TODAY I am cooking for the princess. She asked but does not have an inkling what’s on the menu. I tell her she has to trust me as it is a surprise. By now I have learnt what she likes and what she doesn’t. I make a rich savoury mince inside a red bell pepper, topped with grilled cheese. I sweeten the butternut slightly and add a pinch of cinnamon. I pipe the puréed butternut onto her plate in a swirl. I add a small side salad with my homemade citrus dressing.
One of the girls sets a tray with the princess’s special crockery and cutlery, which is kept in her kitchen upstairs. I am tempted to put a flower on the tray but the princess is so deathly scared of any insects that all the plants in her villa are fake. “Real plants bring insects,” she explains. I put on the rubber gloves and take her tray upstairs.
Mona is with the princess. As I enter the bedroom, I notice that she scrutinises the plate of food. No doubt she could do it better. The look on her face reveals that she doesn’t like the fact that the princess seems excited at the prospect of my cooking.
Lilly places a towel on her bed to protect the linen and the tray is placed in front of her. She looks happy and a little intrigued. I wish her a pleasant meal and leave the room.
Half an hour later I am called up. Mona is still with the princess and is scowling as the princess raves about the dinner.
At half past 11, I arrive at our compound. I am tired, and relieved to be home after a long day, As I walk through the gate, I bump into Serge and a friend on their way to the pool bar. His exuberant pleasure at our accidental meeting is so obvious that I allow myself to be persuaded to join them for coffee. I ask for 10 minutes to unload the abaya and change into something casual. (With a spritz of perfume.)
He is the first to see me nearing from a distance. His smile says it all. The chemistry takes up where it left off with a vengeance and with no regard for whether both parties want to play His gentleness and ability to make me laugh when I least expected to, endear him to me far more than I was planning to be endeared by anyone in this strange country.
Once again, Serge stands up when I get up to leave. He leans in and kisses me on both cheeks.
Mona arrives home an hour after me. She is in a foul mood as once again as she was not paid on time. Our contracts state that we are paid on the first of every month. It has never been a problem so far but tonight, Mona is looking for any excuse to rant about the royals. So she will get paid tomorrow, on the 3rd. It is not as if she is starving.
“Arabella (as she calls the princess when we are alone) bloody well exhausts me!” she says as she puts her bags down. “Why do I have to sit with her and listen to all her crap?!” I say nothing but can’t help thinking, “Oh Mona, cut the act.”
I get ready for bed but Mona has one more thing to add: “Oh by the way, I have to mention to you that there is a layer of dust on the white chandeliers in the entrance hall so you’d better see to it tomorrow before the princess sees it.”
I am torn between thanking her kindly and telling her to fuck off. It seems I am catching on to the universal language that also seems common in Saudi. I know for a fact that the chandeliers are cleaned every day. I saw Sunny on the ladder earlier on in the day. Mona’s insecurities really bring the worst out in her.