Because the heat wave we’ve been having is not unusual for this time of year, and it is often accompanied by a great deal of dust, I’m really grateful that I have a cleaner who gets rid of the dust, even though she left all the windows open today when she left.  

I’ve had household help since I first came here in 1972.  Then it was a Tunisian lady who was forced into marriage at the age of 14.  It was rumored in the neighborhood that she murdered her husband by spraying his food with DDT every day.  Her language was basically Arabic but she knew enough Hebrew to confuse my new immigrant knowledge of the language.  It took me years to figure out that “banelim” were the panels on the lower edges of the walls.  I cannot remember why she left but I still smell the vineagar she poured on her head every morning before work. 

There have been others in the meantime but it is only a dozen years or so since it became compulsory to pay insurance, social security and retirement benefits every two months, and the salary has increased exponentially.  My cleaner now, an intelligent Ukrainian woman long married to an Israeli man, does not pay taxes, however.  Nor does she speak Hebrew.  Nor does she pay any attention to the “banelim.”

If you want to hear about the other ladies you’ll have to ask.