Clean

Yesterday I got up determined to exise from the floor anything which might prevent the cleaning ladies from doing their thing. So I went from this to that, removing, sorting, putting away. Someone once told me that when the cleaning lady comes, she first cleans house. I didn't do that, but I did spend all morning putting away and so forth. Then Lydia called to suggest a trip to Sam's Club. Lydia goes there once/month in order to cheaply buy those all-the-time items like paper products, cheese, kids' snacks, diet coke, bottled water, etc. Occasionally, I go with her.

It took about exactly three hoours. Sam's Club is formidable. I saw a lady who had run in to buy a tray of cupcakes and she was on her way out with the cupcake tray in hand...wow. That's the living definition of restraint. Unlike that worthy citizen, I bought a cart load of stuff; two bushel basket-sized yellow chrysanthemuns, cheese, printer paper, a pair of Tommy Bahama sandals, chips, Sharpie markers, South Beach high protein bars, and so on and so on.

Once back home, I got Benny situated in front of Noggin Channel on the TV and then the cleaning ladies arrived. They began upstairs. I could hear that bathroom getting a trip to the woodshed. Someone was spot-treating places on the stairway carpet. Lotta banging and thumping around in the front office. I tippy-toed up the stairs to see and Leiona's helper caught me. She said, "Where's Leiona?" I disclaimed knowledge. The lady got mad and began to slam bang things around. She said, "Well, then you get up here and tell me is this bathroom good enough so I can move along." What? Huh? A woman with issues. I soothingly remarked that whatever she had done, I was sure the bathroom looked better than it had to begin with. I went back downstairs.

Leiona came in the door with a big bag of cleaning supplies and a special reach-high duster she'd left at the last house they did. She went upstairs. I heard the angry woman. I heard Leiona's very sweet voice. The angry woman clumped downstairs and left. It sounded to me as if the bathroom job began all over again. Then the vacuum started up. After about an hour, Leiona came downstairs and began on the blinds.

I asked what happened to her assistant. She stopped working and told the sad tale. Leiona is a reach-out artist. She has a big heart for women with no hope and no chance to get up and out. However, she expects those she helps to show some sense. She now and then goes to one of the local homeless shelters to talk to residents, offer training followed by work. Every person she has ever helped in this way eventually falls off the work wagon. Said Leiona, "The last girl after a few weeks of showing up late or absent every day with endless excuses, finally just truthfully told me, 'I don't WANT to work. As long as I got a baby, I don't have to. They'll give me money to live. And I can always make another baby.'" Sadly, Leiona's present assistant is such a person. This woman has stuck with Leiona for a couple of months but she is troublesome on the job and frequently avoids the job. Always something. Last night her son had a problem that kept him out as a run-away all night and she stayed up to worry and today she was too tired to work. Like that.

I checked the clock. It was after 6:00. I said, "Well, I most certainly do not expect you to work here at this late hour. You've got to be exhausted. Why don't we just call this a day and you can decided on a time next week to come back and finish up?"

Leiona said, "No. I would rather see if I can finish today, if you don't mind. I think I can do it by myself. It will just take some time." When she said this, I kind of sighed internally thinking that she intended to merely hit the high spots. I had so hoped she'd do a deep cleaning this time, but I could not expect that in the circumstances.

Let me say that three hours later when Leiona left, she had done every window, baseboard, blind, floor, under each piece of furniture no matter what size. Also she'd shampooed the carpet on stairs and front office upstairs. Worse, she'd gone back to re-do what her helper did in the upstairs bathroom since it did not meet her standards. Leiona is one of a kind. She is a piece of work. I'm not going to put her whole name or her number on here because I don't want you to call her to clean your house. There's only one of her and I want that one to keep on cleaning MY house. I thank the Lord that I met her and that she agreed to put me on her list.

Now. We just have to get busy and find her some really good assistants, the kind who will not let her down. She pays entry-level workers $7.50/hr, so there should be no problem about the money side. Also she does all the necessary training and transportation and she works right with her helpers. If you know of a strong, healthy young woman who needs some income and who is willing to work for her money, please e-mail me. I'll let Leiona know. Another thing. If she had reliable helpers, she could do more houses...including yours. Seriously, y'all. Let's help Leiona find help. Next week I'm going to the Rescue Mission and to the Dwelling Place to talk to people there on Leiona's behalf to see if I can find some ladies for her to train. And, please, let me know if you know of a good candidate.

Leiona lost one helper who told her, "I can't do this kind of work. It's the same thing as enslavement. It's like going back two hundred years." This from a person living on the streets with no skills, education or income of any kind...a woman who had enslaved herself to poverty by a complete absense of good sense. Leiona, herself, has 7 years of higher education, but sees the cleaning industry as a way to earn money with flexible hours and control over her own work situation. The way she does the job elevates it to an art form. I really want to locate some good help for her.