The Price of Coffee

Chapter 3: A Challenge

“Good morning, Tabitha. Time to rise and shine, God has great plans for you today.” Clarrisa called. It took Tabitha a moment to remind herself where she was. “You mom didn’t tell me what you drink in the mornings. I have coffee, tea, and hot chocolate or I have bottled water, if you don’t want anything hot.”

“Probably because mom didn’t know what I liked for breakfast.” Tabitha mumbled while crawling out of bed.

“What was that?” Clarrisa asked

“Coffee sounds amazing. I’ll be out in a minute.” Tabitha came out of the bedroom, and found a hot cup of coffee waiting for her. She took one sip and sighed. “Aunt Clarrisa, this is some of the best coffee I have ever tasted. What kind of coffee is this?”

“It’s called Elimbari. It’s one of the many brands here in PNG. You know PNG has several coffee plantations scattered across the country.” Clarrisa responded. “I’ll get us a gift pack and let you try some other brands and see what you like. Now, while you finish your coffee, I need to explain what I do here and what your duties will be.”

Clarrisa explained that she as a missionary filled several roles for the organization but her focus was teaching. She worked at the college alongside Tyler teaching English and Business Education. She also spoke at several churches around the area, and ran a cooking class out of her house once a month. And lastly, she made cookies for some the local ladies to sell at the markets.

“Which brings me to your job here.”

“My job? Mom didn’t tell me that I would have to work.”

“Figures, I love your mother, but she has a soft spot for you.”

“Could’ve fooled me, she mumbled.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing, so what exactly is my job?” Tabitha asked quickly. Clarrisa eyed her for moment before continuing.

“You job is to be my House Mary.” When Tabitha looked at her confused, Clarrisa continued, “basically a House Mary is like a house keeper. The roles are very similar. You will clean my house, cook my meals, and do laundry.”

“What? Tabitha exploded. I am to be your housekeeper for an entire year? What was mom thinking? First, why don’t you just hire someone? Secondly, I don’t know the first thing about housekeeping or cooking or even laundry. Or better yet, I’ll hire someone for you.”

“You will find hiring someone is a lot harder than you think. Secondly, the role of housekeeper will be filled by you alone. This job is to teach you some humility, you can learn to cook and clean. You can’t spend your life partying. That is a road that only leads one way.”

“Oh, save me your Spiritual garbage. I am not a Christian; I did not come here to serve or save the people. I came here because I didn’t have a choice.” Tabitha sneered.

“This is probably why your mother did not tell you. She knew you would be upset. As far a choice, you had a choice, Tabitha. You will find there is only two absolutes in life, death and taxes; neither are unavoidable. You can read, you can learn. I will tell you what needs to be done every day. However, today, I am taking you around to meet the school staff and leaders and I will show you the local market. So now head up and get dressed, I want to be leaving in about an hour.” Clarrisa said.

Tabitha stopped to her room that would be her home for the next year. As she got dressed, she fully looked at her room. She really had not unpacked yet. She could probably do that when they got back. It was nothing like her room in the states. This room was just large enough for a queen size bed and a small dresser. It had closet that looked very similar to the linen closet in the servants’ quarters of their house. Gone was the plush carpeting and was replaced with bright blue and green Limonium flooring. However, this flooring was not glued, but taped to the floor. The windows had bright pink curtains, with some sort of flower on them, and her bed was covered with a darker pink fuzzy blanket.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, she wondered how she was going to survive the next year. I mean she was basically going to be a maid. She was not a maid. She was a millionaire for Christ’s sake. Well, I guess for the next year she wasn’t. She hated this, hated her parents for ignoring her all her life, then sending her to this hellhole to live for the next year.

“Why didn’t you tell her, Anabelle? Tabitha heard her aunt speaking in the other room. “You know she feels like she is being punished and abandoned. When I told her this morning what her job was, she about went through the roof. But what I really saw was hurt that you had not told her.” Tabitha could not hear her mother’s side of the conversation but it warmed Tabitha’s heart to hear someone defend her.

“I want you limit her funds while she is here? Clarrisa continued. She needs to learn what’s it like to live with a little or nothing. I know that was not the agreement but she is a strong girl and she will adapt.”

Tabitha fumed. “How dare they want to limit my funds here, that was the whole point of coming here was so I didn’t have to be cut off, and here I thought Aunt Clarrisa was going to defend me.”

“Just think about it” the conversation continued. “I have to go I am going introduce Tabitha to the college. Love you sis.” Clarrisa hung up the phone and walked back inside. She looked at Tabitha. She was wearing a light-yellow blouse, with white pants, and high heels. “Um do you have any tennis shoes, flats, or sandals?”

