My maid Padma

Always wanted to write about my erstwhile maid but ironically doing it only now. If any of you remember, I was having some adjusting troubles with my first maid after we moved here. Once the maid decided to take off for four days starting Sunday through Thursday. And I was having too much pain with her already telling her the same thing again and again, having to inspect her work to make sure she is doing it well and so on and so forth. So when she decided to go on a four day vacation, I decided enough was enough and asked the watchman to send a "bai" upstairs to our flat.

My maid was a true godsend so to speak. She appeared on Sunday morning just when I was about to get to the dishes asking for work. I was only too happy, I gave her my standard dialogue, you do what I ask you to do, I will pay what you ask me to pay. And she started right away. I was happy I didn't have to do the dishes that day!! I later learnt that she had not come because the watchman had told her. She had generally started checking all apartments to see if anyone needed work. She took off from working because she had a baby and was back after a year. Truly a godsend.

So when the first maid came back after her vacation, I unceremoniously sacked her because she had given me enough trouble already. And she was always more keen on what I paid her than on what she was doing. And if I had to get something done daily, I almost had to tell her daily, which was my biggest irritant. I hate repeating things especially when it comes to asking someone to do something. And even worse when I am paying them to do it.

The new maid was a delight. I just told her once about what I wanted done, and I never had to either repeat it nor inspect what she was doing. She thought her job was to keep the house clean and that meant I was always extremely happy. If she found anything dusty she would automatically dust it without me having to tell her. She was a charm and I was only too happy to pay her well and give her goodies from time to time.

In fact when we were moving to the new place, I asked her to move with me and said I would accommodate her and she could look for work locally. But the apartment complex we moved from is an ocean and I am pretty sure she wouldn't be better off here, still I was willing to do whatever it takes to have her come over. Selfish yeah, but that's me ;) And I believe she did want to come but for her husband's job which was car-washing. And I sure couldn't get him enough work here, since he used to wash about 25 cars in that place.

She even told me how my old maid used to say things about me when they happened to meet up saying I used to make her do so much work and that she wondered how she was managing. Apparently my maid said she was happy to work here and I didn't pester her or tell her things everyday at all. I hope she was saying the truth ;)

Now I have a new maid, who I think if I continue to keep, I might just learn Tamil, which will check off three of the four South Indian languages for me on the fluently-conversant meter. But I think its not to be. This maid is pretty much the same as the one I had first after we moved. I have to tell her things everyday and she is even worse, she says, "I don't do this anywhere else" in response to "Please clean the stove after you do the dishes" --OR-- "I don't touch things" in response to "Please move the chairs when you sweep". And to top it all she keeps saying, I will do whatever you say, you just need to pay me well. Yeah right!

And she is taking off this Sunday to Thursday. A very close deja-vu for me. Same days of the week to take off. Same duration. Same type of pain. Same length of employment.

Lets hope I find another godsend like my maid Padma.