Story: Maddie Made Maid. Chapters 11-12.

by Noëlle Lague

(Freely based on "Maid in China" by Barefoot Servant)

XI - A suitable haircut

Drowning in humiliation Maddie was dragged by Heather toward the big entrance of the house. Jenny, Skye and Graham stood waiting, waving with beaming smiles at the door. Maddie curtsied in front of them.

”Oh Pudgy, is that Chanel or Armani? Can´t wait to see your new hairstyle,” Skye taunted.

A shamefaced Maddie followed Heather out the door, the clacking of Heather´s heels accompanying the strong rustling noise produced by Maddie´s rainwear.

Heather parked right outside the beauty parlor. Looking at the sign she snickered: ”Beauty parlor”. Probably not an appropriate name in relation to what was going to take place in there today, she thought, smiling to herself. 

Linda, the hairdresser, who had been prepared for Maddie´s visit, greeted Heather with a hug before turning towards Maddie.

Story: Maddie Made Maid. Chapter 10.

by Noëlle Lague
(Freely based on "Maid in China" by Barefoot Servant)

X - Disciplined at the Kim´s 

The next day was going to be filled to the brim with duties for Maddie. She had to wake up at five o´clock and was immediately told by Rosario to get dressed in her cleaning uniform, the pink smock in thick nylon that she had been using cleaning up after the guests. It made the serving uniform seem light and airy. Just like the day before, she was to wear only the smock, without bra and panties. The fact that it was worn without apron, for some reason, gave the outfit an even more restrictive impression. Maddie felt her nipples attacked with every movement, the stiff fabric was merciless. Rosario instructed her to put the large white hairband in her hair to keep the it away from her face. Maddie saw her reflection in a full-length mirror and groaned audibly.

”Yes Maddie, that´s how Miss Heather wanted you to look for your cleaning chores today, that is, for the moment. She wanted me to tell you that you later today have a hairdresser`s appointment. You will be given a more appropriate haircut for the maid you are, the lowest in rank.”

Maddie squirmed feeling tears of anger welling up in her eyes.

”But….Mrs. Dalaga….I….don´t want to cut my…..”, she complained but was cut off by Rosario.

”Enough of your whining.”

She seized Maddie´s arm and held it with a firm hand.

”Ow, you´re hurting me….”

Story: Maddie Made Maid. Chapter 9.

by Noëlle Lague

(Freely based on "Maid in China" by Barefoot Servant)

IX - Exposure

 “Good evening. May I…..,” Maddie started, looking up at a tall unknown man.

”You must be Maddie, the new maid?”

”Er…yes…I…”

Maddie perceived somebody behind the man, she wasn´t sure, but she thought she could see a pair of pink rubber boots.

”Go fetch Mrs. Kim for me, will you?”

”Yes…Mr….”

”Bronstein.”

”Yes Mr. Bronstein, right away. Please come in.”

As she held the door for Mr. Bronstein the person wearing rain boots became unveiled.

“Mom….wha…..why are you ….”

”Just go fetch Mrs. Kim for me, and hurry up,” Mr. Bronstein snapped her.”

”Yes Mr. Bronstein, I´m sorry.”

Story: Maddie Made Maid. Chapter 8.

by Noëlle Lague

(Freely based on "Maid in China" by Barefoot Servant)

VIII - Under Heather´s thumb

What followed was a whirlwind of activity for the two maids. Rosario told Maddie that she was expected to do all of the cleaning, the hard work, the coming day. Rosario sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions. Maddie emptied the dishwasher and quickly learned that even that task was not as simple as it was in her own home. As Maddie removed each item, Rosario instructed her to hand dry it, then hand wash any residual soap film, then hand dry it again.

“This seems an awful lot of work, Mrs. Dalaga”, Maddie complained.

“Have you ever seen a soap spot on any of our glasses when you came to visit as Miss Jennifer’s friend?”

“No, Mrs. Dalaga but….”

”The word but will not come out of your mouth again Maddie”.

”I´m sorry, Mrs. Dalaga”.

Maddie started carefully to dry a glass.

“Do I have to call her Miss Jennifer too, Mrs. Dalaga?”

Glamour Old School: Vogue Brazil May 2013

I must be running out of maid-related fashion editorials by now, but here is another one from Brazil for your enjoyment. It's pretty thin on the maid stuff, but what's there is quite good. Barely hidden racial overtones with a beautiful blonde mistress in glamorous outfits served by plain dark-skinned uniformed maids? Check. Luxury living and exquisite outfits in a hotel environment as poor maids look on? Check. Need I ask for more? 

Story: Maddie Made Maid. Chapter 7.

by Noëlle Lague

(Freely based on "Maid in China" by Barefoot Servant)

VII - Maid Maddie

Maddie awoke to her phone’s melodious alarm. 7:30. The first day of summer—I should be sleeping in. Maddie rolled out of bed and stumbled bleary-eyed to the bathroom. After showering and brushing her teeth, Maddie was happy to be able to dress in a pair of cargo shorts, her favorite Dr. Pepper ringer tee, and a pair of comfortable running shoes. 

Her nightmare was maybe over, she thought, before passing the hallway. Maddie was instantly and sadly reminded of her new status as she nervously cast a glimpse at the hangers; her rainwear, that her aunt had told her to neatly put up there, the pink and the blue sets, were on ostentatious display. She frowned, quickly grabbing Jenny’s birthday present and continued out of the house.

The walk to Jenny’s house was a pleasant one. The girls lived only two subdivisions, one mile, apart. It was sunny, but not yet as hot as the day promised to be.

Maddie was greeted at the front door by the barefoot, uniformed Rosario. 

“Oh Maddie, come in,” the maid said in her accented English.”

Story: Maddie Made Maid. Chapter 6.

by Noëlle Lague

(Freely based on "Maid in China" by Barefoot Servant)

VI - The bullying goes on 

Maddie spent her last day before vacation at the Unit. A dreadful day, full of cleaning exercises, but also a day of counting, supervised by Sandra. Both subjects proved to be monotonous and exhausting.  

All the calculation examples seemed familiar to her, but Sandra´s presence for some reason made it difficult to concentrate and Maddie ended up unable to give correct answers to any of them. Sandra kept going backwards in difficulty as Maddie gradually failed to solve the problems. Shortly before recess, a blushing Maddie was made to read aloud; `Mrs. King donated 7 teddy bears to the nursery school. Now the nursery school has a total of 31 teddy bears. How many teddy bears did the nursery school have before the donation?` 

Staring at her squirming pupil, unable to sort out the teddy bear mystery, Sandra finally sent Maddie out for recess, in her rainwear although the sun was shining and no other student at the Unit had to put it on. She was given a plastic bucket and a spade and sent out to discover a surprising novelty for recess activities at the Unit. At Heather´s initiative a sandbox had been installed, right in front of the schoolyard, facing the main building and it was going to be inaugurated by Maddie.  Aurelia directed her, she was to build a sand castle, a task that turned out to be difficult although not impossible; the sandbox had been filled with quite a lot of water, transforming it into a mud puddle. 

As Maddie obediently struggled to dig in the sand, she noticed a group of students in the schoolyard, not too far from her. She couldn´t see who it was until a couple of them slowly made their way toward the Unit. A shiver ran down her spine as she identified them, it was Skye and Graham. Aurelia was standing close to the sandbox as Maddie´s object of love and his new girlfriend approached it.