with a small curtsey, but she was already out of the room.

DAY 4 (Friday)

I was working in the laundry room for over two hours and I still didn’t have the chance to approach the ironing board. I was about to finish the hand washing though, and already I was getting ready to start ironing because some of the items Mrs. Melissa gave me to hand wash had to be pressed in a close sequence. Fortunately I was well aware of the quality of the various fabrics and of course I always read carefully the instruction tags.

Mrs. Melissa was closely supervising me in the beginning, but after the first hour she realised that I knew what I was doing and left me to continue, announcing that she was going out for a few hours and she wouldn’t be in for lunch. I got slightly panicked there, but in her usual calm but firm manner gave me instructions, as she said, that they sounded more like orders to me.

"Now Annie, you continue with the washing and ironing until noon approximately. Your only break will be when you take coffee to Mr. Burns, that is in about half an hour from now, and please don’t forget to replace your large working apron with a serving white one before you do that! Then you have a quick lunch and immediately after you must start cleaning the bathrooms. Mr. Burns is joining me later for lunch, so you do your messy work when nobody is in, except Bruno of course. And don’t forget to make the bed and tidy up our bedroom."

She turned and started going, as I was saying a meek ‘yes Ma’am’ slightly curtseying, but she stopped abruptly as if she remembered something, "Ah, I forgot to mention to you that I am doing some major shopping at the Supermarket and they are going to deliver before I am back, so please when the bell rings you have to go to the gate and let the delivery boy unload. Then you can carry the bags inside yourself."

My panic came back instantly and I started talking, "But Ma’am, I don’t think that..."

She interrupted me with an annoyed look. "Now, look here Annie, the delivery boys are used to see a maid in this house, so they want pay any particular attention to you. Just act normally and speak as little as you can and of course make sure that you look your feminine best."

She started going again and from a distance she said, "And after you are through with your chores have a rest until I am back, because you are going to be busy later on as well. Remember you are going to cook and serve dinner tonight properly uniformed." She was practically out of the house as she was finishing her sentence.

A couple of hours later I was cleaning the master bathroom upstairs when the gate bell rung. I was all along expecting the delivery boy, but I couldn’t avoid an uneasy feeling. I checked myself in the mirror quickly, adjusted slightly my dress and apron and I scurried down the stairs and out to open the gate. Of course Bruno followed me and I must admit that his presence increased my confidence.

 

I hesitantly opened the gate and saw the supermarket delivery van and a young guy unloading cartons and bags. Next to him though was stranding an elegant young woman wearing conservative business clothes with a badge on her chest. She was standing practically by the gate so I could clearly read ‘SAFEWAYS - Miss Debbie Carter’. I was puzzled because I was expecting only the delivery boy.

As I was getting ready to carry the bags inside she addressed me in a soft well modulated voice, "Good afternoon, we brought the items ordered by Mrs. Burns." She stopped for a moment and looked at me more carefully, then she said, You must be the new maid, I remember an older person working here."

I blushed all over like a school girl, but I managed to whisper, "Yes Miss, I am replacing the permanent maid for a few days, she had to go to the hospital for a minor operation and please excuse my voice, I have a sore throat at the moment."

At that moment she turned to the driver and dismissed him rather abruptly, "You can go now Martin, I will come back later, thank you."

As he was driving away, she turned back to me, as I was struggling with the bags and cartons and said in a rather mischievous manner, "Well Annie, things are not exactly what they appear to be. Isn’t that true?"

I nearly dropped the bags I was trying to carry and looked at her dumbfounded, blushing all over. "How do you know my name Miss?" I managed to whisper.

"I know all about you Annie, so stop whispering and use your normal voice. I know you are just a male maid, because I happen to be a close friend of your current employer Mrs. Burns."

She stopped and looked at me amusingly, obviously enjoying my discomfort, "Now start carrying the bags in the house and I will follow you in, you might as well offer me some coffee. And don’t worry about Bruno, he knows me quite well, look how he wiggles his tail."

I felt crushed, but also singularly excited. She was the first person ever, that knew nothing about my male persona, she was meeting Annie the maid and she was treating me as such! I felt somehow peculiarly free. I could act as any maid and be proud about it! So, I lowered my eyes, touched the edges of my apron and with a small curtsey said, "Please come in Miss, I will be happy to offer you a cup of coffee. Give me a minute to carry the shopping bags and I will let you in from the main entrance."

