New Housewife

Never underestimate what housewives can do. On this no salary job, I have gained several skills just by being a doting wife. I seem to get better in time management. I find pockets of time for things I need and want to do. Mind you, I’m a human being too. Although my husband gets a lot of my loving, there’s no denying this voluptuous woman that I am needs special care as well.

I may seem like a perfect housewife. The truth is, I started out as a mess. When it came to cleaning up our home, doing the laundry, washing the dishes, cooking up our meals, I had a lot of catching up to do. I was clueless on the ways of being a good housewife.

I grew up in a household that had most things done for me. Maids my parents hired ensured the home I lived in with my family was spick and span daily, with all our meals prepared. When I was school age, I would just focus on getting good grades. I didn’t do any chores at home. I was well looked after. Even when I became a professional, I just showed up at home, no household work I’ve ever done.

One day my Mom noticed my lack in household skills. She suggested to me that it was about time I learned from our maids at home. She asked me: “What if you get married someday, how will you look after your family?”

Back in those days I came up with endless excuses to veer away from household chores. I kept on saying how busy I was, that I didn’t have time to do those. Nobody needed my help at home. Our household was functioning well without my contribution. If I could go back in time with a time machine, I would take my Mom’s suggestion to heart. My adjustment phase might not have been this rough on me, if only I had done so.

I went to a culinary class in London and unexpectedly love cooked up romance for me. I met my future husband there. John, with his thoughtful hazel brown eyes and dimpled smile, mesmerised me. He must have fallen hard as well. In less than a year of our meeting, we found ourselves married to each other.

As I became one half of an engaged couple, think I spent so much time preparing for our wedding celebration. Although, it was a delightful event enjoyed by our family and friends, it all went by so fast for me. I wasn’t granted the privilege of planning out our marriage. Luckily for me,  John, is the methodical one in our relationship. As an engineer, planning things out comes easy for him. He even has a “blueprint” of our marriage.

Here’s just some background information on John.   John left home and became independent at age 16. Since then, he has looked after himself. I must say that it’s John who is the knowledgeable one when it comes to household chores. I’ve learned from him how things are done at home. Some days I feel embarrassed that he seems to be better at house chores than I am.

Even if I have not much experience in maintaining a household, I’m motivated to keep finding new ways to make things better at home. I love my husband. I want John to be happy. Only now that I’m doing all these household chores that I appreciate all those people who looked after me while I was growing up. I could have spent more time with our maids at home and gotten to know them better.

At times I get to thinking; what about housewives who balance being a mother of three (3) or more children? At this early stage of our relationship I don’t have kids yet nor am I pregnant. I find it admirable when I see women who have high profile jobs and take a leave from their work to care for their children. How do they still manage to have time for themselves?

John, my husband, my number one supporter in life, encourages me to go for my dreams. He knows my dreams of being a writer. He insists I make time for writing.   “Get your writing dream started here in the UK,” he told me. This short story is living proof that this new housewife can do more. I can also write and share my short story here with you.