Upstairs Downstairs - The Morning

If you have ever had the luxury of experiencing house staff, or if you ever worked as a house staffer, or if you ever worked in the hotel, restaurant or catering industries or even if you worked in live theatre...you know there is "Upstairs" and "Downstairs."

There is "Front of the House" and "Back of the House."

Well my mornings are a peek A PEEK into the wonderful world of "Downstairs/Back of the House" here in the Compound at Coconut Plantation.

Such a world A WORLD. Sitting here on the porch, drinking my coffee, the luxury of the breeze, the sun AND the rain, the ocean smell, the chirping birds...all very quiet the city itself is just waking up...

But so much has to happen for the city to come alive and while all the professional folks, and house owners, and expats are just waking and showering and kvetching and checking on emails - there is a flurry on the mew - a flurry of energy and movement - that one doesn't get to see if you are in the shower - a flurry that becomes still once the city awakes together and steps out the front door.

It is almost comical - almost romantic - it definitely is lovely - this flurry and it is a flurry - like snowflakes that fall and wend and just may end up over there on the fence post or here on your nose - so to the workers that prepare for our days they are scattered about - there is no one in charge - they are each set to be in charge of themselves and their duties. There are drivers who show up in street clothes and change into their uniforms in the garages or behind a tree and then realize they left their phone somewhere so they scamper about from truck to hiding place to motorbike dropping things along the way talking to other workers - until they hear their phone ring again.

There are the compound workers arriving for work, preparing before they take their places on stage - funny how they scurry in a flurry - arriving in their street clothes fresh and crisp, gardeners, carpenters, electricians, mechanics, security - looking like "man on the street" even in the rain crisp jeans and clean sneakers - white WHITE in the rain - wearing ponchos and slickers they hurry in a flurry - to place their tools, check on the generators - then head to their spots to change - I have come to realize/learn/notice that each of the men have their own "spot" where they keep/store/hide their belongings.

And then like Superman from the phone booth they return to the stage, they appear in front of the house in their uniform, crisp security uniform, ragged jumpsuits for the gardeners, old jeans and t-shirts for the carpenters - the Muslim men especially - I notice a significant difference between their personal and work clothes - Andrew takes off his hat - he won't wear a baseball cap at work.

And then they take their places - their strides MUCH slower - the flurry is almost over, the sun is brighter and the strides are slower - heads are now down and each one takes their place - whether behind a wheel barrow or the slacker carpenter who sits on a stoop - everyone is in place...

Drivers are done washing trucks, dressed, in idling vehicles waiting for their "Boss Men."

And then it happens - SHOW TIME! Front doors open! And Boss Men appear and the day begins as only some know it...