Tiny beads of sweat was forming on my forehead as I stood there gazing at the buttons. It was like a bad Bruce Willis movie where he has 10 seconds to cut the wire on the bomb, before it blows all of New York to smithereens. Should I move the dial to the right, or to the left. Right had more options, but also more time and I had heard that time is money! Left showed very vague signs. And then there was the odd compartment, divided into three - how would it be possible to fathom what went into which slot? The whole thing could implode on itself if I selected the wrong degrees on the dial.
I needed an expert. Someone cool and collected who new exactly what combination of temperature and time would make the load come through clean! My palms were wet; my heart beating heavy and fast. WHY did I agree to take on this assignment? I had been SO certain I could fake my way through it convincingly but now, as I faced the white monster with a glaring round window, I lost all confidence. I would have to tell Aric. There was no way around it. Agreeing to iron his shirts was one thing (and even that was a stretch) but this washing machine was like something out of an episode of Fringe! How had it got to my house and how did I operate it?
My hands were shaking as I punched in the code for Kumudu, Nilan's sister. Nilan had been my trusted maid for 3 years, but I had agreed to let her go back home to Sri Lanka - thinking I didn't need her help now the boys were gone. I mean, how hard could it be to pick up house work again? Panic set in as I texted two words in sheer desperation: "please help!"
Kumudu knew better than to let me waddle in shame and anxiety. She sent back an immediate text: "Madam, I will be there at 4.30 to iron and wash. Thank God! I was so relieved that I just sank to the floor, my body like Jello. It will be necessary to have Kumudu come to the new house every week to tackle the Samsung Diamond Front Loader. I just can't see how I can crack the settings!
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