While I was away...part 3/5 - Get your butt outta 'ere!!!

We made such a heavy decisision to fire our domestic maid who has been living and working with us for almost two and a half years. Yet things need to be sorted out and rectified. We have caught her red handed one too many times, and I thought then that the time has come for us to let her go. Not that I did not appreciate all her hard work all this while, but when there has been too many unpleasant incident happening in the house, I have to make her leave. What more if her schedule and timing slipped obviously, routines became difficult to be completed and most important of all, baby porcupine has several times told me that the maid pinched her at her thigh, sometimes slapped her butt and hit her at her arms because "she was naughty".

Well, you can play truant and skip the house chores, I can still close my eyes and pretend there's nothing serious to make a fuss out of it, but DON'T HURT MY BABY!!! Unless you are taking care of a sick and handicapped child, try pinpoint me one child at her age that is not active a.k.a. "naughty". I did not pay her monthly salary so that she can be bossy to my children! So out she went, with only 5 minutes notice from my husband to pack her things and clear the room.

What is done, is done. I was actually speechless. Come to think of it, I've got my thesis to complete and I was chasing the deadline, my son also needed attention because he'll be sitting an important examination at end of this year, baby porcupine also demanded some times be spent for her as she starts her school session this year, and to make situation worse, our good neighbour whom we depended on to send and fetch the children to and from schools everyday has recently migrated to Australia, leaving us in difficult situation to find other means of transportation for the children. Everything took place at the same time! AllahuAkhbar! I felt so weak and hopeless!

As a consequent, the first week being independent without the assistant of  the maid was very tough. I had to cook, wash the clothes, mop the floor, prepare the children to school, iron their uniforms, tidy their rooms, send them to school, fetch them back, bla...bla...bla... By the time I've settled everything and thought I still have time to read and do my research, I was terribly tired and sleepy, with another active little one who continuously playing soccer in my tummy.

Nonetheless, I am so blessed in life, alhamdulillah. My husband did not leave me behind to handle everything alone. He has always been by my side and helped me whenever he was at home. I really appreciate him so much that at times I can't stop the tears from falling.

Entered second week, then third, fourth, and so on, the whole family slowly adopted the new environment at home and alhamdulillah, we are now at a point where we don't find things difficult anymore. I made a proper schedule for everyone in the house to optimise the usage of time. Alhamdulillah, it works!

Behind all these hardships, there lies a blessing. Once everything has been adjusted back to normal, we made a shocking discovery: we saved about RM1,000 (Malaysian Ringgit) per month on groceries, toiletries and utility bills!!! Would you believe it if I told you that since she left home, our water bills was within the range of RM5 to RM10 only, compared to RM35 to RM50 monthly when she was around???  And the electricity bills reduced from RM100 ++ to below RM70 per month??? Let me remind you that daily consumption of water and electricity remains the same.  We also spent less when we shop for groceries nowadays. A 2 kilogram Milo (instant drink) can last for up to 3 months compare to only a month when she was here. So is the sugar, condensed milk, rice, cooking oil, etc.

That made me wonder whatever happened in the house when we both husband and wife went to work and the children were in school, leaving only the maid and baby porcupine at home.

I guess the decision to terminate her service immediately was a wise one after all..... *sigh* 

Alhamdulillah, right now I am feeling fabulous....

(all images from Google.com)