Read Online The Colour of Gold by Oliver T Spedding - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Oliver T Spedding
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unpacking the items that she and Bogdan had
bought at the concession store, she glanced out of the lounge
window and noticed three black women sitting patiently on the
pavement in front of the house. She went outside.
"Why are you
sitting here?" she asked.
"We are looking
for work, madam." one of the women, a tall well-dressed woman in
her early twenties replied. "We heard that you and the baas were
new here and might want a domestic maid. We all have experience in
housework."
"You must come
back at five o'clock this afternoon when my husband is here." Julia
said. "Then we will interview you."
"Thank you,
madam." the tall woman said. "We will come back at five
o'clock."
When Bogdan
arrived at the house just after five that afternoon there were four
black women waiting on the pavement. He went into the house.
"You were
right." Julia said, pointing the women on the pavement. "Those are
all women looking for work."
"Let's go and
talk to them." Bogdan said.
As Bogdan and
Julia walked out to the pavement the four women stood up.
"Do all of you
know how to wash and iron clothes and keep the house clean?" Bogdan
asked.
"Yes, baas."
the women replied.
Bogdan studies
the four women. The young well-dressed woman who had earlier spoken
to Julia attracted his attention. Apart from being well dressed she
also looked clean and neat and appeared to be well educated. Two of
the other women were older than the first woman and had their faces
smeared with ash, a tradition followed by some African tribes in
the country, and this put both Bogdan and Julia off. The fourth
woman was also neatly dressed but Bogdan could see that she had a
slightly surly attitude that was likely to create problems. He
motioned to the younger woman.
"Come with us."
he said. "We want to talk to you in private."
The woman
followed the two white people through the house into the
kitchen.
"What's your
name?" Bogdan asked.
"Catherine."
the woman replied.
"Do you have
any references?"
"No. Employers
don't like to give us references because if the police find them
they can charge the employer with hiring an illegal person."
Catherine replied.
"So you don't
have a "pass" to work here." Bogdan said.
"No." Catherine
replied. "But I'm a good and neat worker and because I don't have a
pass I won't give you any trouble."
"Why did you
leave your last job?" Julia asked.
"The people
that I was working for moved away." Catherine replied.
Bogdan studied
the woman. She was very attractive with large brown eyes, a slim
delicate nose and lips that turned up slightly at the corners. When
she smiled she showed small clean white teeth. Her hair was covered
with a colourful scarf and she wore a white blouse and a dark blue
skirt, her breasts pushed enticingly against her blouse and the
rest of her body was slim and well proportioned. Her voice had an
attractive husky tone.
"Where do you
come from?" Julia asked.
"Rustenburg."
Catherine said "I left because there is no work there."
"Are you
married?" Bogdan asked, knowing that married domestic workers often
created problems when their husband's, who usually lived far away,
came to visit them.
"No, baas."
Catherine replied. "But I do have a child, a little boy who lives
with my mother in Rustenburg."
"I understand
that the going rate for full-time domestic workers is fifteen Rand
a week plus tea or coffee, sugar and milk and a meal at midday."
Bogdan said. "And the hours are from eight o'clock in the morning
to three o'clock in the afternoon from Monday to Friday. Is that
okay?"
"Yes, baas."
Catherine said.
"Okay." Bogdan
said. "Wait outside. The madam and I want to talk."
Catherine left
the house and waited on the veranda in front of the house.
"I don't like
the two with the ash on their faces." Bogdan said to Julia. "They
looked clean enough but they obviously still have some of the bush
in them. The other woman looks surly to me and this could be a
problem. What do you think?"
"Yes, I agree
with you." Julia
bought at the concession store, she glanced out of the lounge
window and noticed three black women sitting patiently on the
pavement in front of the house. She went outside.
"Why are you
sitting here?" she asked.
"We are looking
for work, madam." one of the women, a tall well-dressed woman in
her early twenties replied. "We heard that you and the baas were
new here and might want a domestic maid. We all have experience in
housework."
"You must come
back at five o'clock this afternoon when my husband is here." Julia
said. "Then we will interview you."
"Thank you,
madam." the tall woman said. "We will come back at five
o'clock."
When Bogdan
arrived at the house just after five that afternoon there were four
black women waiting on the pavement. He went into the house.
"You were
right." Julia said, pointing the women on the pavement. "Those are
all women looking for work."
"Let's go and
talk to them." Bogdan said.
As Bogdan and
Julia walked out to the pavement the four women stood up.
"Do all of you
know how to wash and iron clothes and keep the house clean?" Bogdan
asked.
"Yes, baas."
the women replied.
Bogdan studies
the four women. The young well-dressed woman who had earlier spoken
to Julia attracted his attention. Apart from being well dressed she
also looked clean and neat and appeared to be well educated. Two of
the other women were older than the first woman and had their faces
smeared with ash, a tradition followed by some African tribes in
the country, and this put both Bogdan and Julia off. The fourth
woman was also neatly dressed but Bogdan could see that she had a
slightly surly attitude that was likely to create problems. He
motioned to the younger woman.
"Come with us."
he said. "We want to talk to you in private."
The woman
followed the two white people through the house into the
kitchen.
"What's your
name?" Bogdan asked.
"Catherine."
the woman replied.
"Do you have
any references?"
"No. Employers
don't like to give us references because if the police find them
they can charge the employer with hiring an illegal person."
Catherine replied.
"So you don't
have a "pass" to work here." Bogdan said.
"No." Catherine
replied. "But I'm a good and neat worker and because I don't have a
pass I won't give you any trouble."
"Why did you
leave your last job?" Julia asked.
"The people
that I was working for moved away." Catherine replied.
Bogdan studied
the woman. She was very attractive with large brown eyes, a slim
delicate nose and lips that turned up slightly at the corners. When
she smiled she showed small clean white teeth. Her hair was covered
with a colourful scarf and she wore a white blouse and a dark blue
skirt, her breasts pushed enticingly against her blouse and the
rest of her body was slim and well proportioned. Her voice had an
attractive husky tone.
"Where do you
come from?" Julia asked.
"Rustenburg."
Catherine said "I left because there is no work there."
"Are you
married?" Bogdan asked, knowing that married domestic workers often
created problems when their husband's, who usually lived far away,
came to visit them.
"No, baas."
Catherine replied. "But I do have a child, a little boy who lives
with my mother in Rustenburg."
"I understand
that the going rate for full-time domestic workers is fifteen Rand
a week plus tea or coffee, sugar and milk and a meal at midday."
Bogdan said. "And the hours are from eight o'clock in the morning
to three o'clock in the afternoon from Monday to Friday. Is that
okay?"
"Yes, baas."
Catherine said.
"Okay." Bogdan
said. "Wait outside. The madam and I want to talk."
Catherine left
the house and waited on the veranda in front of the house.
"I don't like
the two with the ash on their faces." Bogdan said to Julia. "They
looked clean enough but they obviously still have some of the bush
in them. The other woman looks surly to me and this could be a
problem. What do you think?"
"Yes, I agree
with you." Julia
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