People are Weird

Sunday was the au pair's day off. She left to go shopping with a new friend. Came back 30 minutes later. Son #1 comes into my room.

"Mom, T is crying in her room."

I'm touched that my kids care enough to be observant. I go to her room. Apparently the friend, a Brazilian woman who has lived here for 10 years, accused T of trying to still her boyfriend by talking to him while the woman was still getting ready. According to the au pair, the conversation was limited to her impressions of Seattle, theater, and daylight savings time. In the kitchen of the woman's house.

She had told me before this friend had asked T not to wear her exercise clothes to her house to tempt her boyfriend. The woman told T that you don't talk to American women's boyfriends or husbands. T did not understand and told her that she has talked to DrChako many times and was even in the house alone with him before. Her "friend" said that was unacceptable.

Now, she's a beautiful 22 year old girl. If you're a man and can't see that to some extent, you are dead. And she does wear exercise clothes (tank tops and leggings) a lot. I guess I've never seen it as provocative, although they are very figure revealing, naturally. It looks out of place, in a way - I've never said anything as I figure she'll one day figure out that the rest of the Seattle area schleps around in jeans and polar fleece rather than spandex.

Her comment about the boyfriend? "He's old." Which probably means he's over 40. So I'm pretty sure she had no designs on him, as 40 is about as close to death as she knows. Anyway, she cried and cried and said she doesn't understand jealousy.

Oh well. Good thing I stuck my husband in the desert where he'll be safe from the sneaky wiles of a spandex-covered Brazilian.

*****

The positive side of this story? My oldest son, who can kind of test her now and then, was extra kind, gave her hugs to make her feel better, and stayed out of her way. Oh, and last nigh, when we were deciding on dinner, he suggested Thai (which we like and she hates), but he said "We can promise her that if she doesn't find something she likes, we'll make her a sandwich when she comes home." From a 10-year old, that's thoughtful.

Respectfully submitted,

The Wife