Tales of Housemaids

Maid - Domestic Help

It was first week of May in one of the years of the 60’s.I was on vacation at my paternal grandfather’s house in Kerala. My morning routines were to get up early, wash my face and clean my legs and hands.

My grandmother gave me coffee before I went for a bath. There was no routine of news paper being delivered at home. The days’ news always figured in the daily gathering of the elders in my grand father’s house. Usually it happened after the lunch time and went on till it was time for evening coffee.

I never saw my grand father sleeping in the after noon. Besides, if any one was missing for the gathering, others will enquire about the reason for the absence – always worried if the person fell sick etc; and check with the youngsters from the family of the particular one.

Only those who were sick and advised rest, alone took a brief nap in the afternoons that too for a short period. It was considered a sin to sleep in the day time and it was a sinner habit to retain an open bed in the house.

Some days, I ventured for taking a dip in the local tank maintained by the local Brahmin community.

Besides this routine, I always watched the work done by the domestic help- a woman from Kongan region. There were families from Kongan state who migrated to our neighbor hood for work and making a living.
They spoke Malayam very well besides Kongani or Thulu.

She was a thin figure and very active like the cartoon book heroines. My grand mother addressed her as PAAYEE.

Paayee will collect all the utensils and other items placed for washing, which included the heavy vessels made of gun metal or bronze. It was not the era of stainless steel yet.

She will take them to the base of a coconut tree. This tree was next to the shed, across the main house, crooked and was extending its head far away into the other side of the shed. So, there was no fear of a coconut or a trunk falling straight on her while working.
There was no detergent or any special powder for cleaning the vessels. The only stuff available was a magical combination of ash from the choola, (fire place for cooking food) and fine sand (spread all over the compound) and tamarind besides coconut fiber.) Of course, water was available to be drawn up from the well, using a bucket and a pulley hung to a near hard wooden bar. There were no taps or pumps to make this task easier.

I always wondered how this lady was able to combine these ingredients and produce a very clean utensil after giving a tough treatment with her rough hands. I noticed her hands were rough but very clean – having repeated this act several hundred times during her career as domestic help.

She also performed cleaning the floor of the house. The house comprised of two small rooms, kitchen, hall and veranda. She will have a metal bucket (a heavy device, compared to modern day light plastic bucket) half filled with water and diluted with few drops of phenol.

Those days, phenol was sold as heavy liquid straight from the oil refinery bottled carefully for cautious application. The liquid was very effective; (could evaporate a person who consumes it by accident) it not only kept the mosquitoes away, but also naughty children.

Phenol, available these days is a white liquid – as is mixed heavily with water, is harmless and cannot cause any danger if swallowed.

An old piece of cloth, detached from an old dhoti/ sari, or similar clothing beyond reuse or wash, was used in place of the modern day mop to wipe a floor clean.

Paayee has to bend, so that her belly is reduced to a thin and combined layer of inner and outer skin around her stomach, before applying pressure from her right hand and move it closely on the floor. She always brushed the floor using a heavy and thick broom before wetting the floor for wash.

My grandmother never supervised her in her jobs as Paayee was very good in these jobs and perfected it over the years.

Only on days when more and heavy utensils were put for wash, my grand mother will leave her with special instructions as necessary.

This was usually on days when, my grandfather performed Ganesh pooja or a homam – havan – meaning using fire on a special place.
On these occasions, the vessels had heavy deposits of carbon and to clean them more effort was required. For this additional task, Paayee got PRASAD FROM THE pooja, besides a good meal at times.

Now-a days we have light weight vessels, effective cleaning chemicals for all applications, protective clothing.

Floor cleaning is made easy with the invention of a mop and a stick, people need not (as cannot) bend any more.

Paayee also worked in few other houses for her lively hood and never spoke a word discontent or dissatisfaction.

Can you imagine what her salary was? It was one rupee and four nanas only.

The service under domestic help has turned into an ugly act in these days as it involves less work for more money.

The days are gone when a domestic was part of the family except was not entitled for a place in the WILL. They were a breed of trust worthiness and a solid example for reliability. Not any more

One has to nearly make a stamp paper agreement all clauses being in their favor under all circumstances. Only specific tasks will be undertaken and may not be performed though. One good aspect is most came well dressed and demand for a mop stick, a cleaning brush or preferably a vacuum cleaner etc;

At the end of the tasks, you will see a mermaid in them as they hardly wet or sweat their hands. A stranger will conclude as if he has seen a maid going to attend a marriage or function. Only the master will look dirty for having chased the maid without much success.

The relation ship between the hirer and the domestic is more or less like a Manager and a trade union leader. You may not celebrate any festival on your own – some time due to a death in the family, but that does not deprive the maid from getting her share from your house.

The normal act of sharing anything by the master is long gone, as anything spoken or done will be taken against him / her. So, fear of loosing the domestic keeps most masters from uttering any word on the maid.

While the work load is demanded to be reduced, the domestic help never stops asking for a rise in her salary. This is besides a cash bonus on all festival days- sweets or other special food is not the satisfying stuff any more. Cash is a must besides the other items.

One domestic help works in many houses and so, you may be at logger heads with your neighbor if the maid blabbers some wrong news about your house hold SECRETS. Like TAXI drivers, domestic helps are also a unique breed, in propagating wild information to other masters.

They are a useful source for anti domestic broadcasting set up, if you want to tease your competitor who also has the same maid. They are the most successful rumor mongers and never caught in the act.

There presence is a very essential part of modern day living and their activities are also a source for entertainment – though the price is very high and risky.

There are some very good and reliable ones among them. They are trust worthy and will never upset you under any condition, but such a rarity is fast diminishing and lets prepare ourselves to be a better replacement as our own reliable domestic help – an perform duties to keep our body bendable and reachable to a gold coin if placed below our feet.

Compiled by

Siva – Adapted from personal diaries