Esther

There is a woman next door to the flip house. Her name is Esther. I don't know how old she is, but I would guess around 70 or so. I think she's from Africa. She hasn't seen her family that lives there in six years. She walks over, barefoot, everyday. I wasn't there for the first month or so of the project, but ever since i've been over there she comments about how hard we're working and asks why we are working so hard. She is incredibly religious and says that "God will bring the people" to buy the house. That always makes me giggle a little. It's not her belief that makes me laugh, but I always see this little comic God as a realtor. And that makes me laugh...

The last couple of times that I have been at the house she brings me food. Chicken, some potatoes, and veggies. She used to bring it to us while we were all working. She'd bring four little bowls full of homemade food. Now, i'm bringing it home. Some of it is fantastic and some of it is a little suspicious looking. She told me yesterday that if any of us ever want her to cook us something that we just have to bring her the food and she will cook it. She said that she has time and it is a part of her life that she enjoys taking care of us.

Today she came inside the house while I was painting the closet doors in one of the bedrooms and she told me that she cooks for us because she loves us and she doesn't know what she's going to do when we leave the house. She takes care of an older woman. "The old lady" as she refers to her. Apparently the "old lady" doesn't eat with Esther and that is why she has leftovers. It's very hard to understand her accent, but that is what I gathered. Esther is always smiling. She is always in the yard piling up leaves, taking out the trash, cleaning up around the house. I think a little part of all of us will miss Esther when the house sells.