Last month, we got ourselves a new maid. Oh no, it’s not what you think. We were quite happy with our last maid but she wanted to go home to start a family and a business of her own. She worked for us for 9 years so she’s practically family.
So this new maid.
It’s only been just alittle more than a month since she came but there has been so much drama..it’s insane!
She started out fine. She’s definitely not as out going as our previous maid but that’s fine. What matters for us, is that she can help out well with the houseworking and cooking. Both of which she did fine for the first week.
Yep.
She was barely on her second week with us when she did a disappearing act.
I still remember that day very well. it was a Monday – 30th of April. My mum told her not to cook that evening as we were supposed to go for the company’s labour day dinner. Later in the afternoon, we went to pick my little sister up and she commented that she couldn’t find the maid and she was wondering why she’s not there. That was alittle before 2pm.
That was when the mini nightmare started.
My mum had to call home every few minutes and she has to notify the maid agency. There must have been countless missed calls. She could barely concentrate at work.
By 430pm, there was still no word so I eventually had to drive her home to check up on stuff. We reached home at around 5pm and we searched the house to check if anything was amiss. Nothing seemed out of place. I was slightly relieved she didn’t bolt with her belongings or any of our valuables. My mum later approached our neighbour but they hadn’t seen her either. After yet another phone call to the maid agency and a chat with the neighbours and their maid – we found out that our maid has complained that she gets bored and moody. We would have stayed on and waited till she finally decided to come home but we had to leave coz of the dinner. So we left our contact no. with the neighbour and headed back to Woodlands.
At around 615, our neighbour called to tell us our maid is back.
She was gone for more than 4 hours!
My mum called back and gave her a HUGE scolding. Apparently she went to meet her cousin in Ghim Moh. Ya great. Without even telling my mother?!
I mean she wasn’t even smart enough to sneak out AFTER my little sis came home and left, and then quickly rush back home. And the best thing about it was her excuse.
She said she took the wrong bus and headed the wrong direction.
Well the only bus that goes from our place to ghim moh..is a loop service. So even if she got on the wrong direction, she will eventually find herself back home.
My mum was furious and she refused to speak to her further.
Some of you may think that we probably got rid of her after such an episode.
But no, we gave her another chance. Coz my mum can be very soft hearted, especially when she found out our maid is here to work so that she can give her daughter a better education.
So ok fine. Give her another chance.
But then.
All of us have already lost whatever trust we had for her in the first place.
So anyway, a week or 2 passed and my sisters started to complain alittle about her cooking. Her favourite dish to cook was chicken with gravy. Almost every other day it’ll be chicken and gravy. And her favourite veggie to cook is bean sprouts.
She’s generally a very very blur person that doesn’t retain information well.
Like there was this one Sunday when my mum told her to cook peanut soup with chicken feet. She reminded her several times to add garlic..add garlic..not onions.
And guess what we had for dinner?
Peanut soup with chicken feet with onions and no trace of garlic.
Man..that was some odd tasting fusion soup.
Then came her other so called problem. She’s not very good at communicating.
She was once told to fry some chicken fillet for dinner but the end result was chicken with gravy. Apparently we didn’t have any chicken fillet so she decided to just cook her favourite dish without checking with the sisters if they mind having that instead.
She’s a very hardworking person – she’s forever cleaning something in the house.
But when it comes to being flexible and planning for what to cook and stuff..she really isn’t very good at it lor. When she first arrived, she was always reading cook books at night but I don’t see where all that reading has gone to. She hasn’t tried anything new.
Plus my mum never fails to get agitated when she speaks to her on the phone. Especially when she has to practically coach her step by step what dishes she should cook and what weird combinations (ie minced pork with cabbage) NOT to cook.
So last Saturday, we brought the maid back to the agency for a talk.
It was pretty bad. The agency ladies were not amused. Scolded her..a lot. Even I felt uncomfortable. at the end of the whole thing, we still gave her one more chance.
She has to improve or we’re sending her back. Even the agency ladies agreed she’s not very intelligent and not very quick thinking.
It’s a horrible situation really. We are all trying to be nice and give her a chance but we don’t trust her at all. I told the boyfriend the other day that I honestly don’t see her working the full 2 years with us.
And today.
I still stick to that notion.
Coz she did something ridiculous again.
She goes to the wet market in ghim moh once every week to buy the week’s groceries. My mum told her to call before she leaves and call again when she gets home.
Today. My sis called at 11am to say the maid is not around. Some groceries have been left at the sink and she’s nowhere to be found.
Again.
She finally appeared at about 1130.
The first thing she said to my sis was ‘I forgot the chicken’
Huh?!
She apparently went to buy chicken, paid for it and forgot to bring it back.
Right.
It could be the honest truth but we don’t trust her so it’s very hard to believe that. I told my mum not to call home and see if she will call my mum.
She didn’t call when she went out.
She didn’t call when she came back.
She didn’t call when she found out she forgot the chicken.
She didn’t call even after she got back.
She apparently spoke to the agency lady. And she sounded apologetic.
Is that enough? I don’t think so.
Who is she supposed to answer to?
My mother, her employer? Or her agent?
It’s quite obvious isn’t it?
Where is the explanation my mother deserves?
Goodness.
I wanted to give her another chance but despite all her commendable efforts and efficient housekeeping..she has some really questionable behaviour and I don’t think one or two scolding can change.
She had this weird practice of waking my little sis up earlier than her usual 6am wakeup call (by my mum) just to ask her what she wants to eat. We thought that silly thing stopped after my mum told her off.
But today. Yes today. Lots of things seem to be happening today.
She apparently tried to wake my sis up again. This time she just poked her. Yep. I don’t know why. She just did. And it wasn’t to ask her what to eat.
Weird.
So tell me.
Should we still give her a chance?
I find that all our patience has run out.
I know for sure my little sis is not particularly a fan and she would probably request for a new maid or none at all if she could have her way.
seriously.
