Clair the Au-pair

The Adventures of Albert the Librarian - Part 6

Inspired by true events

Home alone was also to be found

Otherwise chore-bound

Dark-haired skinny Clair 

Current occupation - an au-pair. 

Devoted to the kitchen, cleaning

The things she did now had no meaning

Contemporary cinderella tired

Vacation needed badly, she wouldn`t risk being fired 

Complaining was out of the question

Reduce the number of facial expressions

To those of happiness, content

Or back to her home country she would be sent!

The host-family was somehow all composed

Of people so emotionally indisposed, 

One day she did things right

The next - it was a cause for fight

A roller-coaster ride - six more months to go

Time passed slowly - but the goal was getting close

Unnerving and exhausting

Dealing with kids in adult costumes

In addition to the real kids

Around them anyone would loose their wits

So she was there saving lives

Appointed as a “second wife”

Her place of origin was scary, dreadful!

The cause of people being disrespectful 

Pecking order - she was at the bottom

Freedom was expected in the autumn

A granny on the street once was very sweet

Nobody nice out there otherwise to meet

The accent was a cause for so much pain

It scared people off and brought about disdain

Anyways this lady was a little strange

A meeting brief the universe arranged

“The world will one day be at your feet

Now it`s just the way it is, bear with it”

To the locals she was means to an end

They were too impossible to befriend

Her cooking was so popular indeed

Preferably if it was for free 

A verbal “thank you” she would get

The money and the time she spent - she could forget

Getting used to hate was taking a huge toll

No tutorial on how to handle it though

All she knew she had a goal

Invincibility against the trolls!

The host family was well respected too

It meant in no way life in it was any cool

Cooking, cleaning, scrubbing floors on weekends too

Exchange of what? “Just stay strong! It will end soon!”

Time for real work it was

The argument that killed all hopes

Pointing out the non-existent language skills

It gave her every time the chills!

Communication was a pain

“You are not able to explain!”

During the spare time she studied

“Spend it with our angels here, you heard it!”

Huge house, kids, a lazy husband

No wonder host mum was quite flustered

It was forgiven to forget the children`s names

The job was so consuming, The argument is lame!

Clair, or Clarissa, she was called

A Clair was more Western, she was told 

Increased the chances of inclusion

All her efforts resulted in seclusion

No chance for privacy - confusion

Cause there were all the times intrusions

No key - imagine living there as a stranger

“Take part in the collective grooming!” Strange nature!

Intimacy levels too high to be required

According to the contract nothing of the sort to be desired

“A family member you are now” was the excuse

“Especially the weekend, when we choose

But not all the time now, no way!

Our marriage would not stay

Exactly stable if you were around

So mind your business this time round!”

A home-wrecker she was not!

Non-verbally she felt accused a lot

Whatever action she would undertake

She had to think about it in advance, avoid mistake

Host father unattractive, overweight and pale

They probably got married when drunk on many ales

First cousins from a village small

That came to larger town to have it all

Clair wouldn't steal her cousin, no

She`d rather avoid meeting them all

Whenever she was done and finished

Host mum`s fears she wanted to extinguish

One day she would be independent

Traveling, with proper job, with experiences transcendent

She would have a man, attractive, love of her own

Asking for permission, bowing down - these times they would be long gone!

Reality so distant, not yet real

So different from the current feel

Dust, debris, screeching, drilling

State of the affairs so unappealing

The bathroom in the house was being renovated

The old one - three years back - so outdated!

Renovation - true obsession

The carpenter - a God, the most revered profession!

He came over a few times

Long sick leaves in this profession too applied

Luckily there was running water during this ordeal

Which was crucial to her own appeal

It took three times longer than originally planned

When would it be done? She could not stand it!

People from her country - they were deemed dirty

There was not bathroom now, but it was worth it.  

The contract never either said “extreme conditions”

Nothing here would help - complaining or petitions

Switching off the water, electricity it happened often

In her country of origin, by which the current blow was softened.

At home this was a drill so regular and normal

Here she never did complain or did anything formal

This is happening in a developed country… so strange!

Especially for her it was arranged 

Taking a shower was her problem sole

Despite the challenges, she managed after all

The matter would never be addressed

No matter how pissed she was, or stressed

Whatever it was happening between four walls

Nobody would bother pay attention to it, no

The family`s twisted choices and behaviour

Sometimes she felt she needed saviour 

Huge mess to clean up every day

While everyone else was away

They still complained upon arrival

These days she felt so suicidal

Right after cleaning kids made a mess

Host mum never seemed impressed

With belittling she was obsessed

And acted like she was possessed

The most liberated country was a prison

Being at the mercy of those deprived of reason

The whims of sick people they decided

The reality was only theirs, all one-sided

The fellow au-pairs they would share their woes

They were regarded as some common hoes

“Stoop to conquer” people once had said

One day the world would be theirs to be had

A new member of the group had joined last night

She managed to sneak out of the house without a fight

Everyone was busy doing something and her chores were done

Although another day went by without seeing the sun

The weirdest stories they were shared 

There were some real weirdos out there

The new au-pair took care of a handicapped child

The story round it was so wild!

