Does Montoo deserve my Blog Post, may be Yes or May be No.
Coupled with reasoning and my mind is debating - What he did was right or
wrong?
So I thought let me hit the keyboard and get things sorted.
To all who don’t know, Montoo was our maid at house. He was 17 when he came
from a bureau to my parent’s place and he was 22 when he left back.
Young, naughty, workaholic and sincere to the job were his
few qualities and like any other kid he mingled easily with the family. My
father was more dependent on him than anyone else among us because Montoo
would help him walk and exercise everyday considering his limitations after two
surgeries.
My mother would leave the house to him at any hour. He was
also a part time at my house. Both me and my husband, Rohan thought that we are
comfortable with him and even he would get an extra salary to support his old
father back in Assam.
He would live, eat, play with my niece like a family member and to my knowledge
has never said no to any work we gave him. He used to watch TV and movies with
us and was very happy. One problem, which we had seen in him, was that he used
to lie, which was rare but it used to happen. Not because of his intentions but
he was scared. So if the glass had broken, he would keep it back as it is and
when found, he would say ‘I accidentally broke’. We always told him not to hide
but I believe it was in his nature.
We unintentionally had got ourselves addicted to him. And then
came the time for his visit to his home town. He was going after two and years
and got the tickets (even return) from us. He has gone in past too. And since
his family was very needy, he was giving them good money back home. Every-time he went, it was ensured that all
his money was transferred to his father’s account.
Two months passed away, sulking with the temporary maid, may
be because of the quality of the work and also because back of our mind we had
no issues because it was all the matter of just two months.
In these two months, he gave us calls so many times that he
misses us and that we would be facing lot problems because of his absence at
work. Even we inquired about his know-how many times. He called two days before
boarding the train that he is coming with one of his cousins who was looking
for work.
Yesterday was the day of his arrival, and he did not come.
Phone switched off, father’s phone says he is not well and is in Assam itself. May be
the truth or may be not. His father was old and we understand that he must have
faced his pressure of staying back. We do not blame him. All we expected was a
phone call – that I would not come or I am not well and would take some time to
come.
Trust is something we invested in him, to an extent that he
was in our house for three months when my parents were in USA under our
presence. And we are left with nothing but an expectation of one phone call that
he could have made.
Ending it with the same line – I don’t know whether I am
right with my judgement that maids value only money. Since he was helping his
father setting a small business of selling fishes and small raw tea leaves in
these two months, my judgement could be right. But if he is truly unwell or is
planning to come back then probably I am wrong. But trust is broken; a call was
the least he could manage and not take us for granted. Papa awaits him though we are getting back to
our daily chores without him but it was an association of five years and hope
of mutual requirement.
Wherever he stays, may he be happy and prospering as he was
always!
