(1014) Maids

A big part of Malaysian family life ties up with maids. Why do I say so? Just look at my high school reunion lunch: there were 7 women: Julie whose maid worked for her at least 15 years, Vickie who changed maids every two years, Katie who uses two maids for the past 30 years, Felicia who hailed from USA (no maid), Lily who resides in Singapore (no maid), Minnie who lives in Australia (no maid) and I (sometimes I hire part-time maids to help in my spring cleaning).

As you can see, out of seven women from the same high school; the four who did not migrate have had dealings with maids in their daily lives. One calls in hourly help, one had a long term lived in maid, two live with two maids who come and go according to contracts.

I have come across fantastic maids who serve their employers faithfully and are therefore treated like part of the family. For example, Siti who worked many years for Mr and Mrs Soh in Silver City and she came from the capital in Sulawesi. There is Auntie who served twenty years with Sheryl's family. This enterprising woman saved up enough to buy land, build chalets and is now running a homestay resort off the internet in Jawa. Yet there is Cathy (Filipina) who is honest as the day is long who spent two decades cleaning mum's 7 bedroom mansion...

However, there are heart-rending tales: my cousin's trusted 19 year long-stay Indonesian maid cleaned out her jewels collection when she left for good. It was terrible to lose one's heirloom and hard earned beautiful pieces at one blow. More than that, I'm sure it was a horrible feeling to be betrayed by one whom a person trusted so well.

Then there is the deSilver family's saga. Their paragon had long been all the neighbours' envy. At long last, the model maid's children asked her to return to her hometown to enjoy her well earned rest. The maid, who is an expert baker, baked two cakes on her second last day at work. These were beautifully decorated cakes. One she planned to take home on the returning flight. The other was for her employer's children. Unbeknown to everyone else, the youngest child in the house surveyed both cakes and switched them.

All went according to clockwork. The maid was sent off with good wishes and much affection at the airport. The family concerned came home, very glad they would enjoy one more wonderful cake. They cut into the attractive cake finding the mistress' jewels hidden inside. Imagine the shock! While they must be glad to be safe from financial loses, it must be a bitter taste in the mouth to feel a sense of betrayal!