July 09, 2020Review, Edit and Update
My reviews are finding the same holes. There are not necessarily typos, clarity is often missing, dialogue does not provide an action and timelines are disjointed. This piece was a bit choppy in all three areas. Hopefully, I have cleaned up these areas.
"Where's Brigitte?"
When Emelina came down for breakfast that morning, she overheard Jeremy say ‘Where’s Brigitte?” She thought nothing of it then. Jeremy was genuinely surprised at all the changes that had taken place. Now, ‘Where’s Brigitte?’ echoed and echoed. She seldom saw Brigitte anymore. Always up early, Emelina would make her own tea, go for a run around the track and begin her day. Her days now were filled with overseeing the estate with Digby’s guidance. But when she went into town to meet with the contacts that Digby had built up over the years, she usually went alone. The books and ledgers he gave her to review were confusing and overwhelming. Emelina had no idea what direction she needed to take. She felt quite at a loss. Where is Brigitte?
~~~~~
Brigitte was worried about her job at the Beaufort Estate. She was worried about the certificate course she was taking online about the role of a Lady’s Maid. “I’m too young to be worried.” Before all the worries of pandemic upheaval, she was Miss Emelina’s personal maid. Now she was merely a housemaid. Dusting, vacuuming, making beds, cleaning the toilets. Not particularly challenging, and definitely not an exciting career path. She seldom saw Miss Emelina anymore. It didn’t seem to matter how early she got to the Estate, Miss Emelina was already up and sitting at the kitchen table with work that Digby would usually be poring over in his office. He would come out of his office and, over her shoulder, would point out something, make a comment, often praising her dogged determination. On one those days when Brigitte arrived to regularly clean the upstairs, Miss Emelina was almost in tears. Brigitte immediately got her a cup of tea, spoke gently to her like she had in the past. Instead of Miss Emelina's grating whine, Miss Emelina just looked up at her, smiled and said softly. “Thank you, Brigitte, but I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed. I’m not sure what it is I’m supposed to do. Digby is an amazing help, but I can’t keep interrupting his work because I’m not able to see what I need to do.”
~~~~~
Worried or not, Brigitte looked almost sternly at herself in the mirror and decided that she would speak with her boss. She needed to clear the air before she continued any further with the Lady's Maid course. It just did not seem to match what her job had been. Three hours later, driving toward the estate, a silver convertible sped passed her going in the opposite direction. Barely giving it a glance she kept driving. Minutes later, Brigitte parked at the back of the mansion and was about to go inside when her boss stepped out the back door. “Brigitte! I was just thinking about you. How are you?”
“I am quite fine, ma’am - I meant Miss Emelina. I was just coming to see you.” Brigitte dropped her keys and her nervousness into her voluminous purse.
“Really. What can I help you with?” Emmie's brow furrowed, suddenly anxious. She didn't need to lose Brigitte, her steadiest support for the last four years.
“Are you busy this morning? I mean do you have time to talk with me about my position here?” Brigitte had been caught off guard. She had planned to walk in confidently, state her concerns and ask whether she was still wanted as a lady’s maid.
Caught off guard Emmie had been wondering if Brigitte could somehow help her in her new ventures and it would free up Digby so that he could work uninterrupted. “Oh my goodness, I hope you’re not planning on leaving us. It did occurr to me that we don’t see each other often. I’m wondering if we need to review your job duties. Certainly, Brigitte, this is a good time for us to talk. My time is certainly my own now that this pandemic has turned everything upside down.”
~~~~~
It may have been the first time Brigitte and Emelina spoke in any depth with each other. They had had many conversations, but seldom about anything other than the colour of a dress, a hairstyle or a scheduled party. This conversation was different. It started right there on the steps of the back porch. After a several hours, Emelina suggested they keep talking while they walked the track. “I haven’t done my morning exercises and it’s almost noon. Do you mind?” What did they talk about? They talked about reshaping their employee/employer relationship. Laughing about some of their past experiences together, they were getting to know each other. In general, they talked about life and how they wanted to live it.
“Are you hungry? Cook’s off today, but we could drive into town to get some kind of takeout.” Emelina did not want to end this conversation. She really liked Brigitte. She’d never really listened or seen her before. Maybe there was something Emmie had been missing.
“I sure am. Whose car? Yours or mine?” Brigitte was pleased that this was going so well. That course about the Lady’s Maid suggested that this position could evolve into some sort of a Lady’s Companion or Secretary. Is that what is happening here? By redefining their relationships they were also redefining their roles. Brigitte was excited.
“We’ll take the estate vehicle. I am pleased with this time we’re spending together, Brigitte. I think we may have something here. You took care of me for so long, and I’ve never taken the opportunity to thank you. So, here it is. Thank you so very much. I’m not sure I would have survived without your steadfast care. You did get a bit strict with me from time to time. I guess I needed it.”
“You certainly don’t seem to need the same kind of care now, Miss Emelina. You're doing a great job of 'care' yourself!” Brigitte remembered a few times when she practically had to force her to get up, or to have her hair brushed, or……there were actually more that a few times.
“But Brigitte I do need a sounding board to help me navigate through this new world. I know that you will be straight with me. ” Despite Emmie’s assured demeanour, when she looked in her morning mirror, her eyes betrayed her.
“It’s a new world for all of us, Miss. Like you said, everything’s been turned upside down.” Brigitte was uncomfortable with the tightened restrictions and new rules for living, but just took them as they came at her.
“You’re right about that, Brigitte. But I’m also talking more about my role as head of this operation out here. I’ve done nothing about it since Mike died. Now I don’t know what I want this Estate to represent. I do know I want all of us to stand for something more than a few people going round and round each day, with nothing to show for it. But I need help. Your help. I would like to set up a time about four, maybe five, days a week for us to meet. I’m not clear on what I want to do yet, but that’s where you come in. You know me. I trust you to tell me truths I don’t want to hear but need to hear. What do you say?”
“What do I say? The only thing I could say: ‘what time do you want me here in the morning?’"
"Ten o'clock?"
“If you are not where you want to be, do not quit, instead,
reinvent yourself and change your habits.”
~ Eric Thomas
**Authors note: beginning Friday, July 10, 2020 and for the next several days, my Reviews, Edits and Updates may be quite sporadic. I am making an exciting life change that requires my close attention and energy. My ability to write and post my blog will be temporarily impacted. Please bear with me.
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