Uniforme verde / Green uniform

serva di campagna

TRANSFORMATION D'UNE BOURGEOISE - 7

We arrived in front of the elegant 19th century residential building
in Avenue Victor Hugo. She was an excellent driver and she knew to
drive around the maize of Parisian streets quite well, how on earth a
'femme de menage' was so competent in driving? Another mystery about
Monique. what was her real past, I wonder? She interrupted my thoughts :
"Allez, out of the car, I leave you here, just walk to the side door
where 'concierge' is written and ring the bell, Conchita will let you
in. Run along now, I'll come and collect you in about 3 hours, probably
I'll ring before and see how you are doing. Good luck Maria!"

She practically pushed me out of the car, my ex car, and speeded away. I
practically run to the door and rang the bell, looking sideways to see
if someone was coming. The door opened and a formidable lady appeared in
front of me. She looked at me from head to toes and said casually in a
heavily accented french : "You must be this bourgeoise, Monique mentioned
that wants to become a cleaning woman, what a weird decision." I looked
at her aghast and surprised. I said hastily : "Can I come in please,
I feel uncorfotable in those clothes in public." She looked at me again
and laughed, a rather loud but good hearted laugh I must say. "Mais
oui, come in, but if you feel uncomfortable now, imagine how you will
feel later when you will be down to your hands and knees scrubbing the
landings between floors, ha.ha,ha...!" she continued laughing.

Inside her miniscule apartment I could see her better. She was a big
woman, a few centimetres taller than me and also fatter. She had the
derriere of a woman of her class, big bottom in other words, but also
she seemed a strong woman, her body was somehow muscular. She was
wearing black pantyhose and a short blue nylon smock patterned with
flowers. You could see below the smock her black skirt and her cheap
plastic sandals. She turned again to me and said : "Look, Monique said
to me that you decided to exchange places with her and become 'une femme
de menage, une bonniche', is it true?"

Obviouly she wanted to test me and see if I do things on my own
will. What could I say, that I was partly pushed into this. Not really,
if I was strongly against I wouldn't have stand right now in front of
her dressed as I was dressed! I looked at her and said.: "Yes Conchita,
this is true, I want to live a true experience of a cleaning woman,
a maid, as you said it. Can you help me?"

She relaxed and smiled at me broadly. "Of course I can help you 'ma
petite', let me look at you, remove your coat and scarf, let me see
you face. Look at those hands, they are so soft, so not used to menial
housework, 'par contre' look at my hands pet".

She was holding her hands in front of me, I looked at those big hands,
skin cracked and wrinkly, the nails with remains of a vulgar red.
(7 - a suivre)

Helga in autunno