Doing the dishes

I live alone and I love doing the dishes. That's what I’m doing right now. I wonder what my mum would say if she just saw me. Me, the rebellious teenager who used to avoid the sexist chores in our ever-busy Dominican kitchen, now finds this daily task soothing and fascinating.

I feel the softness of the foam and the sponge caress the most inanimate and necessary objects. I’m washing round plates, which are my favourite, because I love to draw hearts and circles, and that is exactly what I’m doing: I’m drawing circles and hearts and circles and hearts and thinking of David, the man I love to cook for.

I rinse the last plates as the hot tap water runs through my hands. I switch to a fresher temperature. Now I'm dreaming of tropical Dominican rain and summer with David as my bachelor kitchen begins to look spotless.

May 2011