Anyway, to begin with I was happy with the exchange of being driven around for my agreeableness, it cost me nothing and if I could support someone, then it was my pleasure. But things quite rapidly started going downhill. After thanking her for driving me around and helping out with getting my wheelchair in and out of her car, she told me, jokingly, that it was ok and she would tip me out of my wheelchair if I was a problem. Well, joking or not, I felt completely disrespected. However, I know I can be over-sensitive, so I bit my lip and laughed along. A little while later, she informed me that the other wives on the compound had been gossiping about me before I had even arrived, and this made me suddenly wary of her motivations in befriending me. No matter how honest she was being, what was her purpose in making me defensive towards the other wives that shared my immediate surrounds before I'd even met them? Before long I didn't want to continue in such a manipulative relationship when, extremely worried and upset about my step-son serving in Afghanistan, I told her in the hope she would at least empathise, but instead had my concerns dismissed with a 'that's why I'm glad my son didn't join the armed forces' and a quick change of subject. Marvellous.
* We are all allocated at least one maid, largely to do with status which is a very important aspect for the Omanis. The full Colonels and their equivalents can have three members of staff; a house maid, an outdoor person and a driver. It was rather telling who took full advantage of this and who didn't.
