Deus ex machina-Shere-ing Time 3

The gods arrived on Thursday morning in the forms of a Phillipina cleaner and an English gardener.   Before Carmelita arrives I always clean house so she won’t think I’m a pig, so there was that to do, then young Jack Dew(er) lives up to his name by bounding to the door fresh as a spring day,  (which this should be, but isn’t, due to unseasonably cold weather), brimming with all the energy of a 27 year old, his hair a rusty mass of coils in a halo around his head.  “You all right?”, he says.  “What do you want me to do today?” Eager to begin.  My aging brain and body flood with relief.

The cellar contains all the things I jammed into it before the renter moved in to stay for the 3 months I was away.  One clothes rack fell over the other, luggage spills sweaters, shoes, t-shirts I have rummaged through to find something to wear, and it is impossible to clear out anything else until it is all sorted. I have been down there only to find clothes, leaving as soon as possible to avoid sitting down and weeping.

Showing him the mess, I say, “How about sorting the cellar?”  “No worries,”he says.   And that is what he does, sorts the  jumble, moves things to their proper places, neatens everything so I can see what is there.

We talk about getting boxes into which I can sort what goes and what stays.   I ring Sainsbury, Waitrose, B & Q to see if I can find some free ones, but most places disassemble and recycle theirs right away.I find a store that may have some.  Jack is off in his trusty van like a shot. “No worries”, he says.

Meanwhile, Carmelita tranquilly vacuums, dusts, mops, cleans toilets, and all the things she does to make the house nice and clean, and me cared for.   Jack returns with the only boxes they had available, which look like they might have contained small chain  saws; they are very deep and narrow.  Mmm.  Won’t do, Dew.  Carmelita, who has moved her boss’ house recently, says, “I have boxes.”  Jack and I look at each other.   Her English is not great, or maybe it is her listening skills.

So we arrange a time for me to pick up the boxes, I arrange with Jack a return date to do more clearing out, and I feel really ready to get on with the rest, energized, satisfied, as I have done it all myself.  No worries.   Hope this lasts the weekend.