Member-only story
HIRED HELP
I Gave the Butler Part of the Day Off
I felt a tiny bit sorry for the old fellow
When my wife thanks me for doing some chore, I sometimes joke that the butler did it. If I happen to pat her on the bum as I pass by in the kitchen, that was also the butler. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on there.
The butler gets the blame for any mistakes he makes, of course. I’ve had to threaten dismissal more than once, but I have never followed through.
He’s a hard-working fellow. His chores are laid out in a spreadsheet that he has to follow religiously. But yesterday, I gave him part of the day off, and I’m not pushing him all that hard today either.
You see, the poor guy has had a lot on his plate recently. He hasn’t been sleeping well, and I have piled on extra stress by having him locate COVID vaccinations for us. On top of that, he has cataract surgery coming up, he just finished our taxes…
Well, if I say much more, you’ll be thinking me quite a demanding employer. And I agree, so I took away all but the most necessary demands from his list. He argued with me, devoted servant that he is, but I told him not to worry about it and try to enjoy himself for a change.
