One of the challenges of having maids and drivers is how to make them get along. How to find the balance in their different characters, personalities, differences, idiosyncrasies, and how to be an effective referee during their frequent fights and intrigues.
Just before I left Manila, our maids were having some LQs.
Antonia complained that our new lavandera, Jazz, drank her coffee and milk without asking for her permission.
Jeb complained that lavandera has been abusing her generosity by using her body lotion, Johnson’s baby buds. Norma complained that lavandera scours through her closet looking for something.
They also complained that from day one lavander likes to complain and doesn’t want to be told what to do. That when Norma reminded Jazz to organize my clothes, fold neatly, and place them back inside my closet as per my instruction, Jazz said “bwisit”.
Jazz denied all these accusations. She was crying while I spoke to her. I was ready to let her go but medyo naawa naman ako. I called the three other maids and asked them “those who want to give Jazz a second chance, raise your right hand”. I needed two votes to let her stay. All of them raised their right arm. Jazz stays and promises to be nicer, kinder, more cooperative, not to drink Antonia’s milk and coffee, not to touch Jebel’s lotion and cotton buds and not to make kalikot Norma’s aparador.
Jazz is bagong salta in our household. One a half months into her job, she replaced Cha.
I got Cha from an employment agency. She was living in the streets when a security guard found her and introduced her to the owner of the agency. Cha became the girlfriend of the sekyu. They go out during Cha’s days’ off. Cha stayed with us for 6 months. She replaced Jlyn who is also the girlfriend of the same security guard. Cha and Jlyn now hate each other and are now competing for the sekyu’s love and money. Cha resigned upon the orders of her sekyu bf. Cha gets P2,500 everything sekyu receives his salary. When Cha discovered that he gives Jlyn P6,000 every month she phoned our maids to signify her intention to come back work for us again as lavandera.
Edmund scolded Antonia about some minor thing. After Edmund had left, she told me “mam, aalis na lang ako dito”. After a few days, she obviously changed her mind. But that was the third or fourth time that she threatened to leave after she got scolded. A few days before I was leaving, I saw Edmund giving her a gate pass valid for two days. I said “kailan ka aalis Antonia?” Day off lang daw. But when I asked her when she was leaving us, she took it as a sign that I was sending her away so she started to look for a place to live, not to work, but a house where she can start her dress shop, and bring her husband and daughter to Manila.
Antonia is not actually poor. She and her husband inherited agricultural lands. She also owns a house and lot in Las Pinas. Unfortunately, she allowed her nephew to live there but little did she know, her nephew’s drug addict friends were also staying there. When she found out, she asked for the help of the barangay to drive them away. They are now threatening that they would kill her if she goes back to her house.
She wants to sell her house and is looking to get at least 1.5M from the sale so she could buy a house in another place.
Her one and only daughter / child is emigrating to Canada soon.
We will miss Antonia and her delicious cooking most especially the chicken tinola.
Driver Arv brought out the Explorer without our knowledge. He returned it in the evening of the same day. Then he disappeared and have not responded to our messages. Upon inspection, merong bangga yung sasakyan. Ipinasyal daw yung misis and anak according to the maids.
