Remembering Ayesha

Ayesha was our maid in Oman for a few years.  When she worked for us, she was a young woman, probably in mid to late twenties.  She got married when she was 10, had a child at 11, left the child with her family in Kerala, India, to join her husband in Oman.  Her husband Jaffer was a kitchen help in one of the many kitchens belonged to the Sultan of Oman.

When we moved to Oman in 2002, she found out that we were looking for a maid, and knocked on our door.  My wife thought that she was 'interviewing' a conservative woman, well covered on purdah, for the position.  I think my wife was half-hearted, so, she asked for my opinion.  We were in need of a maid to look after our two kids,three and one.  I said let's give it a try.

Ayesha joined us as a maid.  Without purdah, she looked young and nice, did not speak much with me, but it seems that she was talking a lot with my wife.  They exchanged recipes, stories of women in Oman, and so on.  She will come to work around 8 AM, and leave by 3 pm, so I hardly saw her except on Thursdays, when we both were home.  In Oman, Thursdays and Fridays made the weekend.  She did not work on Fridays.

The first month came to an end, and we gave her a fifty rial note as her salary.  Its 130 USD, considered a good salary for part-time maids in Oman.  That was the agreement.  Ayesha was not happy.  She thought we gave her a ten rial note, which is a similar color note to a fifty.  Its then we realized that Ayesha could not read.  She did not know the difference between 10 and 50, and she had never seen a 50 rial note.

Later she found that two other families, resided on house numbers 22 and 24, required a part time maid after 3 pm, and she wanted to check them out.  My do-gooder wife wrote 22 in her right hand and 24 in her left hand, and told her if the house is on right its 22 and if its on left it will be 24.  Pretty sad.

Whenever I traveled, Ayesha will stay home over night, she will not do any work on hours other than from 8 AM and 3 pm, but being at home was helpful.

There are many interesting incidents between us and Jaffers.  Once they wanted us to have lunch on a festival day, and we agreed.  Both were so happy.  Jaffer offered me a bottle of whiskey (about 5 USD - still twice as expensive than the whiskeys they drink).  He will come to our place occasionally, and cook some very good food.  The first time, I too wanted to reciprocate, I offered a bottle of Chivas Regal, he cleaned half a liter in no time, as he was cooking.  I could not make similar offers every time he came, it was not easy to get Chivas Regal in Oman.

My wife and Ayesha got along well for a few years, then things started going sour.  My tolerant wife will complain to me, but will not confront her.  She just do not know how.

One day, my wife called me from my kids' school and said Ayesha had to go.  I was in the College, I went home, called Ayesha, and said we do not need her services anymore, paid her dues, and told her to leave.  I was polite but firm.  She was in the middle of ironing, she too was mad at us, yet, she said she will finish ironing and leave.  I told her that there's no need for that and she should leave straight away.  I had to get back to work.  She covered herself, walked out of the house, paused, returned, but finally left without making any fuss.  She was proud too.

So, how come I remembered her after almost 9 years?  I am in Pretoria today, and I had chicken wings for dinner tonight with South African red wine. Ayesha's husband as a kitchen help had access to bags full of frozen chicken wings.  He will send them through Ayesha, she will fry a few every day for me to have it with my whiskey when I come home.  That was good.  Just think about it.  A maid's husband sending  food for her Master.  Funny isn't it.

My wife and I have seen Ayesha a few times later on the streets.  She will wave, we too will wave, make a polite small conversation and move on.  I think she regretted offending my wife.   We have no idea where she is.

Its disappointing when a reasonably good relationship ends on a sour note.  But, that's the way life is.  All good things must and will come to an end.