I recently stopped by a relative’s house to give her some papers. We only see each other on holidays, but there was an emergency. She does not live well, but this has nothing to do with the situation. I’m not squeamish, but I think that cleanliness and order are the basics. You can live modestly, but you have to keep your home in good order.
She has a lot of dust collectors in her wall. All sorts of figurines, services, and canning jars are stacked by the dozens. There’s a cat litter box in the bathroom – the landlady washes it once a week. I think, what is the smell there, you already knew. Garbage rolls around right under your feet. The apartment smells like sewage and rotten food.
My relative offered me something to eat and started setting the table. As she set the utensils, I noticed how dirty they were. While she was putting something from the pot, I pulled antibacterial wipes out of my bag and started wiping the forks.
She noticed this. When I started picking at my food, Aunt Ira said:
– Are you squeamish or not tasty?
What was I supposed to say? Have you been in similar situations?
