Always on the Run

7. Struggling

Hi everyone. Thanks for your patience and apologies for the delay. I'm hoping with holidays over Xmas I'll be able to get ahead in my writing and update more regularly. I'll certainly do my best. Sorry this is a shorter chapter but I hope you enjoy nonetheless. You know the drill. :)

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“Teresa,” Julian calls from the lounge, “can you come here please?”

In frustration, I throw the sopping wet dish towel on the counter and storm to the lounge. How dare he just sit there watching TV while I still slave away in the kitchen? Those dishes aren’t going to wash themselves and they’ve been piling up since this morning!

When I reach the lounge, I stand in the doorway with hands on my hips, giving Julian the best glare I can muster.

“Oh there you are,” he says with a wide grin. “How are you coming along? There’s a documentary coming on soon about farming. You must see it.”

I'd rather eat a sock.

“No, thanks,” I say through gritted teeth. “I’ve got too much to do.” I emphasise the last bit, ensuring he knows how much I have to do.

So much for keeping his promise in helping me out. It’s been a week since I agreed to stay and I’m seriously about to drop dead from exhaustion. I’m up before four every morning to get everything done. It wouldn’t be so bad if I could get to bed early but because I’m so busy during the day I’ve got to do everything else at night. I’m lucky if I’m in bed before midnight.

I must be positive though. Don’t they say it takes three weeks to break a habit? My habit is my old lifestyle. If that saying is true, in two weeks’ time I should be flying through this life without any complaints.

It’s this thought alone that stops me from lashing out. However, the look of reproof Julian gives me though makes it very difficult. I have to bite my tongue.

“Now, now darling,” Julian scolds, “if you just prioritised your time better you wouldn’t be so under the pump.” He gives me a small smile then adds, “I have faith in you though. Now you go back out to the kitchen,” he waves his hand dismissively, “and I’ll tell you all about the documentary later.”

Please don’t.

Rather than saying anything, I storm out to the kitchen and turn the taps on over the sink. Once I’ve squirted some detergent in, I rest my hands on the side and release a heavy sigh. I can do this, I have to do this.

This becomes my mantra as I watch the bubbles form in the rising water. This is the fourth time I’ve had to refill. Glancing around the kitchen, my heart sinks when I see the piles of dishes on the table and benches. If he had a dishwasher, my life would be so much easier. Sadly he doesn’t even though the kitchen is newly renovated. I think it’s something I’m going to have to discuss with him. This kitchen needs one…no scratch that. It needs ten!

How do three people make so many dishes in one day, you may be asking? Well firstly let me tell you that Julian was right when he said this kitchen was awesome. It’s true, the kitchen is huge and has everything a cook could possibly need. What this also means is there are multiples of everything, including saucepans, frying pans and cooking utensils. Because I don’t have time to wash up after I cook, I always get something clean when I cook next. Of course what that means is the dishes pile up over the day leaving a humongous mess.

Julian wasn’t kidding when he said he likes a hot breakfast. What he failed to mention is he also likes a cooked lunch and dinner. You can imagine the dishes, right?