As I was resting later in my room, I was thinking of the events of the past hour or so and I couldn’t believe that this really happened to me. Miss Debbie stayed around for about an hour, but she didn’t want to interrupt my work, on the contrary she insisted that I should continue working as if she was not around. So I offered her a cup of coffee and then I continued with my various chores, mainly cleaning the five bathrooms and toilets of the house.

She was following me around, casually talking to me. She was obviously fascinated by the idea of a male maid. She kept asking me questions of the type ‘how long have you been working as a maid?’ or ‘do you actually enjoy doing that sort of menial job?’. She asked this particular question as I was washing the master bathroom floor down on my hands and knees. I was answering truthfully, without revealing though any of my male activities and background. The fact that Miss Debbie wasn’t at all aware of my male persona was very intriguing and thrilling to me!

Finally, as she was departing and I was escorting her to the front door she threw another mini bomb on the air by saying, ‘Well, bye for now Jenny, see you tomorrow at the dinner party. Mrs. Melissa tells me that you are going to do the serving." As I was looking at her speechless, she added, "And you are going to meet my partner Miss Charlotte Green, she certainly is looking forward to meet you. Bye for now!" She was out of the door before I had the chance to say good bye to her.

So Miss Debbie and her partner Miss Charlotte are the Lesbian couple Mrs. Melissa mentioned to me as guests for tomorrow’s dinner party. Fancy that!

My thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Melissa’s voice form the kitchen, "Annie, I am back, are you resting in your room, I am dying for a cup of tea, could you come and put the kettle on?"

I jumped from my bed. I still had my morning uniform dress on, I grabbed my white apron from the back of a chair and tying it quickly around my waist, I scurried to the kitchen.

Mrs. Melissa looked at me approvingly, obviously because I appeared properly attired in front of her. I was dying to mention to her Miss Debbie’s visit to the house, but as usually she came instantly to the point, "Have a cup of tea with me Annie and we can discuss tonight’s menu. We will have something light, but properly served by you, as agreed. You will do the cooking, in fact I am looking forward to taste something unusual, so surprise us."

She stopped, and as I was preparing the tea, I had the chance to tell her about Miss Debbie’s visit. She knew of course about it, I should have expected that, but she was thoroughly amused as I described in detail Miss Debbie’s genuine interest on me as I was moving around the house doing my chores. She said half jokingly, "I can assure you Annie that if you were living permanently in Melbourne, Debbie and Charlotte would love to have you around their house as a maid once or twice a week and they would pay you quite well. Think of it, if you ever decide to move to this city you would be very popular with some of my friends and you could make a decent living, within reason of course, after all maid’s wages can not compare with a manager’s salary."

About eight o’clock dinner was ready! I was dressed properly, wearing my black ‘white swan’ dress, my white half apron and cap, plus 2in black pumps. I felt the part, for the first time in my life! Mrs. Melissa assisted me with make up and wig and she complimented me for my looks. I felt great.

 

Of course I had to set the table properly, under the supervision of Mrs. Melissa. White damask tablecloth, nice plates, silver cutlery, proper crystal glasses, the lot! Two silver candlesticks with white candles in the middle of the table added to the formality.

Finally I was quite nervous when at 8.30 pm Mr. Paul and Mrs. Melissa took their positions at the table. They both looked quite elegant dressed in casual but expensive summer clothes. Mr. Paul said to me in a very relaxed manner, "You look good Jenny, don’t worry at all, you are very convincing!" I instantly felt more relaxed, Mr. Paul’s attitude was not at all mocking or contemptuous. He had a style similar to Mrs. Melissa’s. They both acted as if I was doing the most natural thing in the world, as I was getting ready to start serving.

They both enjoyed their dinner and they praised my cooking, especially because I did make something unusual. Of course Mrs. Melissa was making little remarks all the time, correcting me occasionally or reminding me obvious things like the fact that you always approach the person you want to serve from the right. During the time they were eating I was standing in the corner of the room at attention with my hands crossed in front of my apron, trying to anticipate their needs. I was quite thrilled doing that, I saw it so many times in films or photos, or I read about it. Finally I was the maid doing it!

