I have a house helper. This is common knowledge. I don't always like to make it common knowledge though, because I'm afraid it makes me sound like a spoiled elitist foreigner living the high life. That is not the case. I live well below the American poverty line in an apartment I do not own that is the exact same size as my classroom. That's probably why I can afford to have a house helper. I rely on her so much, and I love her dearly. I always joke that if it weren't for her, all I would ever eat is instant noodles.
Well, that claim is being put to the test this week. Tuesday morning, I woke up to an insistent knocking at my front door WAY too early in the day. I tried to ignore it, but it wouldn't stop, so I eventually stumbled to the door, hair askew, and opened it. My helper's husband was standing there, and my heart jumped into my throat. "WHAT HAPPENED?" I asked (or maybe barked... I'm not really sure). He told me, "She got in a wreck last night, and she can't come into work today." In a surprising moment of pre-coffee clarity (shock will do that to you), I managed to asked all the right questions.
Is she in the hospital? No.
Is anything broken? No.
Did she see a doctor? Yes.
Is she in pain? Yes.
So we agreed that she would not be in to work that day, and he went to his job and I put some gel in my hair and made some coffee and then went to my job too.
I visited her at her house after work on Tuesday. She was in bed. Her left knee was swollen to the size of a grapefruit, and she was covered in bruises and Betadine infused scrapes and cuts. The doctor had her on pain meds. She insisted she would be in to work the next day. I told her she was not allowed.
I talked to her Wednesday, and she told me she was having an allergic reaction to the medicine the doctor put her on. I told her not to come in on Thursday. It is now Thursday. She thinks she is coming in on Friday, but I'll see how she's doing tonight.
It's a little bit embarrassing to admit that this is the first time I've gone through a work week without a helper cooking and cleaning for me. I still don't think I'm an elitist or a high roller, but I can maybe accept that I might be a little bit spoiled. However, I am proud to say that even after 8-10 hour workdays, all my dishes have gotten done, all my laundry has been folded, and my floors are kind of clean. And most importantly of all, I have NOT ordered out OR made instant noodles a single time so far! But we'll see how long I can keep it up, because I'm running out of ingredients, and I refuse to wake up at 4 AM to go to the market.
If you think of it, please pray for my helper and her family. She told me yesterday that she feels "very sad" that she can't work. She thrives off of activity, so sitting at home is not easy for her. Her husband, her elderly mother, and her two kids also rely a lot on her, so her being out of capacity is tough on everyone. And of course, please pray for her to heal well. She never got her knee X-rayed, so even though the doctor said nothing is broken, it's still possible that there is some damage there.
I'm so incredibly thankful that her accident wasn't any worse than it was.
I'm also thankful that she has a great family and a great support system.
And lastly, I would also like to take this opportunity express my thankfulness to my mother for teaching me how to cook. Thanks, mom!
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