PUNIRE E SERVIRE

SERVIRE
A molte donne fa enormemente piacere servire, e molte donne
provano grande piacere a farsi servire da un'altra donna confinata
in un rango "inferiore", specie se questa donna è una potenziale
rivale (la favola di Cenerentola insegna). E poi, solo una
donna sa esattamente come tenere sotto controllo un'altra donna,
perché ne conosce profondamente la psicologia, i punti deboli, ne
previene le mosse. Gli uomini, in genere, sono affascinati dal
mondo femminile, ma lo capiscono a metà, e proprio in questo
risiede il fascino che li attrae. Ma una donna vede sempre nuda
un'altra donna, la valuta spietatamente, spesso la teme, e le fa piacere
avere intorno una sua "simile" che può controllare
con un sottile sistema di invisibili punizioni e costrizioni.
Monika

domestica in grembiule di gomma

Helga 2 - La forza del grembiule

Mi colpisce la forza simbolica e tutta femminile del grembiule.
Quello delle domestiche, dei grembiuli e delle divise, dei guanti di gomma,
dei fazzoletti in testa, è un mondo tutto di donne, inventato dalle
donne per altre donne. È una donna che sceglie l’abbigliamento di servizio
per un'altra donna che obbedirà di fatto ai suoi ordini, in un rapporto
complesso e sovente ambiguo. Nei negozi di divise
si vedono sempre donne che discutono con altre donne delle loro
domestiche, di cosa devono e non devono indossare,
della praticità e dell’eleganza delle divise. Il grembiule
e la divisa sono estremi modi di femminilizzazione delle femminilità.
Monika Rubbermaid

Helga

Helga è una domestica part time. Vive in Svizzera, e veste spessi grembiuli di gomma bruna, nera o bianca.

Elegante e dolce, Helga è tuttavia una splendida valchiria da lavori domestici forzati, una indomita guerriera da incatenare al lavello per sempre.

domestiche di mezza età

Sono quelle sulle quali ci sarebbe da scrivere all'infinito, e da fotografare all'infinito.

Macellaie 2

Macellaie

la gomma, il ventre, il sangue, le mani rosse, bruciate dal sale e dalla carne: la topografia della macellaia è tutta qui.

TRANSFORMATION D'UNE BOURGEOISE - 6

"But Mon.... I mean Madame aren't we moving a bit too fast here? Probably
I should stay at home for a few days to adapt to my new role and then..."

She interrupted me abruptly in an annoyed manner : "Leave that to me
Maria, I'll organise everything for you. I have lots of close contacts
and trusted friends among the Portuguese community of maids and cleaners,
soon you will be part of their world.". She looked at me again and became
more formal : "Now finish what you are doing here and run upstairs and
clean the bathroom I just used, and tidy up the bedroom. I have a few
phone calls to make, then we'll talk again." She turned and walked back to
the Living Room her heels clicking elegantly. She was 'la patronne' now.


CHAPTER 2

She was talking to me fast as I was standing in front of her dressed now
in her old street clothes! That is, I simply replaced the overall dress
with her prisunic cheap outdoors dress. I kept the underwear and black
pantyhose and I added a pair of flat moccasins that belonged to me for
a change.. It was remarkable that being a small person myself, barely
1.70m in height and 70 kilos in weight I could easily fit in Monique's
clothes, something that pleased her immensely because obviouly I was
about to inherit her whole trousseau!

As I said, she was adressing me : "Now Maria, I talked to my friend
Conchita da Silva, she is the concierge in one of those posh buildings
in Passy (that was one of the most expensive inner Parisian quartiers
in the prestigious 16th arrondissement). She is also a hairdresser
occasionally, she is going to fix your hair in a more appropriate manner
for your current station in life, as a Portuguese cleaning woman and
maid. I asked her to perm your hair and dye it a dark brown. Your current
blondish and longish straight hair is too elegant for what you are going
to become." She loved putting me down and indicating my new position in
life. Funnily enough I was getting an excitement out of it as well.

"Instead of paying her she will ask you to clean the public spaces of the
building, entrance and stairs up to the 5th floor. She will lend you some
working clothes, she has a collection of flower patterned nylon smocks
that I am sure you will love. Don't worry, she will tell you exactly
what to do. Now you can put on my old coat, it is hanging in the broom
cupboard by the entrance, inside the pocket you will find an old scarf,
just tie it around your hair and then we are ready to go."

I got panicked, dressed like this and out from the front door in the
middle of the day, it was barely past 1.00 o'clock in the afternoon. It
just downed to me as I was looking at my (ex Monique's} small cheap
wrist watch that it was only three hours ago that I was still my old
self of a bourgeois lady. And look at me now, a middle age low class
woman leaving her employer's house.

