Halfway through the job, I stopped and looked at my customer—sitting on his sofa, locked in on his laptop, working with a level of focus I’ve never seen before.

“Hey, do you work from home?” I asked.

Without hesitation, he snapped his head up and said, “No. Absolutely not. I hate working from home. I’d much rather be in the office.”

I had to pause. Did I hear that right? In a world where people fight to escape office life, this man was voluntarily choosing it.

RESPECT. (In my best Jamaican accent.)

Then his wife walked in, noticed I was filming my work, and said,
“Oh! I love watching videos like that!”

I grinned and said, “Just wait. I’m working on something a little different.”

Her face lit up with curiosity. She didn’t even know she was about to be part of it.

The Unexpected Guest

I got back to work, focused on getting those carpets fresh, when suddenly—BAM!

A man walked in.

My whole system glitched. My brain tried to process it.

“Is that the customer?”
“No, that’s incorrect.”
“Who is this?”

For a split second, I thought I had been cleaning in some kind of alternate dimension. Turns out, it was the customer’s father.

Now, I don’t know which European country they were from, but this guy? Cool as a cucumber. Silent. Observing. Studying me.

I kept working, but I could feel his eyes on me. The man was watching.

Not in a rude way, not in a suspicious way—just in that old-school, “Let me see if this young man knows what he’s doing” kind of way.

So, I kept cleaning. He kept watching.

No words. No nods. Just silent respect.

The 5-Minute Handshake (That Lasted 3 Seconds)

I wrapped up the job, shook the customer’s hand, and packed up my gear.

As I stepped outside—there he was. The dad.

Waiting.

He extended his hand. I shook it.

And then—BAM!

He squeezed.

Not a regular handshake—this was a test. A firm grip that said, “Yeah, I still got it.”

Now, I know it probably lasted two to three seconds, but in that moment? Felt like five minutes.

It was like a scene from an old Western movie. Just two men. Locked in a silent battle of respect, strength, and subtle dominance.

I nodded. He nodded back.

And just like that, my work here was done.

Another job finished. Another story made.

Write a comment

Call Now Button