It was nearly ten o’clock when I finally cleared the table and my employers moved to the lounge. Mrs. Melissa said to me in a praising tone, "Well done Jenny, you must be starving by now, go and have something to eat and then you can do the dishes, tidy up the kitchen and go to bed. I am sure you will be totally exhausted by then. Thank you for the lovely dinner and goodnight."

"Thank you Ma’am for assisting me tonight, it was a great experience for me. Now I am much more positive about tomorrow’s dinner party. Also the fact that I already met Miss Debbie builds my confidence even more. Goodnight Ma’am."

DAY 5 (Saturday)

Saturday started in a completely different manner from the previous days. After breakfast and the washing up Mrs. Melissa came in to the kitchen, looking serious and very business like. And as usually she came instantly to the point, "right Jenny, it’s cooking time, we are going to be both very busy all morning. You have to follow my instructions to the letter and be quick. I get impatient with slow and sloppy maids, so be careful!"

I realised then that for the first time I was going to work together with the Mistress of the house. So far I was following her instructions and most of the time she left me alone to get on with my work, appearing only for the occasional inspection. This time she would be there right next to me, demanding all my attention.

She put a lovely working apron on, a blue flowered one with a large frilly bib and straps crossing in the back and fastened to the apron strings. She saw my eyes looking at it in admiration and said laughing, "now Annie this apron is not for the maid, is for the Mistress of the house, but don’t worry, tomorrow you will have to wash and iron it, and I am certain you are going to try it on secretly". She said that and she winked at me. Jesus, this woman was so perceptive, she could read my mind faster than me.

She was very efficient and was working very fast, occasionally she had to check at her recipe book, but she was completely in control. I was struggling next to her, chopping vegetables, washing pots and pans for the next use, preparing little hors d’hoevres etc. etc.

By 1.00 o’clock she stopped and said in a satisfied tone of voice, "well. I think we are done". Then she remembered something and said anxiously, "Oh dear, we forgot completely Mr. Paul. Annie please, can you make this instant some cheese sandwiches for all of us and some coffee. Poor Paul, he must be starving. Now be quick and before you take the snack to the Master, take off this dirty apron and put your white one on."

I looked at my apron, it certainly was dirty, food stains, water splashes you name it. So was Mrs. Melissa’s apron. I should remember to put some stain remover before I put them to the washing machine tomorrow.

At about 5.00 pm everything was ready to my Mistress’ satisfaction. The kitchen was spotless and the food was all prepared. I tidied up the house and dusted everywhere. The only thing I had to do was to set the table for six. Mrs. Melissa said though that I could do that after my shower and change to my formal uniform. So at about six o’clock I presented myself for inspection. I felt quite nervous and excited. For the first time in my life I was going to act as a maid to outside guests.

Mrs. Melissa made me retie my apron and she adjusted the bow herself. As I was setting the table she lectured me once more, "I expect that our guests will start coming some time after seven. You will let them in with a polite smile and a slight curtsey. You will not talk to them unless you are asked a question and of course you will address them as sir or madam. The two ladies Miss Debbie that you already met and Miss Charlotte you can address them simply as Miss. A few minutes after their arrival you will start serving the chilled champagne and the hors d’oevres.

She stopped briefly to talk to the dog, she really loved this fearful animal and she turned back to me, "I don’t expect that we will be sitting for dinner until about eight, so after you serve the drinks you will go back to the kitchen and organise the food as I explained to you earlier. I will have an eye on you all the time. So relax and try to concentrate on your job. You identify so strongly with the role of a maid, that I think everything will be fine. Now back to the kitchen and wait there. I have to go and get ready as well."

I was checking and rechecking various things in the kitchen, like the correct oven temperature, the salad dressing, the champagne glasses when I heard the gate’s bell and Bruno’s familiar barking.

Then Mrs. Melissa’s voice from the living room, "Annie, they are here, run along like a good maid and let them in, will you?"

"Right away Ma’am", I answered back, as I was scurrying towards the gate, feeling all flustered and excited, with the familiar stomach flicker again.