Monique interrupted my thoughts as she approached me and adjusted the
scarf in my head : "You must learn to wear the scarf the Portuguese way,
that will be a standard item when you are outdoors and out of your working
clothes. Most women of your status are wearing it, so you better get used
to it. And something else, it hides up to a point your rather refined
upper class lady features, though I am not worried about that, you can
improve a lot there, wait till Conchita finishes with you. Come on let's
go., I'll drive you, this time I'll spare the embarassenment of public
transport for you, but this is only for your first day. 'Allez ouste!' "

(6- a suivre)

TRANSFORMATION D'UNE BOURGEOISE - 5

"And now the 'piece de resistence ma cherie' Monique said smiling broadly,
come here I will tie your apron'. I approached and she adjusted the
large matching working apron on top of my dress. She criss crossed the
bib straps behind my back and fastened them to the strings with two small
buttons, then she firmly tied the strings in a big bow in the back. She
pointed to the door. "Well, this is your obligatory uniform for working
in the house Marie Benedicte, run along now like a good maid and finish
your chores and then report back here, I want to continue our little
conversation and plan the rest of the day."

It took me an hour of intense work to finish what I was ordered to do. I
was moping the kitchen floor when I literally smelled Monique's presence
in the room. I turned around and she was standing by the door looking atme. God how she changed! She was the epitomy of elegance wearing a dark
grey silk suit, a light grey blouse, fine stockings and elegant medium
heel shoes. My expensive Chanel 5 perfume was filling the air around her. And there I was opposite her the
epitomy of a servant, sweat running down my forehead , my apron front
splashed with water, resting my rubber gloved hands in the mop stick.

I looked admiringly at her. "You look fantastic Monique, I can't believe
that change, you are indeed a very chic lady!"

She answered casually back : "That proves my theorie Marie Benedicte,
that finally the clothes make the master, if you know how to wear
them of course and not the other way round. And look at you, after an
hour's housework you look all the way the part of a Portuguese 'femme
de menage'. We have to work with your hair a bit and do some other
adjustments but you certainly look the part".

I looked at her aghast, but e peculiar excitement run through my body
like an electric current. I managed to answer in a rather meek tone of
voice "But what do you mena ' looking the part?', I simply agreed to
help with the housework and I dressed like this to please you."

She looked intensely at me : "We might as well sort things out here and
now! Marie Benedicte, I have a proposition to make to you. Would you
consider to change positions with me and become a 'femme de menage', a
maid, a cleaning woman for a year and I will be 'la femme bourgeoise',
a woman of the high society. You will find out where I come from and I
will be able to fulfill my dream and live the life of an upper class lady
even for a limited period of time. Think, it can be like a sabbatical
year for you, you will be able to experience things totally outside of
your own milieu. For me it is a lifetime long ambition to know the world
of luxury and wealth, a world where you come from but I know it from the
servant's side. For you it is going to be a complete reversal of roles
and positions in life."

She stopped and looked at me, I could tell she was completely taken by
her own words, she was already so near to fulfill her dream, she was
already dressed the part and she was enjoying it immensely. But what
about me, I was confused as I was trying to think hard for an answer. I
knew already that it was either her terms or good bye Monique for good.

6 What did I really have to loose? My life was in shamples at the moment
with the departure of my husband. I was not working and I was financialy
independent, I had not immediate family and very few friends, as a matter
of fact most of those so called friends were my husband's friends and I
knew very well that they were going to disappear from my life. And that
was going to be an experience, probably a hard one but an experience
anyhow. And why do I have this inner excitement that is transmitting
sexual signals to my body? Do I really get a sexual pleasure out of it?

I must have blushed all over because Monique looked at me inquiringly
and asked : "What is it Pet? Do you consider my proposal? You realise
of course that by that stage there is no going back. It is either my
proposal or I am out of here and your life ."

I looked at her, took a deep breath and said : "Oui Monique, J'accepte
votre proposition!" and I continued more excited now after I said the ok :
"But how is it going to work, and we have to talk about lots of practical
matters like ...."

She stopped me with her hand : "Now let's make your acceptance more formal
and from now on I am Madame Monique, or simply Madame for you and your are
'ma femme de ménage' Marie Benedicte or simply Maria, so please repeat :
"Oui, Madame, J'accepte de devenir votre femme de menage pendant un an!"

Blushing all over again and excited at the same time I repeated :
"Yes Madame, I accept to become your cleaning woman for a year!"

"Very well Maria, I am your employer from now on!!" she said triumphantly
and she continued : "Now you asked before about practical matters,
you are right we have to sort them out. First of all you will put our
agreement in writing and send it to your solicitor. Not everything of
course, just write simply that due to a prolonged absence abroad you are
authorising me, Monique Perreira dos Santos to handle all your financial
affairs, pay all the bills and run the household paying the domestic
staff (that is you!) etc,etc. Then you notify in writing all the people
that you think they might contact you, telling them that you are going
abroad for an indefinite amount of time to recover from the shock of
loosing your husband to another woman. Also you will apply to your bank
to issue credit cards in my name. Of course I'll take your credit cards,
and your car keys, your are not allowed to drive anymore, only public
transport for you. You will receive all the money that I earn from my
various domestic and cleaning jobs which you are going to undertake from
now on." She stopped seeing me getting more and more uneasy.

(5 - a suivre)