Servanthood

35 ...
Shortly after he wakes and does his morning hygienic rituals, he gets his stomach-fill of meager bread and some sort of spread, along with a cup of sugared coffee, and then he religiously embarks on his chores.  Equipped with a rag, some disinfectant, and a pail of soapy water, he assumes an almost dutiful tidying, best he knows to do, of the bathroom his adoptive parent uses.  Predictably, he finishes in exactly half an hour, and then he picks up a broom, sweeps the living space floor, and mops it.  He swiftly moves on to the upkeep of the front and back outdoor spaces he shares with her.  He is by no means a hired help in the household, but there he is ... day in and day out,  assuming a role of servitude to her as if his feeding, his existence and his survival depended on whether or not chores were begun and completed to her scrutiny, satisfaction, and reward.