The Dreaded Mrs. Khan

The Khans' residence could not quite be called a mansion but it was an impressive pile as far as a large detached house was concerned. And it was evidently not large enough for the Khans, since they were building an extension out the back. Debbi parked to one side of the gravel expanse, alongside some builders vans. She was surprised they were working on a Saturday but if the amount the Khans had donated for her services today was anything to go by, they could afford the overtime rates. Debbi rang the doorbell and waited. The door was opened by a chic forty something matriarch of Indian descent. "Ah, here's the prize bit of help. Let me show you where you'll be accessing while you're here. Follow me." Debbi was surprised by the curt welcome but did as she was told. She was only a few feet into the house when the woman suddenly turned. "Take your bloody shoes off when you come into my house !" she shrieked. Debbi nearly jumped out of her skin and hurriedly began removing her flats. She had been told to dress casually and had on a plain t-shirt and jeans. Although it was the weekend, she had broken with her routine and was wearing a bra. "I'm, I'm terribly sorry" she stammered as she quickly gathered up her discarded footwear.

The woman showed her the vast kitchen, an extravagant dining room with adjoining receiving area, and a small corridor with a handful of guest bedrooms. "Don't proceed anywhere else in the house unless you're instructed to do so. We'll call for you when we need you later regarding the dinner party" she ordered. "In the meantime, keep yourself busy assisting the workers. Oh, and make sure you don't get your clothes all dirty. We have an outfit for you to wear this evening but we certainly aren't going to provide you with a change of clothing if you get yourself covered in filth. Do you understand ?" "Yes, of course" said Debbi, still reeling from this aggressive welcome.

The woman bellowed for the site foreman. A bulky man in a hard hat and high visibility vest appeared. He did not seem pleased to be summoned but brightened when he saw Debbi. "Debbi, this is David. David is the foreman here. He will tell you what he wants you to do." Debbi glanced around. The foundations were laid and work was proceeding on the walls. Several bricklayers were hard at work. The area was dotted with pallets of bricks, construction machinery and piles of sand and earth. There was a cacophony of drills, hammers, mixers whirring and shouting. Debbi kept her distance since it seemed impossible to be out there without getting covered in dust at the very least. "Who's this then?" asked the foreman, nodding at Debbi. He gave her a wink to which she did not respond. "This is some help we have hired for this evening. She is called Debbi. I want you to find something to keep her occupied until I require her. I don't have time to keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't get her clothes in a state." "Of course love, we'll keep her busy" smirked the foreman. "My name is not "love" my name is Ruby" the woman snapped. "Debbi, do as you're told" she commanded before stalking off.

"So, erm, David. What do you want me to do ?" asked Debbi awkwardly. "First call me Dave, not David like that bitch who only does it to annoy me. Second, you can go and make us all a nice cup of tea. After that we could use a hand with someone dumping this sand over by the cement mixers. That'd save a bunch of time." He'd stopped by a large pile of sand. A concrete spattered wheelbarrow sat nearby. Debbi looked at it with some concern !