Used most often in the sense of "proper," "good in no way muted the gestures
of subordination built into colonial relations. Ibu Sastro, for example, described
her colonial employers as "good" but then still contrasted them with
"today's Dutch," who are more respectful because they recognize that "Java belongs
to the J a v a n e ~ e . "E~ve~n when the rules of "proper" domestic relations
were followed, they were hardly fair. A "good" Dutch might only get angry if
you had done something wrong, but Ibu Kilah recalled that even if she repeatedly
scrubbed a dirty garment, if the stain remained, she was "wrong."90 People
expressed anger most directly when speaking of employers who transgressed
these tacit rules. Ibu Darmo recalled crying in rage when she was
wrongly accused of stealing soap.91 Ibu Kasan said she quit one evening after
she was told no guests were coming for dinner. When they did come, she was
berated by the adult daughter for not preparing enough food and accused of
"having no brain." The young woman later came to her home and begged her
to return, but she refused, saying "I guess I can't work if I don't have a brain.