It was certainly an unexpected story that took
us on a very memorable adventure. In last review of this tale, I concluded with
Tri - who, at the time, seemed quite the catch. But this sequel would not be necessary if
there wasn’t forthcoming detail worthy to be shared. So, I funnily enough feel
the urge to present to you the sequential tale that continues to lead us on in
this incessant and treacherous fight for
a home-helper!
Here it is.
Helper
No 4: Tri. I think I described her as “ ... the
young yet capable”. She certainly hung around for a while - a while defined in this
context as 8 or so months. She was a passionate lass who was eager to learn
from us clay faces. But then one fateful evening, the lasagne fiasco changed
everything! Her desire to learn more about western food teamed her up with Mums-helper
Sumi, who taught her through written and practical note, the art of lasagna making
and baking. We watched the exchange of information from a distance and noted a
particularly casual approach to learning coming from Tri. We were convinced
that she had not paid attention; however, she confidently declared she was ready to cook the layering
master piece for us. Let’s just say the meat-mince was significantly missing the tomato based
sauce, and therefore becoming burnt beefy-gravel in addition to the blackened crispy pasta sheets. Nath managed to somewhat rescue the
endevour but Tri’s confidence plummeted. So on one eventful morning, Tri declared
herself incapacitated and practically bed ridden from a “minor” cold. This then
lead to urgent attention involving a must-needed trip home to her nursing
mother which in helper-code means a one way trip with no return. So we despondently waved her good bye, and moved ourselves on!
Helper
No 5: Shella. She came to us through a friend of a
friend of a friend. After marrying her man, she was looking for daily work; and
although not fond of wet-nosed-black-furry-pugs, she accepted the 5 day a week
job with us. With experience and age as her backbone, she presently still works
for us. Coming and going at her leisure, Shella gets the job done! Her
efficiency has earned our respect and we are content and appreciative to her
for her skillful work ethic. But although this story takes us to the present
day, there are still helpers along the track who are surely still worth a
mention. So let’s wind it back a bit.
Helper
No. 6: Fera. Fera came to us through a neighbouring
helper who delights in nothing more than to walk and dress her white woolly
poodle in shoes and frilly dresses (I kid you not). Having asked her if she
knew someone, she declared she did ... and on the arrival of Fera, we felt
delighted. She was not just a dog-walking lover, she was also a self-proclaimed
‘Christian’ who requested Sunday nights off to go to church. However, this is
where it became complicated. Fera went from new kid on the block to the talk of
town in one short week. From flirting with the security guards resulting in
lewd rumours around the district; to cat-fighting with her friends on the
street - and an unexplained husband announcement and disappearance - we thought
things should come to an end. So after two weeks, they did! The decision was
mutual.
Helper
No. 7: Jenny. Jenny who had an unexplained
Indonesian name was pleasant enough. She rocked up at our door step declaring (between
giggles) that she was going to run away from her current employee simply
because she wanted to learn English. We were not quite sure what to make of it
so we offered for her to come again for a more formal chat. I’d like to suggest
at this point, after such a long helper-hunting-journey, you start to work out
straight away if someone is right for the job ... and we just knew ... she
wasn’t right for the job.
So, now we’re back to the transient Shella
who happily keeps the house sparkling; the clothes crisply ironed; and our
watermelon freshly cut. She was a part of training up these girls whilst
working for our neighbouring American friends; and was humble and happy to return in
between failed helpers. And still, with a few helpers still knockin at the
door, we’ve decided to wait until we move into the big smoke next year to find
a “more practiced” helper who is the right fit for us.
Although this adventure has seen my
Indonesian language pushed to new limits, we continue to enjoy the good work of
Shella during the week, but on the weekend, we appreciate the reliable influence
of Sumi (Mum’s trusty helper). With a high skill set in cooking, baking and
English speaking – Sumi’s determination sees her juggle full time work and
study in tourism. We are great admirers of this.
 |
| Shella |
 |
| Sumi |
It’s funny how far emotionally this journey has taken me. I used to take it all too personal when things helper-related just didn’t work out. But now, I just smile, laugh, and sketch it down in the memo for the next instalment of the tale of the helpers!!!
Thanks for listening.
Nomes
