Which Reminds Me

Maria was the name of one of our maids. Maria worked for us for about a year, probably when I was in 10th grade. Maria was newly arrived from somewhere out in the country where people live in tiny little shacks with no running water and electricity and very little exposure to civilization. She had maybe a sixth or eighth grade education. She was a single mother with one daughter. Sometimes she would ask very naive questions that were a little bit amusing for ignorance but anyway I would try to be helpful and explain some things. I don't remember anything specific. Maria's boyfriend reappeared in her life after a long absence and then suddenly she was a single mother with two children. I remember hearing her crying because she had so many personal problems and stresses what with her boyfriend dropping in and out and who knows what else. I really wouldn't know or want to know. I felt that it would be too intrusive to ask her why she was so distressed that day. One day our friend Susie was visiting from the U.S. and I was explaining about our maids and Susie thought it was so ludicrous that I was talking as if I were the employer. Yes, I do think I was parroting some things that my mother said. Ok, so I am guilty of being a bit of a parrot.