Family Offended that Maid Works for Other Families

In Naples, there are many houses. Not all of them are homes. What makes a house a home? According to my very conservative grandmother, a maid! Maids not only help with the cleaning, but they also help families feel like they are completing 90% of their community service for the year. In order to investigate my grandmother’s hypothesis for myself, I decided to go directly to the source.

I started house sitting and babysitting in the Naples area to get the inside scoop on the dark reality of people who can barely tie their own shoes. Each homeowner asks different things of their maid, depending on the owner’s comfort preferences. In my 6 months of field research, I gathered that most places need only excess cocaine to be dusted from the coffee tables. However, some things can’t be swept under the rug such as the tension caused by jealousy and a broken heart.

I’ve been house-sitting for the Rivilege family for about seven months, and I’ve also had the pleasure to meet the maid Ana. Every Tuesday, I walk in, and almost all of my senses are bombarded with signs that Ana is also there — the speakerphone on blast, the Elvis lunchbox, and the overwhelming smell of cleaning products. Ana is always extremely hardworking and maintains a jolly disposition, so it surprised me when the head of the house, Jill, 47, divorced, expressed her concern regarding Ana’s commitment to her son and dog.

Jill P. Rivilege, came home one day after I took care of her son Wright. I was about to take my money and head out the door when she stopped me. She had a bit of sweat lining the sides of her face, and a pale complexion. “Abby,” she whispered as she popped a xanax, “Abby, I think Ana is seeing other families.” Before I could ask what led her to this conclusion, she began to tear up. Amongst all of the signs, the tipper was when Ana called the dog Judy. “HIS name is Lotso. Lotso Rivilege, damnit!! Who the f*ck is Judy?!” Her tears poured onto the shiny wood floors. I have never seen a more heartbroken woman with a Gucci belt. As I tried to comfort her, Elvis’ “Burning Love” echoed around the Rivilege home, as Ana was finishing up her cleaning for the day.

Three months later, Mrs P. Rivilege began to seek support from bi-weekly AA meetings. This is not because she is an alcoholic, but because all of her friends are there, and it’s the most efficient way she can converse with them all at once, as Corona shut down their favorite brunch spot. Slowly, she began to recover from the shock that Ana’s disloyalty caused her, her dog and her son. Yes, this experience was scarring for Jill, but it gave her a greater transformation that no mop or duster could have ever given.