we were relieved the day that charu joined as a maid. we are further relieved that she was given the boot today.
for the first three months, we could not believe that the going was so good. this lean girl had the tenacity to handle aum day after day; she could show him the world; the ganesh chaturthi, diwali, fish in the pond, train tracks, et all. she managed to feed him, bathe him, & put him to sleep!!! she even satisfied both the inlaws with her devotion for the spirited three year old.
we took bold steps. went for dinner for the first time in years, swati joined office, I asked swati to join me in ooty for a shoot…
we paid her well, bought her new clothes, started a marathi newspaper of her choice, took her with us on our visits to pondicherry, madras, pune…
she was a pale, frail girl when she joined us but slowly & steadily, she had begun to look healthier.
every now & then, swati & me would wonder at our good fortune. swati’s friends without maids envied her, & the gang at the office marveled at the regularity (both mine & swati’s) & of the dabba from home.
the only rankling thought was her lack of fondness for the opposite sex. she hated men. for reasons far removed from our reality-her sister’s hubbie was a so & so, her father was a drunkard into abuse, & such like common gore of the maids.
three months later, her mood swings & her attitude changed. she would mutter to herself nonstop if she missed her afternoon nap, she would not rise if I had an early morning flight, or if it was a morning shift. swati added 2 more servants to ease her task, but still she slackened furthermore. she started to argue over little things with swati, & I routinely found dirt in aum’s ears after a bath!
& then, ten days back, she left for a day to boriwali to meet her brothers only to return nonchalant yesterday night. & all of those ten days with swati in a plaster-a fractured ankle, me with my new teeth-aaargh!, & aum at full throttle 14 hours a day! swati called n number of times, left sos, but charu did not heed to the pleas. then stories poured in of how she had done the same thing to the aged in the next building, to the celeb in pali who went out to kill her…
the clincher was her adamant & argumentative 90 seconds at the door, defending her decision, almost as if she had not done anything untoward!!!
& there are millions that are homeless, somehow braving the vagaries of weather & the pit in their tummies. you want to give them ‘ashray’, feed & clothe them, pay them handsomely, & then you receive brickbats in direct proportion to the love showered.
anyone out there have another opinion about maids?
2 comments:
Yes, well.. I got a theory re that. See, for generations and generations 'they' are oppressed, poor-beyond-belief, having to leave their native lands and forage (my FAVOURITE word!) for work in strange cities. They are more often than not abused, mentally, physically, pychologically, eating, wearing hand-me-downs... They learn to distrust goodness, kindness. They view all gains as short-term gains, to be grabbed with both hands and hang the future! For 50 rupees more, they job-hop. WE think they are attached to the child, they speak politely, they are efficient. And they are. Till the next offer comes along, to lure them away with the promise of that 50 rupees more.
So. The best way to deal with this 'servant' problem, is to remain detached, be good to them, be fair, but prepare yourself every morning to be ready to wish them goodbye that day. NEVER take anyone's help for granted. EVER.
Swati will get through this, like she will get through all big and small crises to come. But that stupid, sad girl has a VERY unsettled life ahead. Just like countless other sisters of her's.
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