… clean clothes, ironed clothes, clothes that are gently and oh-so-carefully hand-washed (by someone else) …

My whites are now grays, my new underwear now have a permanently dusty look about them, and my yellow scarf is now lime green.

The once-yellow scarf. Pattadakal, Karnataka, India. 22 March 2015.

I have been awake since 7 AM, trying to work the automatic washing machine at the apartment I am renting in Delhi. The cycle ended with my clothes still soaked in water. It was a baffling experience.

I miss clean floors, clean flip flops, clean feet…

I miss having a maid, dammit.