Maid... or un-maid?!

God hail my dearest mother for handling so many maids over the years with ease!!! I mean, how does she do it??? I took me nearly three weeks to find a decent maid! (which to my expense, has been a disaster!)

We are just three of us in the family and we do not actually need a maid as we do our own work and go on with our lives. But recently, my mother had to work on weekends as well so house work piled up a bit on her end and so we thought we would get a maid. Little did I know that, that would end up being an adventure of sorts!

First we sounded it through the usual channels, namely - the housewives in and around in the neighborhood. Effective method, this way of communication I tell you! In just a day's time I had four maids lined up at my doorstep wanting the job. One even gave me a call on my cell phone saying that she would come over the next day to talk to me! However, ALL of them would not go for lesser than Rs.1500 a month to sweep, mop n wash clothes thrice a week. We did not even talk about doing the dishes or cleaning the balcony and the washrooms and all. And the conditions... my! They would not wash the bedsheets and they would not move the furniture around while mopping the floor. To wash one or two t-shirts I do not need a maid! I might as well do it myself for godsakes!

Phew! This was just the beginning. There was this maid who asked us if we could look after her five-year old kid while she cleaned up our place and the house next to ours. I did not know whether to pay her for her work or ask her for the child-care charges! Another one was a typical urban worker. She asked for incentives for washing any number of extra clothes other than the stipulated number everyday! She should have run some company, this woman! The organization would be reaping profits left, right and centre! Yet another one told us that she is ready to do all that we ask for at 800 bucks a month except that she would do it at three in the afternoon. All three of us in my family work. How in the world are we supposed to be home while she comes to work?? Teleporting??!!

Then came a day after full, three weeks that a maid accepted all that we asked for - sweep, mop and wash clothes everyday by 8 A.M. at 700 bucks a month. Yay! Mission accomplished! Or so I thought! Her husband moved out of the city and within a month, she vanished and went away to some far unknown land. Poor me.

Now am back to square one, slogging through the day and night as well; cleaning this and that and in between managing to go to work as well. The only advantage of it all is that am getting ample exercise. I guess I should be thankful for it, but as with all good things that are dropped into our lap, I complain and crib about having to do all the work.

Hopefully, some good soul who goes by the term 'MAID', listens to my cry of helplessness (sorry for the exaggeration!) and comes to my aid. A maid would surely save me a lot of energy which I spend ranting about not having one! Would pour my blessings on her if only she would pay me a visit from her heavenly abode wherever that is!

Oh well, yesterday was the deadline on all the complaints I guess! And in the meantime, I have another prospective maid to talk to in the morning...

CK Z