Page 78 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 3

ISSUE THREE | NOV/DEC

young maid that has been with has her freedom and she knows she was not there it’s like to her,
her for about 14 years and she she is going back to her place, other people, even us, were not
doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to she is not in your ‘cage’ the whole doing that well in our care of her.
leave. That really got my attention time. Then she can breathe and They started having some secrets,
because I have gotten used to the be with people she relates to and I didn’t understand because I know
stories of there is a maid today and maybe complain about how the how my mother felt about people
in two months time she is gone. So boss is doing that to her, you know who from outside, but somehow
I wondered what she (the madam) what I mean? I think that’s a very these ones blended. And she did
had done for fourteen years to healthy way of doing it. So she a very good job.
keep her maid. I let that day pass has her own place to come and
without asking her anything. go and she feels she’s coming So does that mean that
Another time when we were at to a job and she feels proud that the older generation has a
the house, I decided to ask her she’s coming to a job. better way of maintaining
straight up questions about her I also treat her well, I think I pay
relationship than this new
relationship with her maid of 14 her well enough and I give her
generation? There seems to
years. Below is the short interview leave allowance; I pay her what
be a divide between these
I did with her at the breakfast table. we call the 13th month. And she’s
also patient like when the money two sides.
What has your relationship is not coming like these days when Again when you’re older people
with your maids been like? I’m not working. When I retired I respect you. When she came I had
position, she was also feeling okay
Some of them had very bad said do I still need her full time? it’s good to work for this one.
attitudes. One time I remember I And then I wondered, am I going When you’re younger, the maids,
sent one away, she had slapped to relieve her just like that? I didn’t if you’ve employed older ones,
the watchman. When I would go have to keep her, but I felt I’m going they think they can mother you,
away, she would walk out and so to disadvantage her by taking her even though you’re the boss. I
this watchman, it was a smallish off the job that she appears to do remember telling some of them I
Maasai watchman, asked “Were very enthusiastically, so I let her need you to use Harpic in the loo,
you employed to go and talk out stay. So, how do I manage to she would say even Vim can clean
there or were you employed to keep her? I don’t know. well. So there are those challenges
work?” And she said, “Have you She has her ‘things’, like when of disrespect. Sometimes they also
been employed to look after she came, the arrangement was disrespect this young person who
maids?” and she slapped him. I that she would have lunch here, has employed them. Earlier on I
said somebody like that, mm-mm. just lunch, but now she doesn’t really never had difficulty keeping
Again her attitude had changed even have breakfast at home she people for quite some time, except
completely and I was imagining comes to have it here. That one one time when I don’t know
how this woman could just set she didn’t ask. It just blended and why the house girl had left and I
things on fire or something like I allowed it to continue. had to get people from bureau,
that. It has its ups and downs, whether because here I am working and I
I had another one, I told her one she should stay long or whether had no one to leave this one with
day we were going to have visitors; she should go because then she (referring to her daughter seated
she didn’t show up. And so I was gets to know you very well and if close by). That time we had two
here stuck with dishes and I was she wants to mess you up, she can people, we had a man servant, we
washing them every evening so do it. But it’s just treating her like were living in a place with more
that I could finish. a human and the fact that maybe space that needed attention. So I
And then I asked a maid working God just had it that we can work would go and get somebody from
for a friend if she would know together. Like the girl who looked the bureau in a hurry and then
of anybody, so she brought her after my mother when she was when they get home I say, “Heh!
(the maid who had stayed for 14 old - and my mother never wanted This one to look after my child?”
years). That time I just wanted maids around - she did the work So that time I remember, there
somebody for three days a week. herself until she was not able to was quite a lot of instability, they
So she came a few days a week, do it and she needed somebody would go and come. I would have
she had good attitude, she could to be with her even at night. And to prepare all the meals in the
work and then somehow I asked somebody from Busia came evening and put them in bottles,
her to come every day. I used to (my mother didn’t speak much because I didn’t feel they should
do the cooking myself, but as we Swahili) and the girl learnt Kikuyu, prepare it themselves.
went on I saw that she could do it they became friends, she used to And then when they left, I had
and was somehow willing to learn. call her, her granddaughter. And somebody who stayed with us until
Number two, it is good when she they bonded so much that when
78 HEALING - RESTORING - REBIRTHING - AFRICA