Jessie is a washerwoman whose husband likes to try out get-rich-quick schemes ranging from importing umbrellas to being a doorman at the Tower (hoping to receive lots of tips in foreign currency). His latest one is to try his luck as a porkknocker in the Interior. Jessie does not yet have any children of her own and is very fond of the ones in the village. She works for a number of people, including Mrs. Dingleby in the senior staff compound at the sugar estate. She and Bhagwattie Singh are cousins.