The parents had a cunning plan

A kid from a poor country they would adopt and then 

As an eternal caretaker she would be raised

Their problem would be solved, may the Lord be praised!

But mind your business! do not talk!

Forget as soon as possible, and do not poke!

For more details, or anything related to it

The right thing here is not worth it, do not do it!

The stories they were similar, at least the most

Consideration - lacking from the host

They could be left without food alone for weeks 

The hosts were saving, but not from the boutiques 

The au-pairs bought food themselves

But it was often gone for good, what the hell!

No payment back and no excuse

You learn to hide your stuff, if at first obtuse

These stories never made the news

Because nobody would choose

To put themselves in danger and more abuse

Risking their job to lose or getting a bruise

No anger, no revenge, one should be careful

Of what they say, or do, above all be grateful!

Courage, thick skin were required

Of host mum`s jealous glowering she was so tired!

Grumpiness and criticising felt right, rewarding

Instead make sure these people you`d be courting

Home was worse - financial and emotional abuse

She was used to it, impossible to choose

Abuse without the payment, that would be a waste

She was sold in such a haste

And sent off with the following instruction: 

“Make sure you don't fail or fall prey to seduction!”

Endurance was something in her blood

She trained for this since birth and she was good

At coping with any shit that life would dish out

The best things she managed to fish out

Playing your cards well - you will survive

No matter what it takes, it doesn't matter if you never thrive

A golden opportunity indeed

It doesn't matter if you go against your creed

Reminding herself every day

The goals, the shit, the miserable ways

Administering every minute self peptalk so motivating 

Endurance, make sure failure evading!

It was not so bad, compared to others

There were so much worse, and dreadful mothers

“Are you anorexic?” host mum nagging

Being thin - a problem, Clair was afraid of sacking

“But food is so expensive”

Host mum would get defensive

This sentence was exceptionally taxing!

Knowing that you were a burden it was not relaxing!

It stuck in her mind - the trip to the store

Of repeating host mum`s mouth was sore

Obviously here too eating was a shame

They did not buy anything that day

She wondered how to manage without eating

Or sneak in the kitchen, take something without heating

A tiny bite, it won`t be noticed

It was required a great deal of focus

There was this other weird lady

Who tried to bribe her au-pair with some french pastry

Working on a Sunday was not allowed 

Cluelessness could be exploited very well, no doubt

If it was a month`s supply of these she would agree

Indeed the pastry it was good, but it was a tiny bit

Which would never justify 

Five hours of work, she had no right!

Out of the question - saying no

Glowering, and threats, and fits, the package whole

Obeying was the key and so

You had to choose what`s best for you, and though

Dignity was left behind for good

Respect - only when they were in mood

Outside they were exemplary and great

They were loved and well-paid

The hours of the day were slowly trudging by

She would in the wee hours often cry

Remark unpleasant about the youngest kid

Sick for days, they were not worried, not a bit!

They wouldn't take her to the doctor, no way

On the sofa writhing in pain for days

It was expensive the whole affair

She would sleep it off, how do you dare?

It wasn't something to discuss

You were not supposed to make a fuss!

About the fact that the thirteen-year-old

Was not capable of writing, not at all!

It was not her business, it was theirs

Despite this fact they didn't care

The library - safe heaven, quiet, she enjoyed a lot

When dismissal from the family membership she got

The scrawny-looking guy sometimes engaged in conversation

The only local who never seemed impatient

Who wasn't there for her cooking 

Nor did he for other ways of exploitation looking

If she had come here to get married

Of things the locals were so curious or scared 

They asked so often, she was sick and tired

A poster maybe - good idea, answering the questions everyone desired

Meeting a new person was a whole exam

So many questions in a tiny frame, they would be rammed!

The reason why - she never understood

But they wouldn't be ashamed to ask for free food

Learning was impossible in the huge house

She strived to be a tiny, silent mouse

But now for some reason they all were gone

Information of their plans they would never pass on

The grocery store was not so far away

They needed milk and it could not wait

Dilligence and duty, they came first

There were otherwise some outbursts

The rooms were checked on all floors

There was nobody indoors

Food spread on the counters, all lights on

Doors open, objects on the floor, their owners gone

Were they out, the car was here

The yard was also empty, they had all disappeared

Strange vibration went through her body

Feelings of freedom slowly loading

She took her bike and locked the door

Two days of freedom from this home war

She left towards the city

To the island where the views were pretty

The wind that played with her hair

There was no-one around, she wasn't that aware

She hurried to the park on top of the hill

She would feed the ducks and probably just chill

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