“So you’d obviously be able to help the children with schoolwork. We both work long hours, so this is a priority.”
“Absolutely,” said Ali.
“Latin?” questioned Bryony. Ali nodded.
“Apart from babysitting, do you have any experience with children?” Bryony asked.
Ali started to explain how, as part of a program to reduce teenage pregnancy, girls at her school had all been given a fake baby to look after for a day. The doll was programmed to cry if it wasn’t fed or its nappy wasn’t regularly changed. She had proven to be totally responsible.
“What about the other girls in your class?” asked Nick.
“One of them dropped the doll off the end of the pier by mistake, and another was already pregnant and it made her lactate,” said Ali, pleased to find a verb that was suitably scientific.
Nick and Bryony stared at her in silence for a moment. “We’re not familiar with this program,” Nick said finally, and smiled. Bryony looked nonplussed.
“We’d also expect you to help organize our domestic life for us,” Bryony said, trying to pull the interview back to familiar territory. “Anything from birthday parties to collecting dry cleaning, getting the car serviced, and buying clothes for the children. Would you be happy to do that?”
“Sure,” said Ali enthusiastically.
“Do you have any questions for us?” Bryony suddenly asked. Ali muttered something about driving in London being a very different prospect from driving in Cromer.
“You can use Addison Lee,” said Bryony.
“Is he your chauffeur?” Ali asked. Nick and Bryony laughed, and Ali felt herself blush again.
“It’s the name of a taxi company,” Nick explained. “We have an account with them.”
This was what she remembered of the interview years later. There were no questions about how to recognize the symptoms of meningitis or what to do if a child was choking. Both were questions Rosa said her mother always asked a new nanny.
Instead there had been more talk about Ali’s ability to schedule the lives of four children and of the hours she would be expected to work. She compared it to revision timetables for exams and they reveled again in her academic qualifications. The Skinners liked the facts that she would be able to help the children with schoolwork and that she was a strong swimmer. They agreed that it was unfortunate that she didn’t ski, but then neither did three of the other applicants for the job. Ali pointed out that cooking might be a problem, and they explained that they had a Philippine housekeeper, Malea, who took care of most of the meals and cleaned the house. Nick had joked that she seemed to be talking herself out of a job. Ali responded by saying that she wouldn’t be able to commit to spending more than twelve months with them. There was more laughter as Ali unwittingly proved their point.
Then they said that if she agreed to an extra six months they would pay her a bonus worth two terms of tuition fees. It would mean that Ali wouldn’t return to her course the following academic year, but she didn’t hesitate as she agreed to their terms. It was just eighteen months of her life, Ali argued.
“Is there anything more you want to know about me?” Ali asked. She thought of a recent discussion with Rosa about how everyone had three significant events that defined their character for better or worse. Rosa cited her mother’s alcoholism, the way she moved school every four years because her father was in the forces, and how her younger sister had stolen her boyfriend.
“I am a good person who has done a bad thing. I once helped my sister score heroin. I don’t inhale,” Ali had told Rosa. These three had come to mind straight away and then just as quickly been forgotten.
“Obviously you’ll have to sign a confidentiality agreement. And we would like you to agree to cancel your Facebook account. We are a family that values its privacy,” said Bryony. “Is that a problem?”
“Not at
“Absolutely,” said Ali.
“Latin?” questioned Bryony. Ali nodded.
“Apart from babysitting, do you have any experience with children?” Bryony asked.
Ali started to explain how, as part of a program to reduce teenage pregnancy, girls at her school had all been given a fake baby to look after for a day. The doll was programmed to cry if it wasn’t fed or its nappy wasn’t regularly changed. She had proven to be totally responsible.
“What about the other girls in your class?” asked Nick.
“One of them dropped the doll off the end of the pier by mistake, and another was already pregnant and it made her lactate,” said Ali, pleased to find a verb that was suitably scientific.
Nick and Bryony stared at her in silence for a moment. “We’re not familiar with this program,” Nick said finally, and smiled. Bryony looked nonplussed.
“We’d also expect you to help organize our domestic life for us,” Bryony said, trying to pull the interview back to familiar territory. “Anything from birthday parties to collecting dry cleaning, getting the car serviced, and buying clothes for the children. Would you be happy to do that?”
“Sure,” said Ali enthusiastically.
“Do you have any questions for us?” Bryony suddenly asked. Ali muttered something about driving in London being a very different prospect from driving in Cromer.
“You can use Addison Lee,” said Bryony.
“Is he your chauffeur?” Ali asked. Nick and Bryony laughed, and Ali felt herself blush again.
“It’s the name of a taxi company,” Nick explained. “We have an account with them.”
This was what she remembered of the interview years later. There were no questions about how to recognize the symptoms of meningitis or what to do if a child was choking. Both were questions Rosa said her mother always asked a new nanny.
Instead there had been more talk about Ali’s ability to schedule the lives of four children and of the hours she would be expected to work. She compared it to revision timetables for exams and they reveled again in her academic qualifications. The Skinners liked the facts that she would be able to help the children with schoolwork and that she was a strong swimmer. They agreed that it was unfortunate that she didn’t ski, but then neither did three of the other applicants for the job. Ali pointed out that cooking might be a problem, and they explained that they had a Philippine housekeeper, Malea, who took care of most of the meals and cleaned the house. Nick had joked that she seemed to be talking herself out of a job. Ali responded by saying that she wouldn’t be able to commit to spending more than twelve months with them. There was more laughter as Ali unwittingly proved their point.
Then they said that if she agreed to an extra six months they would pay her a bonus worth two terms of tuition fees. It would mean that Ali wouldn’t return to her course the following academic year, but she didn’t hesitate as she agreed to their terms. It was just eighteen months of her life, Ali argued.
“Is there anything more you want to know about me?” Ali asked. She thought of a recent discussion with Rosa about how everyone had three significant events that defined their character for better or worse. Rosa cited her mother’s alcoholism, the way she moved school every four years because her father was in the forces, and how her younger sister had stolen her boyfriend.
“I am a good person who has done a bad thing. I once helped my sister score heroin. I don’t inhale,” Ali had told Rosa. These three had come to mind straight away and then just as quickly been forgotten.
“Obviously you’ll have to sign a confidentiality agreement. And we would like you to agree to cancel your Facebook account. We are a family that values its privacy,” said Bryony. “Is that a problem?”
“Not at
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