“I think so but neither really go with my outfit.” Tabitha responded

“I suggest either find something to fit with the sandals or change the shoes. We will be walking this morning. You will most likely be on your feet most of the day today.” Clarrisa suggested.

“I will be fine; I have walked around the mall for hours in these shoes before.” Tabitha said

“Okay, if you say so, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Clarissa said.

“Fine, you warned me. Let’s just get this little excursion over with.” Tabitha walked past Clarrisa and out the door. They walked to the market which about ¼ of the mile away. Tabitha within just a few moments wished she would have listened to her aunt. She would die rather than telling her so.

The streets themselves were okay, however, there were no sidewalks and most people walked near the edge the road. The problem is there was no sidewalk only a large hand dug area where people walked when they needed to get out of the road. In spots along this road was small to medium piles of trash. When a vehicle would get close to them, they would honk their horn and Tabitha would jump. When she had to walk in the piles of trash, her heels would sink, and she would sometimes stumble.

By the time they got to the market, she was out of breath and really wished for a different pair of shoes. Clarrisa prayed about stopping at a stall selling flip-flops. She was reminded about grace and loving one another. She asked Tabitha, “Would you like to look at some stalls and see if there is anything you like? It’ll be my treat.”

“Sure.” Tabitha replied as she stumbled in another pile of trash.

They walked to the stalls and much to Tabitha and Clarrisa’s delight they had a pair of yellow flip-flops that would fit Tabitha’s feet perfectly. Tabitha took off her shoes, and sighed with relief as she put the flip-flops on her feet. Clarrisa smiled but said nothing. Thinking it would be wise to choose her battles.

When they reached the center of the market her senses were a little overwhelmed, it was like the mall on Black Friday. Buses were lined along the street. People were either yelling for places she had never heard of before, or they were spitting this red stuff on the ground. People were sitting along the roadway, selling vegetables of various kinds. There were peanuts, bananas, pineapple, some greens she could not identify, carrots and cabbages just to name a few. She simply walked behind Aunt Clarrisa as she visited with people and bought the items they would need for the day.

One the way back, they walked in a comfortable silence as Tabitha was still processing what happened at the market. She had never seen anything like it. At one point she felt like it was walking through those adopt-a-child commercials. Before she knew it, they were back at their little house on the campus.

“I will set these things down and then we’ll head to the college. Why don’t you put your shoes away, while I store the vegetables?”

Clarrisa took Tabitha around to the different campuses. They started with the International School. It reminded her of a lot of the private Elementary schools. The principal was so excited to see her. “Welcome to Papua New Guinea. Do you know what your roll here yet will be? Why don’t I show you around to the different classes and introduce you to our students?”

Before Tabitha could respond, she was being led to the different classrooms and she heard Welcome to Papua New Guinea 10 different times. She was even asked to share a little about herself in the higher-level grades. She was so not ready for this.

Next was the secondary school, which is apparently different from a high school. Again, she heard Welcome to Papua New Guinea. It is the land of the unexpected. By the time they made to the Vocational school and Bible college. She heard Welcome to Papua New Guinea so many times she thought she would be sick.

Tabitha began to get a little frustrated at her aunt. She really just wanted to go lie back down and take a nap.

“Welcome to Papua New Guinea”, she heard another voice say chuckling.

She looked to see it was Tyler.

“I was so sick of hearing that phrase, I want to puke.”

Aunt Clarrisa whispered in my ear, “Be nice or I’m telling your mother to extend your stay by 3 months.” I narrowed my eyes at my Aunt Clarrisa, “You wouldn’t.”

“I would, do you really want to find out?”

No, I turned around to look at Tyler again. “So how are you enjoying the tour of our campuses?”

“To be honest, this place is gross.”

“Tabitha,” my aunt cried sounding horrified. Tabitha smiled at her aunt’s embarrassment. He raised one eyebrow, and walked away. No response just walked away.

I snorted “Well it’s true.”

My aunt looked at me and the look on her face said that my momma raised me better than that and she may have but last time I looked around momma wasn’t here. So, I was gonna speak my mind. Besides, I was not happy to be paraded around to all these different places like my aunt’s trophy.

The aunt I had always known and loved narrowed her eyes. “We have to tour the bible college and then we will talk little girl.”

Tabitha didn’t know whether to be afraid or happy that she finally elicited an emotion out of her usually sweet aunt. After they finished their tours, they had been gone for over three hours. They walked back into the house and looked at her niece with what looked like a mixture of extreme anger and pity. She did not want to be pitied. She was better than this, better than all of them.

