Today morning our maid arrived at 10 am advancing her visit by a full 5 hours. She said she has to attend parents teachers meet at her daughters schoool in the evening, and can we accomodate?I was pleasantly surprised.
My mind went on a rewind and browsed the various excuses servant maids have been giving me. I remember in the distant timeframe, they used to be the doormats and would have been bashed up by their drunken husbands the previous night. They will have innumerable ailments for which they dont go to the doctor but take time off from work.
The next evolution was of servants who are at their husband's beck and call. He will order that she need not go for work today because of some silly domestic reason. She has to fulfill all extended family obligations of birth, death, marriage, house warming and the ubiquitous 'coming of age function'. He will carry on his work nevertheless, which mostly will be puffing beedis at the roadside shop!
All of them have a pained and hangdog expression pasted on their faces. Not that i blame them.I never even thought much about it, as i was hardwired to think servants = long faces.
But then it is quite different here in Mumbai. She comes with a bright face; wears good clothes, well stitched blouses and brings a handbag along! No dirty plastic bags which my servant maid used to carry, having all odds and ends. This lady has a handbag, right and propah one; dont mind that it is made of rexine, and not leather. But it is a decent handbag and when she comes in, you would feel like asking her into your drawing room.She charges 800 rupees for washing clothes; only clothes!It is really four times pricey than it is in chennai, and why chennai, in Santa cruz, andheri, malad, you name the suburb.
But then i am told the steep price is due to ias officers dwellings in the neighbourhood and they have a retinue of servants and are entitled to huge overtime and also servants quarters. They are so pampered that it has pushed up the rates for servants in the locality! Does it have any logic; not much, but this is reality.
But, if she charged me 800 rupees and came with a dirty plastic bag and a hangdog expression, i am not entitled to cut her salary, can I?
So, i am saying, I am happy i see a happy face everyday in neat and tidy workclothes and professional demeanour. These are my freebies!