Maid # 14

Should I or shouldn't I?

Do I include her in the count?

We fetched maid # 14 from agency last night. We got home around 10pm, and I showed her her living quarters, where to bathe etc. Then I showed her her breakfast fare, with bread and spreads. I asked if she drank coffee, she said yes. So I gave her a new pack of coffee, and even helped her boil her water to put in their thermos. After things had been put away, I asked her to rest and be ready by 7.30 am the next day.

The next morning, we awoke to the sound of our phone ringing. It was the guard. Our maid was at the guard house, asking to go out. I said no, she didn't ask for our permission.

So I went downstairs and asked the maid why she wanted to go out. She needed to buy bread. The bread I gave her, has molds daw. Flabbergasted, I went to her table to check. Nope, no molds there. Nada. Not even a hint of green on the loaf. So I told her to show me - where are the molds? Oh, no molds. But when she woke up this morning daw, the bread pack was in the trash can already.

Oh really?

I decided to let the senseless reply go. So I asked her again, kumain ka na? She said yes. I asked her to go upstairs to help me with chores.

She didn't know how to chop garlic and onion. And I have to pat myself on the back for this - I showed her how to do it very, very patiently. While I was cooking Mike and Chloe's baon for the day, she engaged me in a very awkward conversation.

Maid: Magkano ba ang sweldo ko dito?
Me: P________
Maid: Pagtapos ng 2 buwan, magkano na makuha ko?
Me: P________
Maid: Tapos, may utang ako sa agency ng Php 2t+?
Me: Ah, ang alam ko, utang mo sa agency is Php 4t+
Maid: Php 4t+?!?!?! Pano umabot ng Php 4t+ yun?

Then she proceeded to enumerate to me her boat fare, her lodgings etc. It couldn't have reached PHp 4t+.

Note that this conversation was taking place with maid speaking in Cebuano, and me speaking in Tagalog. She understands Tagalog, but can't speak it. I usually just try to translate her words into Tagalog and she nods when I get it right.

So back to story.

While enumerating, her voice kept rising. I told her that she signed for her dues in front of me. If she had any issues with how it was computed, better if she talk with the agency.

So to make a long story short, while we were waiting for the agency to call me back, I showed her how to clean our rooms. While she was cleaning, I took a shower and got ready for the office. I looked for her in the room where I left her - she wasn't there. So I asked Mike to ask her to come up and finish cleaning the room.

Mike came up and said, the maid is having her coffee break.

Huwaaaaaaaaaat?

I went downstairs where this conversation took place:

Me: Maid no. 14, anong ginagawa mo?
Maid: Mag kape muna ako. Kasi di pa ako kumain buong araw eh.
Me: Haaaa? E diba kanina tinanong kita sabi mo kumain ka na?
Maid: Hindi, nagpainit lang ako ng tubig.(San sya magpapainit eh wala namang stove sa room nya?)
Me: Alam mo, maid no. 14, araw araw pumapasok kami sa trabaho. Kelangan, habang andito pa kami, malinis na ang buong bahay. Pag alis namin, ikaw na bahala ano gusto mo gawin. Pero sa umaga, dapat matapos na ang trabaho bago kami umalis. Umakyat ka na.

So up she went.

Then she asked if I'm leaving for work already, because she wants to go with me. She wants me to bring her back to the agency.

My goodness.

I called agency and I don't know what they talked about, but she was crying when she handed me back my phone, saying she'll stay na lang daw.

NO. As Chloe would say, I don't yike.

I don't like having someone who lies, nor do I like having someone bearing a grudge (against agency or me) work for us. It's too risky. We're not home most of the time.

So we showed her the door.

So tell me - do I include her in my maid count?

She stayed for only 14 hours. :D

Part of me wants to, if only so I can win this game I'm playing by myself.

Another part of me doesn't want to, because the higher the numbers go, the more I think something is wrong with me. Mike suggested having a priest bless the maid's quarters. And I agreed. Can you believe it? I agreed.

What do you think?