“One more statement like what you made today and I will take all of your credit cards and debit cards. I will make you function on the same income they get. You do not understand what people go through here.”

“It is not my fault that they choose to live in filth. Haven’t these people ever heard of underarm deodorant or a shower for crying out loud? I hate it here. Why don’t you just send me home and tell mom you couldn’t live with me?”

“Oh no missy, you do not get out of it, that easy. You may hate your entire year here, but you will serve the entire year. Death will be your only escape. Now, I have to go back to the bible college. I need to double check the new curriculum the church sent over. Stay here, finish unpacking and we will talk more when I get home.”

After Tabitha finished unpacking, she called Jennifer. She ended up outside because the reception was horrible inside. Jennifer answered the phone with hearing music blaring in the background. “Hey girlfriend. How’s life? Find any parties yet?”

Tabitha whined, “No it is horrible here. Do you realize that we live in a quote dry province unquote? And the smell, the trash, this place is a wasteland. I hate it and to top it all off, my aunt threatened to take my credit cards and extend my stay for another three months all because I told the truth.”

Jennifer giggled, “Awe, did miss high and mighty get kicked off her high horse?”

“Are you drunk, what are even talking about Jennifer?”

“I might be a little tipsy, but nowhere near drunk yet. What I am saying is you finally get to really see how the rest of us commoners live. You always talk about the other rich people and how snobby they are. But you, sweetheart, are just as snobby.”

“I am not? All the booze I bought you, and you call me snobby.”

“I know, but you’re not here to keep it flowing and you’re disrupting my groove, so I’m going tell how I really see it. You bought the booze; you picked the clubs. You controlled what we did and who we did it with almost every single time. Who was I to complain? You were paying after all.”

“And here I thought you would be my friend and listen to me.”

“Jennifer, get off the phone and come dance with me.” Tabitha heard as she saw someone walk up behind Jennifer in the club.

“Okay! Okay, I’m coming! Anyway, I have to go. One last thought, that will really offend you, my dear friend. I bet you wouldn’t last one month without mom and dad’s credit cards. See ya honey, love you.” Tabitha watched as her friend hung up the phone. That was not the conversation she expected to have with her friend.

“See if I ever buy you drinks again. How dare she say I am snobbish and stuck up. I am no such thing.” Tabitha said. I certainly can live without my parents’ money. I mean why work when I don’t have to.” This argument went on for hours. Tabitha was downright angry when her aunt returned home later that afternoon.

“Honey, I’m home.” She giggled as she entered the door. “What would my niece like for her dinner. I have the stuff for spaghetti, or chicken soup. It’s not a French chef’s quality but it is edible.”

“Yes, I have a French chef, so what. Mom like high quality means. It does not mean I am stuck up. It just means we like French food.” Tabitha yelled.

“Okay, out of all that you heard the words French chef and flipped out. You wanna tell me what has your panties all in a wad?

“I called Jennifer and she basically called me stuck up, and snobbish and told me I couldn’t last a month without mom’s money.” Tabitha cried.

Clarrisa prayed for a moment how to respond and Tabitha took the silence to mean agreement.

“So, I take it you agree then.” Tabitha began crying even harder. Clarrisa looked at her niece and her heart went out to her. She may act like a brat but the truth was Tabitha had a big heart.

“I didn’t say that. Can you ACT snobbish and conceited? Yes. But that is not who you are. Do I believe you can live without your parents’ money? Absolutely. You are a strong girl, with strong opinions. The real question is, what are going to do about it?”

“What do you mean?” Tabitha sniffled.

“Prove them wrong. Don’t use the funds your mom and dad sent unless you really have to. Only keep one card in your wallet or phone for emergencies and put the rest in the box. I’ll pay you the same wage; I paid my House Mary when she lived here. Which is incredible for this area, by the way.”

“I’ll think about it.” Tabitha answered. Can we have the spaghetti for dinner? If I remember your chicken soup correctly, you never added enough salt.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. They cooked and ate together just like when Tabitha was a little girl. As they were washing up the dishes, Tabitha looked at her aunt. I’m going to do it. I’m going to use as little as possible of the money sent me and I’m going to live off what you pay me.”

“Are you sure, this is a big decision?” Clarrisa asked.

“Yes. I can do this. I am better than they think I am.” Tabitha walked into the bedroom and brought out the three credit cards Anabelle sent just in case the large sum in the girls checking account would not be enough. “Here put these away for me. I don’t want to be tempted.”

“Okay, I’ll put them in a safe place in my room. Well, we better turn in early. Your life officially begins tomorrow.” Clarissa said drying her hands.