Enter Mummy :-
RINN now and
then started talking more about her mother. I learn that the lady was around
thirty eight years old. She was working in some garment factory earlier. Now
she was jobless and was desperate for work as she was ditched by her husband.
I was told
by RINN that she was trying to supplement family income by working in a
restaurant where she was expected to wash utensils from early morning till late
evening for a pittance. She was paid a paltry sum of 200 Ariary per day which
equals to 60 US Cents per day. She was not allowed any leave or weekly
holidays. On days when she was away from work there was no salary.
I was also
told that due to repeated use of very hard alkali to clean the vessels her
hands have developed blisters which used to pain her very much. The plight of
poor and down trodden all over the world to me seemed same!
I told RINN to
try for some job for her mother in our own company. My idea was to help RINN some way so she would
have assured income. She was very curious and asked me whether that was
possible on account of her mother’s advanced age. She was not aware that the
director’s preferred ladies passed their child bearing age as they need not
think about long maternity leave etc. I told RINN that the employment was
possible in sections like hygiene where no high skill was needed.
RINN was
also advised by me to talk to the Hygiene section in charge as he was always in
need of people due to heavy turn- over of people in her department.
I had the
position of janitor / cook for RINN’s mother in the dormitory area as the girl
there was on the way to maternity leave. But RINN had probably as per rumor
paid money to HR head and arranged for her mother’s position in the packing
section itself.
RINN’s
mother was nowhere near RINN either in terms of appearance, sophistication,
dress sense or grace. She had a weather
beaten face with wrinkles all over. As told earlier her hands were rough on
account of heavy work all along.
With the job
of her mother RINN was already in cloud 9 and so she was beyond her own imagination
and dreams. With the net result she started neglecting everyone around her. It
had gone to the extent that she started acknowledging greetings to her even.
It is a very
common phenomenon in Malagasy culture to greet and acknowledge each other in
the morning as well as when going home. Thus Salama ( good Morning etc.) and Veluma ( good bye) are very common form of
greetings which people look forward from every single person encountered in the
morning and evening. RINN had stopped even acknowledging my own greetings !
I was very
much put off by that. But as an elder I called her to my chamber and told her
that she must understand and respect people who are good to her. She understood
my point and told that she had no bad feelings !
...............to be concluded..........
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