Chapter 39

• "I can't handle this!" Sophia exclaims for the umpteenth time at Glenda as water splashes over her, causing her to lose control of the plate she attempts to wash, sending it sliding across the massive steel tub before shattering. She scolds herself first for scalding her hands with hot water and then for inadvertently cracking three glasses that she dropped in the sink before realizing the need for gentle handling. Her patience wears thin as she struggles with what should be a simple task. The sink feels more like a bathtub, making everything slippery, and she ends up soaked through her apron every time she dips crockery into the water.
• "You're such a quitter. Can you quit with the theatrics? We have a dinner party to impress," Glenda chides, playfully tossing bubbles at Sophia as she deftly retrieves a plate that Sophia managed to stack without it immediately sliding off the rack back into the water, creating a foamy splash. Engaged in both cooking and serving duties for a rare booking, Glenda has left Sophia to handle tasks on her own. The event marks a birthday celebration in the village, with their venue chosen for the occasion.
• "This is unbearable," Sophia groans once again, dissatisfied with the manual chores she has been tackling in recent days. The lack of mental stimulation coupled with her struggles in tasks like vacuuming and mopping leaves her feeling inept. Mundane chores such as daily dusting and the intricate art of laundry sorting seem overly complex. Remembering the time she inadvertently set eggs on fire during her first culinary lesson only adds to her frustration.