Love is Shit

A Tiny Life Moment about messy love

The Moment

Meeting up with a friend in a cosy coffee shop, or having brisk walk in the crisp sunshine. Life awaits on Saturday mornings.

But I’m in old, paint-stained tracksuit bottoms — on my knees, wiping dusty skirting boards. My bright gel-polished fingernails in dirty soapy water.

I look around bursting with pride. It is a lovely two bedroom in ‘wannabe’ gentrified Leyton. Off a pedestrianised street with vegan shops, gourmet coffee and wine next to the Polish food store. It belongs to my niece. Her first flat.

Love is shit.

I cleaned it from her bum at the early years. Now, I clean her toilet.

The Reflection

My niece is one of the most precious people in my life. Staying with my sister over the summer holidays, I was lucky enough to be part of her growing up. As a baby, my job was to wipe her bum after she poo’ed.

The memory sticks. I am relaxing with a cup of tea and biscuits, and then I hear my name, Aunty Keno, Aunty Keno. Non-stop, it goes on, until I acknowledge her call. Usually with a resigned drawn-out, ‘yeaaaaaaah.’

‘I want to pooooooooo,’ she shouts back.

I put down my book, take her to the toilet, then wait patiently until she finishes and wipe her bum.

Now at 27, she bought her first flat. My sister and I go and help her clean. Suddenly, I find myself scrubbing out the toilet. Deja vu. I have been here before, cleaning shit.

Takeways

• Love is shit, is a great metaphor — you can not experience love without it being messy or smelly
• True love takes the bad alongside the good, that just the way it is