I opened the gate hesitantly and I saw the familiar face of Miss Debbie smiling at me. She looked terrific, wearing a lovely summer dress and made up to perfection. Behind her another lady, slightly older but equally good looking and very elegant, wearing a cool trousers and top ensemble was smiling at me as well.

"Hi Annie, you look very nice in your formal uniform", Miss Debbie said very casually.

I remembered to curtsey slightly and answered back politely and in the softer possible voice I could master, "Thank you Miss, it’s very kind of you".

She continued talking to me, as I was stepping aside to let them in. "This is my partner Miss Charlotte and she knows all about you, so don’t be shy".

I curtseyed again and said politely, "Hello Miss, please come in."

Miss Charlotte looked at me amusingly but without a trace of mockery and turning to Miss Debbie she said in a very pronounced British accent, "Well my dear, she looks better than I thought, a bit larger than normal, but I can think of many women who would have been very jealous for her legs here."

She turned back to me, " Annie you have pretty legs, did you know that?" She continued looking at me.

I blushed deeply and said in an embarrassed manner, "Thank you Miss, you are very kind."

"Not at all love, I always speak the truth", she answered back in her very distinctive upper class accent, as they both were marching towards the house.

She was a teaser this one, I could tell, but somehow I felt quite at home with both of them. I followed behind and I rushed to the kitchen to prepare the drinks as Mrs. Melissa was greeting them with kisses and hugs.

I was about to carry the tray with the champagne glasses in when the bell rang again.

Instantly Mrs. Melissa’s voice, "Annie, go to the gate please".

This time it was a bit harder for me, an older couple was expected and I felt slightly more anxious, but things were happening fast now and I was getting more busy by the minute, so no time for worries or embarrassment.

I opened the gate and a lady in her mid 40s was superficially grinning at me. Behind her a man in his 50's was standing looking at me with an obvious curiosity. "Hello, we are Mr. And Mrs. Parker", said the lady rather arrogantly I should say.

I curtseyed, as instructed, saying at the same time, "please, come in". I stepped aside to let them in. Without a word they moved forward, completely ignoring me, a totally different reaction from the two ladies.

Soon, I was wondering around first with a tray of champagne glasses and immediately after carrying another tray with hors d’oevres. They all were engaged in deep and cheerful conversation, after all Christmas was approaching and there was a festivity in the air. I very quickly realised that nobody paid the slightest attention to me. I was the maid and certainly they treated me as such. Then a peculiar feeling of ‘inner piece’ overtook me. I don’t have to worry about those people anymore. I am expected to do a job tonight and I want to do it to perfection!

Mrs Melissa must have picked my inner feelings, probably it was obvious to my face, because at one point she winked at me, as if she wanted to say ‘so far, so good’.

The moment that they sat down to dinner I became extremely busy and I had to concentrate not to do something terribly wrong. I remembered to serve them from the left and remove their used plates from the right. A couple of times Mrs. Melissa came to the kitchen to reassure me that everything is fine and people are very pleased with my performance. As instructed, when not busy I was standing at a distance with my hands crossed in front of my apron, trying to anticipate their needs. I was at a safe distance though, not to be able to hear what they were talking about.

At about ten o’clock they all were sitting comfortably in the lounge, enjoying their coffee. Then I got a signal from Mrs. Melissa that I could withdraw to the kitchen and start the dishes, she could cope with the guests from now on. I realised that this was the dismissal sign for me. I wasn’t needed anymore in the main areas of the house. I cleared the table completely and went to the kitchen.

My heart sunk when I saw the pile of dirty dishes, pots and pans and all the other things I had to do. I thought once more how true it was the saying ‘a maid’s work is never done’. I removed my white half apron and put on a large kitchen working apron, I added rubber gloves and I started filling the sink with hot soapy water.

 

I was lost in my thoughts as I was doing the dishes, when I heard a slight noise behind me, I turned startled and saw the two ladies Miss Debbie and Miss Charlotte looking at me.

"Please don’t stop your work, we both admire your commitment to your task" said Miss Debbie gently.

"You genuinely enjoy doing this job, don’t you?" asked me Miss Charlotte.

I answered back without stopping what I was doing. "Yes Miss, I do, I am not certain why, but serving and housework comes naturally to me, so I feel quite at home doing in. My wife tells me that I must have been a maid in my previous life and I tend to believe her."

