Mrs Bennet the new cleaner

Saturday, September 27 08

"Don't worry about Friday, it's fine for you to start on Monday," informed the recorded message on Mrs Bennet's mobile phone. Mrs Bennet looked puzzled and turned to her husband.
"I do believe Mr Bennet I've got a job, probably as a new cleaner."
She'd never applied for the position, didn't like cleaning and to be honest was not much good at the job. The duster was such a part of her daily routine it was still in its plastic cellophane. But Mrs Bennet realised the lady in question was a mother like herself and much to her relief, was having a senior moment.
Mrs Bennet was meant to be interviewing the mother on Friday morning for a radio programme, but when the three older Bennet daughters announced it was their Harvest Festival, there was no alternative. She had to rearrange and had left a message explaining the situation. Unfortunately the name of this lady's new cleaner was very similar to Mrs Bennet's, hence the confusion.
The phone rang. It was the radio lady. Mrs Bennet couldn't resist asking,"Did I get the job?"
"I'm terribly sorry, I thought you were the new cleaner. I'm having one of those days," was the reply.
Mrs Bennet told her about her shopping list blib and the voice on the other end immediately felt better.
"You wouldn't want me as your cleaner. I failed my A level in it," joked Mrs Bennet.
Cleaning was not one of her strong points. The spiders in the house loved her. They were free to make their webs wherever they chose. They only trembled when she was about to give birth and as that was not going to happen again, they were thrilled.
It wasn't the first time Mrs Bennet had been mistaken for the cleaner. Many years ago, the first time Mr Bennet ever saw his future wife, he had thought she was at his workplace to empty the bins and clean the floor. He worked with Mrs Bennet's father, and she and her mother had walked in, hoping for a lift home. What an impression she had made.
Now 15 years later, Mr Bennet knew his wife was NOT a cleaner. She did her best, but it was not on her priority list. With Phil the Builder due to start in just over a week's time, he did admit her efforts to cleanse the place had improved no end. Mind you, Mrs Bennet had no choice. If you moved furniture, you inevitably found grime behind it.
"My dear Mr Bennet, would you employ me as a cleaner if I applied for the job," she asked her husband as he was watching television. His team Aston Villa was playing. Amazingly she got a response.
"When you clean you do a good job," he replied, smiling.
When, was the word. "May be next year," thought Mrs Bennet, "After all a lot of dust will fall by then."