I placed the rugs back into the bathroom, I was careful not to disturb the vacuum lines. I’d then dust the many shelves of their walk-in closet before cleaning their bedroom, vacuuming my way out.
On that first day at Henry’s, we paused in the hallway to admire a glass showcase. Henry’s hobby was woodcarving, and he interrupted the tour to say most of the pieces were done by artists with far greater talent than his. Half of his garage was a wood shop, he said a little sheepishly, but he rarely made furniture anymore.
I remained silent through the walk-through, trying to take in the many instructions, wondering if Henry would get angry if I didn’t follow them correctly. In the family room sat a television bigger than my car. The cupboard below it had several different electronic boxes to play DVDs, or for cable, power, and volume to the many speakers placed around the room. I’d only seen setups like this in stores. In the other wall was a fireplace, complete with a brick mantel and bench. I’d have to move the two heavy leather chairs on sliders, and the table in between them, careful not to disturb the five remote controls on top of it. When I began to run a vacuum over the red carpet, I realized it was more of a brick color without the thin veil of dog hair. After the family room, I cleaned the breakfast nook, the stainless-steel refrigerator, marble countertops, and floors in the kitchen, and finally, the half bath in the entryway.
The first few times that I cleaned, Henry’s voice made me cower. I worked constantly, pausing only to fiddle with my iPod Shuffle or to glance at my watch to make sure I was on schedule. I went overtime the first couple of Fridays, which worried Lonnie so much she called Pam to discuss her concerns, prompting Pam to call me and ask if everything was going okay. But after a while, I knew where the hair collected, which spots needed a quick wipe, scrubbed, or wouldn’t come off. Everything melded into mindless movements, and I spent the time worrying about other things happening in my life.
When I got to Henry’s house in the mornings, we always chatted a little bit. Then he’d putter around in the kitchen, making his breakfast, usually two thick slices of bread with tomato and avocado. Later, I would clean the wooden table he ate breakfast at, wiping away the crumbs he’d left, moving the lazy Susan, filled with different salts and hot sauces, to wipe under it. By the time I cleaned my way down the hall, he’d be working at his desk, remaining there until I left.
One Friday he asked if I could do an extra day the following week.
“I can’t, unfortunately,” I said. “I have a house I clean on Fridays opposite of yours.” The Farm House was also new and, I realized, strikingly similar to Henry’s in that the client had gone through almost every cleaner in the company before me. Both houses were sweaty, fast-paced four-hour cleans with horrible carpets and many animals. I held in an involuntary shudder thinking about vacuuming the navy-blue carpet that covered the stairs.
“Oh,” Henry said, looking down.
“I could come this weekend, though,” I said. “If that works, I mean. My daughter goes to her dad’s every other weekend, and I drop her off after I leave here.”
Henry stood up straighter and looked pleased. “Great, because I’m having a dinner party!” he said. He motioned for me to follow him. We walked out the sliding glass door to the covered patio behind his house. “And I want this grill to shine.”
I nodded at its filth and noticed the hot tub with an empty bottle of champagne sitting in the corner. My body ached, yearned for even a chance, just one opportunity, to drink champagne in a hot tub.
Inside, I returned to vacuuming the formal dining room. Henry had an old video poker game setup in there and a half-empty bottle of fancy gin sitting by the little sink at the bar. I caught myself wondering what my retirement would look like, if I would even know one. I’d never own a house too big for me to clean on my own, that was for sure. What a waste of space it seemed to hire someone to run a vacuum over the same visible lines they’d left two weeks ago. I tried to follow the same pattern,