"You do everything so naturally", continued Miss Charlotte "No fuss, no complaints, no bad mood, I wish we had a maid like you. What a pity you don’t live permanently in Melbourne. I can tell you, you would be very popular with lots of my friends and you would be paid well too."

She stopped to look at Miss Debbie who was nodding her head in agreement and continued, "And Melissa tell us that you like your uniforms and aprons, so we would make sure to provide you accordingly".

I was listening to them and my excitement was mounting. What an incredible scene. Here I was doing the dishes properly uniformed and two nice ladies were offering me a real maid’s job seriously, without any back thoughts or trace of mockery.

I thanked them for their kindness and generosity, adding that probably in the not very distant future we would decide with my wife to move permanently to Australia and at my age the only work I could find would have been the unskilled one of a maid and then I certainly would remember them.

They liked that idea because they both said in unison, "Annie, that would be wonderful, between Melissa and us and of course your own home you have a full time job. Probably Melissa can convince your employer, after all they are old friends. And by the way we are looking forward to meet her next time you come. She is so lucky to have such a domestic jewel at home!"

I’ve noticed they called Pat ‘my employer’, not ‘my wife’, obviously they couldn’t conceive that I could be anything else but what I appeared to be to them, just a domestic servant.

But I’ve noticed too that they genuinely seemed to like me and I was touched. I thanked them once more, as Mrs Melissa was coming in to announce that the other couple was about to go and they wanted to say good night.

That night in my bed I was dreaming of moving to Australia and becoming a permanent maid. It was exciting and disconcerting at the same time.

DAY 6 (Sunday)

Sunday was a more relaxing day even for the maid and Mrs. Melissa made a point of telling me. Of course I had to prepare breakfast, serve it and then do the dishes, but from then on they let me take it easy. I was in uniform of course, wearing my morning dress and white apron, after all I realised I didn’t have any other clothes to wear expect the male clothes I arrived in. And I still had to walk Bruno to the park, now feeling much more confident..

About one o’clock in the afternoon we had the last night’s leftovers for lunch and then both my employers went to their room for a siesta. It was a really hot day with the temperature climbing to the mid 90's, so I decided to stay in my room and for the first time in a week I managed to read a bit, looking idly at Sunday papers, but my mind was elsewhere. I was thinking that tomorrow my wife would come back to get me and the most extraordinary week of my life was about to end. I was still thinking of the serious proposition I received from the two kind ladies Miss Debbie and Miss Charlotte to come and work for them. I was thinking that those two ladies don’t know a think about my male persona, they only met a maid called Annie, how extraordinary!

At about four o’clock the little electric bell in my room buzzed suddenly and made me jump. I was dozing and the ring startled me. Then I remembered, Mrs. Melissa was summoning me to their bedroom. I fixed myself as quickly as possible, tied my white apron on and rushed up the stairs to the master bedroom. I knocked politely and waited. I heard after several seconds Mrs. Melissa’s voice calling me in. I smoothly opened the door, walked a few steps inside, curtseyed and asked politely, "You called for me Ma’am?"

They were both lying in bed reading and looking very comfortable and relaxed in their air conditioned bedroom. It took Mrs. Melissa at least a couple of minutes to lift her eyes from the book she was reading. I was standing there, feeling silly and nervously playing with the edge of my apron.

"Ah, there you are Annie!" she said rather imperiously. "I expect you to come faster when I call for you. Probably you were having a snooze. I will disregard the delay this time, only because it’s Sunday and I gave you the permission to slow down."

What a bitch, I thought to myself. Oops… I did catch myself reacting as a real servant, being annoyed by the Mistress!

She looked at her wrist watch and continued , " Could you please make some coffee and serve it in the living room in 20 minutes exactly. Your Master and I will be down shortly. Thank you, you can go now!"

She dismissed me abruptly, in her usual manner. I curtseyed once more and scurried to the kitchen.

As I was preparing the coffee, I was thinking that Mrs. Melissa was treating me a lot with the carrot and stick method. At one moment she is kind and polite and I start relaxing, then she ‘turns’ and becomes an arrogant and demanding bitch.

