Maid In India

Excuse the naff title, I'm feeling a little 'naff' myself!

I have mentioned that I had a bad week, well Jayanthi (aka Mary) contributed big time to my woes.

She asked for her salary last Friday, I thought DH must have forgotten pay day, so I shelled out without checking. Big mistake, as it turns out we have actually been paying her in advance, this was so that we could secure her to work for us from another family who were leaving before we arrived in Chennai.

On Monday morning, Pushpa, our second maid was due to start work and I was looking forward to finally getting the house straight this week with 2 staff to help, and she dutifully arrived in good time. I returned from the school run to find Pushpa alone and no Jayanthi. No phonecall, no nothing, so I wait until 10.30am and then try to contact her. No joy. I ask Kumar to call the number we have and he has some sort of luck and gabbles away in Tamil to someone and then informs me that 'Jayanthi, she is sick madam'. Oh OK then fair enough, a phonecall would have been nice though.

Tuesday morning, still no sign, still no phonecall so I ask Kumar to call again 'Still sick madam, going to hospital for blood test', OK fair enough, but please ask her to keep us informed.

Wednesday, still no sign and I'm told that a woman turns up at the gate asking for a job because, 'Jayanthi not coming back'...???? Panic. OMG why not? Are we horrible? Have we treated her badly in some way...she kept telling me how happy she was to work here and how she enjoyed the children - very confused.

Kumar calls again and is told there is a 'big family problem' he immediately places his bet on a new job and doesn't beleive a word of it.

Wednesday evening, DH decides to pay her a visit to see if there has been a misunderstanding or something and the story we get is that she lost her house when the Tsunami hit and the government gave her a house that is 16km away, so she decided to stay with her family in Chennai where the work is, now the government are threatening to repossess the house, which she can't afford to let them do and has to go away to live in the house.

Kumar still doesn't beleive a word of it, 'Madam, she is a widow, 2 children, she has to work, she needs money. She has another job and I will find out where.' OK Kumar, and when you do, let us know becasue she owes us a months salary!

Anyway, that's the jist of it, there were other factors in this including her sister who was not actually able to 'swear on the bible' when asked to confirm that she didn't have another job. Woman at the Gate returning again to chance her luck with more hearsay.

Pushpa has stayed the week. She is very good with the children and loves playing with them, more so than doing the housework, but everything has been so much at sixes and sevens this week I haven't complained - yet.

Postscript - A few hours later, we have it confirmed that she does indeed have a new job. What a palava and a sack full of untruths!