The Human Vacuum Cleaner
Tale no. 15 – The Human Vacuum Cleaner ‘I am the private footslave and general dogsbody of a rich Arab woman, Madam Abrar (40), and her daughter, miss Furat (20). Madam also employs an Indian maid, miss Sanvani (25), to supervise my work. It is the only work miss Sanvani has to do – and she does it very well. She is, even if I have to admit it myself – a most excellent and diligent taskmistress and supervisor, who works me very hard on behalf of her two Arab mistresses. This morning miss Sanvani is making me vacuum-clean miss Furat’s bedroom floor with my mouth. It is a task which I have to perform just once a week, but I always dread it. I am always left with a sore throat, caused by having to suck up and swallow all the dust and germs from the lavish, snowy-white carpet of miss Furat’s opulent bedroom floor. In particular, I am required to look out for any little pieces of black sock-lint from the soles of miss Furat’s pretty, black ankle socks. Miss Furat likes to walk around her be...