Remedios told herself often that she was lucky. Her conditions were good, and far better than in her homeland. There, everyone lived in poverty except government officials and landowners. From the President down to the policia municipal , extortion was the rule. Even out of the money she sent home, almost half went to the corrupt local government, and another quarter went to her Uncle Antonio, her mother's brother-in-law, who had arranged with the Richviews for Remedios to work for them. Mr Richview told her if she saved the money in an American bank account where it would gather compound interest, rather than send it home and have most of it eaten away before it even reached her family, she could be almost a millionaire in twenty years. But she could not do that: her sisters and brothers had to eat, and she was now the head of the family.
The front door opened and Mrs Richview rushed in. Remedios heard the children, Jessica and Robert; Mrs Richview drove them to and from school. Jess ran into the kitchen, all flying yellow hair and sky-blue eyes. Immediately she hugged Remedios. "Guess what we did at school today? We made buttermilk! The teacher put milk into a churn and we all took turns pushing this big thing down into the milk and then we had buttermilk and we all drank some!"
Remedios laughed and smoothed back Jessica's hair. So large for a six-year-old — just a year younger than her youngest sister Dolores. Dolores was not in school, since the family could not afford to send her. Remedios had not seen Dolores in half a year and missed the baby of the family. She missed all of her family. Juan, and the twins Jose-Luis and Maria, and even her sister Esperanza, who she did not get along well with. And her grandmother, of course, who took care of all of them.
"Wash up," Mrs Richview was telling Robert, "and I don't want to keep saying that. Your father will be home any minute, and you know he likes to eat right away on Wednesdays so he can get to the homeowners meeting."
"I'm not hungry," the boy complained, as he did most nights.
"Well, then don't eat very much. You can have a snack later."
"But I want to go to the CD store with Brad."
"On a school night? I don't think so."
"But, Mom, his brother is driving us and you said last week"
"Oh, there's your father's car. Hurry up so we can eat."
"But I want to go with Brad. You said"
"God, Robert, stop reminding me of things I've said! Look, eat something, so we can have our weekly family dinner, then you can go"
And so it went with the Richviews, always busy, always going somewhere, living their lives so quickly, and so separately. So different than in Ecuador. Her family had spent most of their time together. And no one went out after dark the streets were just not safe. They said on the news that it was not safe in California. Remedios had only been to Los Angeles when the Richviews flew her here. She had never been to East Los Angeles, or to the Barrio. Still, she could not believe there were gangs like in de Quito: young boys, some no older than five years, roaming the streets and alleyways all night, carrying knives, ready to cut the throat of anyone they encountered to obtain food, or money to buy food No, California was nothing like home.
Remedios placed the bread and butter on the table as Mr Richview came through the door. Jess ran to him, and he lifted her high in his arms. Remedios looked on, wondering what that would feel like. Her own father had died when she was young, just after the birth of Dolores; perhaps he had lifted her that way, but she could not remember him being healthy and strong. Her grandmother said her father's death had caused her mother's death, because it was not long after when her mother became very very ill. Remedios could still remember the blood flowing from her, and how pale she became at the end, because of the pain. They had no money for a doctor. There was nothing to do but to watch her mother die slowly over the next two years. She was weak; it was God's will, her grandmother said.
Mr Richview headed for his small office at the back of the house, beside the garden. Remedios knew it was not a good time, but she had been trying to find him alone for a week, and there never did seem to be the right moment.
She stood in the doorway, watching him taking papers from his briefcase. "Mr Richview. May I speak with you a moment?"
He did not look up, and she wondered if her voice had been too low for him to hear her. But after another few heartbeats, he seemed to notice her standing there. "Yes? What is it?" He spoke with his "office" voice, the one she heard him speak with on the telephone when he was discussing the stock market.
"Mr Richview, I I would like to have a raise. Ten dollars a month."
He stared at her for a moment blankly, then went back to sorting through his papers, saying, "You've only been with us six months. We'll discuss it in another six months."
There was nothing to do but return to the kitchen and bring in the platter of meat.
The Richviews sat around the table, all talking at once. "This is very good, Remy," Mrs Richview said about the meat, and Remedios blushed. It was Mrs Richview who had taken to calling her Remy because the children could not easily pronounce her name. Now they all called her that. Remedios did not mind. She was just grateful to be working for such a good family.
Robert pecked at his food like a bird. Then, when the horn blared outside and Mr Richview snapped, "Tell him not to use the horn, it disturbs the neighbours," and Mrs Richview said, "When did people stop coming to the door?" Robert jumped up, grabbed his jacket from the coat tree by the door and left.
Mr Richview was the next to leave. He ate quickly, then went upstairs to change his clothes for the meeting with the other homeowers who lived in this area. Mrs Richview took Jess upstairs as well, to help her with her homework, and to " have a sauna. I've got my cell with me. Please tell any callers on the house phone I'll get back to them," she told Remedios. Mr Richview hurried out the door. And Remedios was left alone to clear away the partially eaten plates of food.
As always, she felt guilty as she scraped the remains into the garbage disposal. With just what was left on these plates, she could feed her entire family for one day. Early on she had eaten the leftover food from their plates, but Mrs Richview caught her and insisted it was not "sanitary" and that Remedios must throw it away.
Remedios carved off a piece of meat from the outside of the roast, avoiding as much of the red part as possible, and made her own plate, with a small piece of squash, and a little bowl of salad. All her life she had eaten the largest meal in the middle of the day, and something light before bed; she could not get used to having so much food in her stomach at night. Before she sat down to eat, she wrapped the rest of the meat in clear plastic, stored the salad and squash in airtight containers and placed everything in the refrigerator already bulging with food. The children had eaten their desserts. Mr Richview ate some. Mrs Richview's pudding went untouched, as always she never ate dessert. Remedios placed the pudding next to her plate. Finally she sat down to eat.
She missed the food she had been raised on. Rice, and rich red and black beans, heavily spiced, sometimes with a little meat, if the family could afford a cui . And the flat bread! There was nothing like it here. She had made a traditional Ecuadorean meal when she first arrived. Mr and Mrs Richview ate a little, but the children would not even try. Mrs Richview said that it might be best if she told Remedios exactly what foods to cook every week, and how to cook them.
Just as she was about to take a bite of the meat, Mrs Richview said from the hallway, "Remy," and she jumped to her feet.
"Yes, Mrs Richview?"
"I forgot. This package came for you, to the postal box."