I guess this always has been the fate of a servant over the centuries and…. ‘Now stop it Annie’ I said to myself loudly, ‘stop being pedantic and finish this damn coffee’!

The rest of the day I spent doing the laundry and some ironing. I was even allowed after dinner to sit and watch TV with my employers. I was sitting in a simple chair a bit apart from their comfortable settee, having my uniform dress on without my apron. Mr. Melissa was kind to me again!

DAY 7 (Monday) - Departure

I was up and about very early on Monday, feeling nervous. Automatically I put a clean uniform dress on, I tied my working apron and I started breakfast.

Mrs. Melissa was up early too and I served her breakfast in the kitchen table. As usually she anticipated my thoughts and started talking to me, "Well, It’s your last morning here Annie. Your Mistress will be here to get you around one o’clock. I expect you to continue working as a maid though until Pat arrives. You will make a light lunch and serve it to both of us. Then you can clear the table, wash up, tidy up the kitchen and only after you complete all these tasks successfully you can go and change back to your male persona. How about that?"

I was a bit confused. I didn’t know how Pat would react to all that. I also felt a bit uneasy. My wife never saw me before acting as a maid outside our own home. A feeling of shyness overtook me. I turned to Mrs. Melissa and said, "I am not sure Ma’am how my wife will react. I feel a bit embarrassed to face her as Annie."

She looked at me for a moment and said in her determined manner, "I’ll tell you what Annie. I’ll take all the responsibility, I will simply tell to Pat that I insisted you stay as a maid until after you serve us lunch. Is that OK with you?"

I answered hesitantly and in a resigned manner, "Whatever you say Ma’am!"

I prepared everything in the kitchen, I even made the table for two, because Mr. Paul, as usually, was too involved in his studio. Mrs. Melissa came to my room and inspected me very thoroughly. I was wearing my pink striped morning uniform dress, my half white apron and my plain white cup. She touched up my light make up and my lipstick and adjusted the bow of my apron. A last look in the mirror and she shooed me out of my room. It was a few minutes after one o’clock and the bell of the gate rang. God, Pat is here!

I run, after Bruno as usually, to let her in. I was moving like an automaton. So be it! I thought to myself, what ever happens, happens! I opened the gate and there she was standing with a small suitcase, looking pretty, bronzed from the tropical sun and relaxed.

I blushed all over as she looked at me from top to bottom. Her expression changed to one of utter astonishment, "well, well, who is this pretty maid? She can’t be my MG, is she? Of course, now I remember it is Annie, my friend Melissa’s new maid. Aren’t you going to let me in Annie?"

I blushed even more and managed to smile. I stepped aside to let her in, "Of course, come in please Ma’am!".

Then I changed the tone of my voice remembering that this was Pat, my wife, "please come in Pat. It’s so nice to see you again, I missed you". I said those words, but somehow I couldn’t hug or kiss her. The way I was dressed and acted somehow prevented me from this intimate contact. I still felt like a maid letting a guest in.

She came in and of course gave me her bag to carry. She smiled at me in a mischievous way and went in to hug and kiss with Mrs. Melissa.

From then on she sort of ignored me. She was chatting amicably with Mrs. Melissa. I served them their lunch, but I wasn’t included in any of their conversations. I am sure that later Pat will tell me what they were talking about, but at the moment they both acted as if I wasn’t there, except for the occasional ‘thank you’, or ‘please bring this or that’.

I had my lonely lunch in the kitchen, I did the dishes, tidied up and then I asked Mrs. Melissa, "I finished with my chores Ma’am, can I change back to my street clothes?"

She looked at Pat who nodded ‘yes’ and said, "Of course Annie, that will be all, you can go and change now and don’t forget to pack your uniforms, they are yours now, I think you deserve them. I must say you worked very hard and I thanked your Mistress here for letting me having you for a week."

I managed a hesitant curtsey, after all I always was aware of the presence of Pat, and I rushed to my room to change.

Later as we were saying our good byes, Melissa gave me a kiss and a hug and said quietly, only for me to hear, "You were a great help Annie, I really enjoyed having you working for us, please come again!"

I thanked her also very profoundly, but I am certain she never could perceive how much she offered to me, fulfilling one of my longest standing dreams. To work as a full time maid, even for that short amount of time!

 

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