Seeing red

I’m trying to avoid seeing red. A dispute seems to have arisen between our gardener & a friend of ours, M, who we recommended our gardener to & who took her on as a result. We’re getting the story from both angles. I feel a bit like piggy in the middle. It’s not helped by another friend of both us & M is gleefully taking M’s side while only knowing half the story.

Yesterday I’d just settled down to write my blog when our gardener turned up. She was in tears. As a result of the dispute she’d lost the custom of M & 3 of her neighbours. She’d feared we would side with M.

I reassured her, as far as we were concerned, as long as she worked as diligently as she always had, she’s welcome here. We judge people by how we find them &, as far as we are concerned, she’s hard-working & reasonably priced.

I don’t want to lose a good gardener or a friend over what I suspect is a case of a misunderstanding or personal differences. I think our gardener left reassured on that score at least. Now I feel I shall have to reassure M before she feels she’s lost a friend.

Above all I object to being treated as piggy in the middle & somehow responsible. That’s what’s making me angry.

 Our gardener had been working for M & her neighbours for over a year now without any signs of problems. The dispute is between them & our gardener, not us.