A Girl from the Village

Have you ever cozied up in front of the television with a cup of tea to watch a British period drama like ‘Jane Eyre’ or Miss Marple Mysteries?  Inevitably there is a scene where someone has hired cleaning help or needs extra cleaning help.  It’s always ‘we’ll send for a girl from the village.’  

Last year I joked with my mama that I needed to send to the village for a girl to help with the cleaning.   After decades of housework under my belt, it really isn’t my favorite task.  I’d much rather spend the time in the kitchen trying a new recipe or in the closets and cupboards getting everything organized. 

So this week I decided to treat myself and hired a cleaning service.  I worked away in my office one afternoon and listened to the young girls chatter in the other rooms.   Was I ever that young?   Thirty years ago- did I have that much energy?   And it brought back memories.

Because back in the day I was that girl from the village.   I started working as a hotel chambermaid summers in high school and actually did that work full-time a couple years in college to pay for tuition.  I’d layer all my college classes onto Tuesday and Thursday and work the other five days at the hotel.  But before all of that, back my senior year in high school – I was that girl they sent for to help out.  An elderly lady named Julia needed a nice high school girl to stay over on weekends and do light housework and cook for her. 

Julia was in her 80’s and liked things done a certain way.  She had a full-time nurse during the week and needed light coverage on weekends.  So I’d get off the school bus on Friday night at her house and my dad would pick me up late Sunday afternoon.  She would have me dust and do meal preparations.  I would tackle her laundry.  I remember ironing the sheets and towels.   I know that was the first time I saw someone put a plate atop a bowl to seal the contents rather than use plastic wrap.  I still do it today and it works great.  In between all this ‘girl from the village’ time I was able to get my homework done.  After all – there was no television allowed.  She liked listening to music.  And we’d have conversations.  She told me stories about her family.  And so my senior year this pattern continued until the spring when she took ill.  One week I was told the nurse had to stay for the weekend and then Julia was gone. 

In my sophomore year of college when I was living in Providence, Rhode Island, once again an inquiry came in for ‘a girl to help out’ an elderly lady.  So off I went a couple afternoons a week to do housework.  I can’t remember her name but she was very sweet.  But she had a very large collection of porcelain figurines to dust.  Shudder.  I did that in addition to two other part time jobs.  Such energy I had then.

And so I watched those two young women – the modern equivalent of girls from the village.  Life has come full circle.  Now I have the opportunity to provide work for someone just starting out in life.   May they too be blessed on their life journeys.   And as far as what it’s like to have ‘the girls from the village’ in to do your housework?   I think I could get used to this lady of the manor routine.   Is Downton Abbey on yet?