Maid Story - Baby Sitters

I recall sending my son to a baby sitter in one of the government quarters at Jalan Cochrane. The BS's husband is a staff at my husband's office. The BS has many small children herself and she took in several other kids to care. The quarters/house is not that big but the lower floor was unfurnished. In one corner, there was a neat pile of thin mattress and a baby cot in another. Another room had plenty of toys in it. BS's older kids will help keep an eye on the smaller kids.


Every night, I would prepare a basket of clean baby clothes and nappies (in those days, disposable diapers was unheard of). There will be another basket of biscuits/food and baby milk/juice. We have to make a quick and early getaway in the morning, to avoid the traffic jam and to be able to reach the office in time. Most mornings, my son goes to BS's house still in his jammy. No time to bathe him. Some morning he goes poo poo and the whole car stink sky high. Whenever there are visits to the clinic for his scheduled jabs, we will leave a message and pick son up. It is quite convenient since, BS's house is still in KL. That is when I see the kids sleeping (or pretending to sleep) before lunch time. In the evenings, we will fetch son back, with a pail full of dirty nappies/clothes.


But we did not use BS's services for long since it is expensive and we still come back to a messy house and I still have to cook and wash. And we both agreed, our children should grow up in his own home.
~~~


Another time, in between maids, we seek the help of the mother of my husband's worker to take care of the boys. This mak cik's house is near the main road but behind the house is secondary jungle plus rubber trees plus fruit trees. I always make sure, we pick the children up before dusk. I have heard many stories and some related to this mak cik's family. I heard that there is a python the size of a coconut tree trunk, slithering across the road. And the occasional roar of a tiger in the jungle, but the tiger is not like the ones we find in the zoo!


But in any case, I am thankful, the mak cik agreed to care for the boys when we asked her.