The world is not enough

The world is not enough(SANDILE NCAWNE) The father had to leave early for work when the babysitter came in for work that morning. The father told the nanny that he was late for work and that he had to hurry, he also told the nanny (Mavis) that his wife was coming back from London and she had to arrive in a clean house. Everything was clear to the nanny. Mavis knew that she was supposed to clean the house squeaky clean because she knew how the wife (madam) became when the house would be in ruin.

The wife (Joy) has been gone for several months and the father seems like he did not have a problem, considering that he was always bringing girls home every afternoon. Some of his “girls” would go before the nanny arrived, and some of them would go at midday, but they would hide themselves from the nanny and the child- father’s orders. The father (Jack) obviously was enjoying his freedom and his wife coming back- definitely was not a blessing in disguise. Probably Joy was somewhat “bossy” around the house, and we know, men do not want to be bossed around but always want to be on top of things.

Mavis started by cleaning the kitchen but it took so much time that she had to jump to the bedroom before she could finish the kitchen. When she reached the bedroom, the bed sheets were in ruin, “make-up” was all over the dressing table mirror, panties and other underpants were half full in the chest of drawers. Shock and surprise was all over Mavis, that is because she knew that the madam was not going to like what was happening in her bedroom.

Mavis did all she could to “double clean” the two rooms- bedroom and the kitchen, but the time for the arrival of the wife was closing in. By the blink of an eye; the madam's car was outside the gate and Mavis had to leave everything to go and open the gate. “Where have you been Mavis? I have been standing in front of this gate for as long as I cannot remember”. Mavis was nervous of the madam but said she had been cleaning the house non-stop and that it was the husband’s orders. Joy was really angry; she left all her baggage for Mavis to carry and took the car inside the garage.

When Joy entered the house the floor was still wet but Mavis had not told her. The madam nearly broke her ankle when she slipped and nearly went down with her head. Joy, angrily, called Mavis; “Mavis, do you know that I nearly broke my leg due to your negligence?” Mavis was devastated and scared that maybe this was her last day in her job, she did not answer though, except for an apology. Joy was interested and just went to the bathroom, shouting that it would be better if she reached her bedroom clean and hygienic like she has always advised Mavis and that her child had had something to eat.

Mavis tried to ask the madam of what was bothering her and why was she uptight, but the bathroom door was locked and Joy was crying inside. Mavis got a chance to go back to the bedroom and remove and hide everything that was going to be disturbing in Joy’s eyes. When Mavis was just doing that; the phone rang. Mavis left everything and rushed to it and it was Jack calling. “Mavis; is everything okay there? it is just that I left in a hurry this morning and I am sorry”, Mavis replied that everything was fine. Jack asked if his wife had arrived or not, but before Mavis could answer that, Joy was in front of her and said, whispering, “Mavis just say I have not arrived”. Mavis did what the madam told her.

The madam asked Mavis if she had seen something suspicious about her husband, maybe some people sleeping over here in the house or anything disturbing about his husband. Mavis replied no and that she had not seen anyone or anything. Joy, with tears in her eyes, just broke down and told Mavis that she had heard from her friend, the neighbour, that his husband (Jack) was having an affair and that he was bringing many girls back to the house every afternoon. Joy also said that was the reason that brought her back sooner than expected. Mavis was shocked and said she had not seen anyone or anything, [hiding what she had just seen in the bedroom].

Joy went to her room, after that Mavis heard some loud screaming coming from the bedroom. That is when she remembered that she had left everything on the bed when she was rushing for the phone. By the time Mavis reached the bedroom, Joy was lying down on the cold-tiled floor in tears. She asked Mavis why she had kept quiet even though she had asked her nicely about what her husband was doing. Mavis did not know what to say but tried to remove everything from the bed, Joy said; “no just leave them Mavis!” Joy said to Mavis that she must go out of her bedroom and just wanted to be alone and she must close the door when she goes out.

Mavis’ time to knock off arrived but when she tried to tell the madam that she was going and if Joy needed something, there was no answer from the bedroom but just silence. Unworriedly, Mavis took off and went home. She was not worried that much and had thought that maybe the madam was just resting.

Just several minutes after Mavis had left, Jack arrived and thinking that his wife was still abroad; he arrived with his “mistress”. Jack and the mysterious woman came out of the car and just left outside the gate so that when his wife probably arrived, she was going to hoot and Jack was going to have some little time to hide his “mistress”. The two went into the house, they sat a little in the kitchen, just drinking water but Jack was in a rush to get to the bedroom before his wife could arrive.

The “mistress” had the very same thing in mind. The two proceeded into the bedroom; it was getting dark outside so the house passages were dark. The two were on each other’s arms and busy kissing; Jack did not switch on the light in the passages. When they reached the bedroom, Jack entered backwards and hit something hard on the floor with his legs. Jack turned on the light, what he hit was his wife’s baggage suitcase. There- lying on the bed, was his wife, face-down with a bottle of pills beside her head. Jack’s wife, Joy, was lying over many pictures of Jack’s girls and “mistresses”. Panties and girl’s underwear were all over the floor.
A note written on the mirror with red lipstick read; “I thought I gave you everything”.