When Helpers Come and Go

Today, I woke up early (5:00 a.m.) for I have to attend to Nicole who goes to school at 7 a.m.. Our oldie helper (as I have described in my previous post) has told me last night that she is leaving. Prior to that, she's been watching tv from wowowee til deal or no deal. This is her daily ritual. Can you just imagine how many hours she's been wasting when she has lots of work to do at home. Hubby was the one who cooked for dinner. Asked her to iron the clothes in the hamper. She didn't moved from her seat. She even has the habit of putting her feet on the sofa (naka-de quatro pa), wearing only her duster. I reprimanded her so many times not to do that. She's so stubborn. When Pio saw me being mad again, he went down, switch off the tv and brought the remote control in our room. That's when Manang got up and called us for dinner. While eating, she's frowning and told me she's leaving. I told her it's ok with me. At last, I don't need to tell her that. I've been thinking of asking her to leave, but I pity her, baka wala ng malipatan because of her age (hubby still thinks she's 60+). Anyway, paid her remaining salary, checked her bag which I don' t usually do, but hubby's .45 caliber gun is missing. It's not in there. Maybe it was just misplaced in the car. Finally, I let her go.

I have so many helpers who come, work and go.... Some I even helped transfer to a better job like in restaurants, canteen, fastfood chains or in shopping malls where they can earn more especially the ones who are high school graduates (few are even college graduates). I even suggested for them to enroll in TESDA for short vocational courses. Some of my kids' nannies have left to get married, others to attend to their own family or went back home to finish school.

I've lost count of the helpers/maids who have worked for me since year 2000. The year I moved in my husband's family home.

My first staff (3 of them are siblings) are from Lanao del Norte. They are so "masipag". They helped each other, walang inggitan sa trabaho. One has become so attached to my child, Gabbie, when she's still a baby, she doesn't want to eat unless the baby is truly asleep. Aileen is really reliable. When the other helper (Jing) became sick, I let her rest and employed another one. Nene (Jing's sis) is an all around help, she has a boyfriend who asked her to live with him. So Nene became a stay-out maid. But this guy would often appear at home and fetch her even when the work's not done yet especially during payday. Aileen, Jing and Naneth (their cousin) are the ones left with me. Eventually, have to let go of Nene (who changes boyfriends as often as she changes her nail polish). But she would come back and work again for me. The siblings left when hubby discovered that the new one cannot be trusted with money. Gabbie's nanny left also because she has to go with her cousin. She came back after a month. She said she missed Gabbie. When Gabbie turned 2, she got sick and has to rest, she left for the province. She would come and visit us when she's on a day off. Heard she's now working in a computer shop in Manila.

Manang Josie was referred by a neighbor. She's around 40, been married, have kids and separated from husband (who cheated on her). During our chats (I make it a habit to know all their background including sad stories), she confided that when she her child died (of meningitis)and husband cheated on her (she even make a big scandal in her hubby's workplace at Burgundy condo), she attempted to kill herself. Before she can plunge the knife in her stomach, her 6 month old- baby cries. That cry saved her from killing herself. My golly, when I heard her story, asked all my kids to sleep in our room. Our helpers sometimes sleep in my kids' room (with their own bed). Told my hubby about it and instructed me to let her go. Ako naman naawa, di ko masabi. When she had her day off, she's supposed to visit her kids (who lives with a relative). She never came back, her daughter called that she was hit by a jeepney just outside our village. Called the nearest hospital, she was sent to East Avenue Hospital. I checked the operator of the vehicle at LTFRB but the plate number that the guard has, doesn't belong to a puv. Her children came to the house, took her things, I gave them money for her meds. I heard she's ok after the accident. She opted to just stay with her kids. There goes her sad story...

Gigi is from Butuan. She's been working as a maid in the province to support her high school studies. She walks 2 hours a day to go to school and fetch water on her way back home, their place has no running water yet. Her sister, Lourdes works for me as stay-out maid. When Gigi arrived in Manila, she was employed (also in QC) as store helper and an all around help in the house at the same time. She sleeps near the bathroom, on the cold floor without a mat, beside the family's dog. Her employer gave her minimal food to eat. Lourdes pleaded that I hire her sister and pay the employer the transportation fare that they have paid for her. So I did. She became Bea's nanny. Lourdes stopped working when I found out she's been getting canned goods from the kitchen everytime she would go home at night. She also took home some bedsheets and hubby's jacket. Nicole once told me that all our stay-out helpers brought some goods & rice when they go back home. I didn't notice it, never checked the cabinet, much less count them. We have so many staff then aside from the maids, we also have the drivers and some bodyguards (hubby needs them before) plus the occasional visits of hubby's former classmates. I presume the canned goods have been consumed by them aside from the food we eat daily. Gigi eventually left and transferred to a car shop in Banawe. Told her there's no problem with me as long as the job can uplift more her family's condition in the province. She's also supporting Lourdes and her family. A very good sister indeed...

So many helpers (from Cagayan, Cebu, Leyte, Bicol, Cotabato, Kalinga, Ilocos, Iloilo, Pampanga, Batangas, Baguio, Iligan) come and go. I lost contact with the others. Hope they have much better lives now.

I often wonder when can I have a helper who would stay with me for years. I'm not a bad employer I believe. I even bought them new shoes, clothes, vitamins, plus cellphone loads. Even gave them my kids' toys & clothes to send for their siblings or children in the province. Allow them weekly day offs. Plus bonuses every year. They even sleep in an airconditioned room and have time for siesta. My mom would tell me, "ang bait mo kasi kaya minsan inaabuso ka na". What can I do, eh ganun talaga ako sa kapwa ko...Hay sana lang me mabait din at masipag na helper magtagal samen....