Lessons Learnt

My helper sms-ed me on Saturday morning; telling me that the day before was her last day at work. She got a new job at a school canteen in our neighbourhood. I was so heartbroken. How could she do that to me? Despite being so nice to her, so kesian kat dia, tried to help her in many ways, she left, just like that. I was on my way to class & later I would go straight to my MIL's house. There was no way I could find a replacement within such a short notice. I was told, her new employer would pay her RM45 to work from 6am-4.30pm. I paid her half of this amount but her working hours were from 7.30am-12.15pm plus her son got to study in Q-dees FOC instead of having to pay at 50% discount. My staff even get their full salary on school holidays where they dont have to come to school at all.

She asked me to consider allowing her son to continue study in our school. Definitely I pitied the child but I felt it was so unfair to leave me in a limbo. A part of me so kesian; with 7 kids to feed & an irresponsible husband. Another part of me so geram : enough is enough. For 2 days, I had no choice but to serve biscuits during snack time. I had to man the gate alone from 6.45am-8.45am (its the helper's duty to help me so that I can assist the teachers conducting one-to-one reading), wash dishes, scrub toilets...you name it. Yesterday, I paid my neighbour, Kak Siti to cook for the children. I consider myself very lucky to have a neighbour like Kak Siti. She has been taking care a few of our students; a very kind lady indeed. Today, I asked her to prepare sandwich for the children. She came later, nak pulang balik some money to me coz according to her I paid her too much. I told her what she has done so far lagi byk than what I paid her.

Yesterday, my helper sms-ed nak kerja balik, tak tahan keje kat canteen tu, penat. My teachers did not like the idea of me wanting to accept her back. My weakness I guess, so kesian esp when Kak Nani, the transporter told me that she saw my helper cycle back from work looking so exhausted. She's good part masak memasak but part kemas mengemas ada problem sikit. Sometimes, either me or the teachers kena scrub toilet. Kalau I tak ckp or kalau I tak buat, I takut betul premise tu end up jadi Spiderman's house. Dah berapa kali, clad in baju kurung, I kena panjat tangga bersihkan kipas.

Tapi, bila tak kena kat kita, kita tak tau. For the past few days, I put myself in my helper's shoes; I had to do part of her work. I felt exhausted at the end of the day walaupun my teachers helped me to do the chores. It must be very tiring for her to cook & clean 2 houses, all by herself. Me & my teachers should be more compassionate towards her. Hey! she's not a teenager with lots of energy. She's a mother to 7 kids & unfortunately married to a man who thinks that its ok to take a 2nd wife & abandon his first wife to feed 7 mouths.

If I cant find a suitable candidate to replace my helper by this weekend, I have no choice but to take my helper again. This time I have to set my rules & be firm. I hope the 5 days she worked with her new employer have taught her a lesson. The five days hiatus also have taught me a lesson; to be more considerate, put myself in my helper's shoes always. I know my teachers are not going to be happy about this initially but its a win-win situation. I can concentrate on other things that need my attention, now that our sports day, concert, photography session are just around the corner, they can concentrate on teaching and the nitty gritty things will be taken care of by the helper. I am pretty sure the staff can get along very well.

Teacher Aishah will be leaving us for a while to deliver her first child. Her maternity leaves start early August. A teacher from a kindy near our school called me this afternoon. She's very interested to join us even as a temporary teacher for 2months. She came to me before joining that kindy but there was no vacancy at that time. From the conversation I had with her; she's overloaded with work. She has to be in school even on school holidays. It surprised me. My teachers should listen to her stories; there are lessons to be learnt from the stories....