Ammu
Lalitha insisted that I keep her daughter Ammu after sarasa’s marriage. Sarasa warned me that I would not find Ammu suitable. I never the less agreed as lalitha had borrowed a hefty sum for Sarasa’s wedding saying she would work for me and I could recover from her salary. Now she wanted her daughter Ammu to work she promised whenever she was free she would come to work in place of Ammu.
Ammu was the pretty on e in the family. Lalitha and all the other girls were dark and unkempt but Ammu because she was the beauty in the family got the best clothes and did the least work. The family pampered her, made a big deal about her looks and they were always referring to marrying her off to a wealthy family on account of her looks. She had grown up with these stories and was not used to the idea of having to work for her living. Though only 16 she had marriage proposals from comparatively well off families. She was a reluctant domestic help. She would help me out in the kitchen till I left for work. She was expected to do the cleaning work after I left, but would spend the entire day watching her and before the mirror grooming her.
The only work she was genuinely interested in was cooking. She did not know a thing about cooking but was interested in learning. One Sunday morning she watched me make egg roast. After a week or two one day she offered to make it herself asked her how she would make it she narrated the steps to me , she would boil the eggs, chop onions and ginger, heat oil in a pan fry the onion with the masala powder and then put the boiled eggs in and stir it for 5 min. Since she had got the process right I said okay and went to take a bath when I came out from the bedroom I could hear a strange ‘click clack’ sound from the kitchen. When I peeped in I found she had put the boiled eggs in without removing the shell and hence the strange sound!
I did not mind her not knowing cooking but the house was always dirty. I prided myself on my ‘induction program ‘for maids but I must admit with Ammu I failed. It was like water off a duck’s back. Because of my long association with lalitha and her family I suffered her also because I had to recover the loan I had given Lalitha.I come home one day to hear my daughter say mom get rid of this girl she is absolutely crazy. When I enquire I find out that my daughter was studying in her room for some time she felt she could smell smoke when she came out and asked Ammu she said she did not know where it was coming from so both of them check the kitchen then my room and they discover it is more in the drawing room. My daughter discovers that the smoke was from the crockery cupboard which was closed but full of smoke .On opening it she found one of the large decorative candles lit and kept in a crystal bowl in the cupboard. Ammu told her she just wanted to see how it looked and had forgotten to put it out! That was the last straw, I told Lalitha I could not manage her daughter so we parted with lalitha promising to return the loan but kept postponing till I shifted house and moved out. That was the last of Lalitha and her family and the loan she had taken.
Lalitha insisted that I keep her daughter Ammu after sarasa’s marriage. Sarasa warned me that I would not find Ammu suitable. I never the less agreed as lalitha had borrowed a hefty sum for Sarasa’s wedding saying she would work for me and I could recover from her salary. Now she wanted her daughter Ammu to work she promised whenever she was free she would come to work in place of Ammu.
Ammu was the pretty on e in the family. Lalitha and all the other girls were dark and unkempt but Ammu because she was the beauty in the family got the best clothes and did the least work. The family pampered her, made a big deal about her looks and they were always referring to marrying her off to a wealthy family on account of her looks. She had grown up with these stories and was not used to the idea of having to work for her living. Though only 16 she had marriage proposals from comparatively well off families. She was a reluctant domestic help. She would help me out in the kitchen till I left for work. She was expected to do the cleaning work after I left, but would spend the entire day watching her and before the mirror grooming her.
The only work she was genuinely interested in was cooking. She did not know a thing about cooking but was interested in learning. One Sunday morning she watched me make egg roast. After a week or two one day she offered to make it herself asked her how she would make it she narrated the steps to me , she would boil the eggs, chop onions and ginger, heat oil in a pan fry the onion with the masala powder and then put the boiled eggs in and stir it for 5 min. Since she had got the process right I said okay and went to take a bath when I came out from the bedroom I could hear a strange ‘click clack’ sound from the kitchen. When I peeped in I found she had put the boiled eggs in without removing the shell and hence the strange sound!
I did not mind her not knowing cooking but the house was always dirty. I prided myself on my ‘induction program ‘for maids but I must admit with Ammu I failed. It was like water off a duck’s back. Because of my long association with lalitha and her family I suffered her also because I had to recover the loan I had given Lalitha.I come home one day to hear my daughter say mom get rid of this girl she is absolutely crazy. When I enquire I find out that my daughter was studying in her room for some time she felt she could smell smoke when she came out and asked Ammu she said she did not know where it was coming from so both of them check the kitchen then my room and they discover it is more in the drawing room. My daughter discovers that the smoke was from the crockery cupboard which was closed but full of smoke .On opening it she found one of the large decorative candles lit and kept in a crystal bowl in the cupboard. Ammu told her she just wanted to see how it looked and had forgotten to put it out! That was the last straw, I told Lalitha I could not manage her daughter so we parted with lalitha promising to return the loan but kept postponing till I shifted house and moved out. That was the last of Lalitha and her family and the loan she had taken.
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