Kasambahay blues

It must be strange to be suddenly inside a house that is not yours, to be with a family that you don't belong.  This is the case for so many, if not all, people whom the society calls kasambahay.  Our family calls them simply as "angel."

In spite of the promise of a little money, I don't know if there is any angel excited to leave home to work in another's.  What I know is that humans are predisposed to serve their own kin, in their own home; that's what the family is about and how it bonds as a unit.  And when a family member is forced to leave, often because of economic reasons, she does so lugging together with her meager possessions plenty of apprehensions about what kind of life awaits, and lingering questions as to how things got so miserable that she had to forego everything that has become familiar and natural for everything that is intimidatingly new.

My nanay has a new angel.  She is Joy from Iloilo, 20 but looks more like 16.  She is the fourth child out of nine, and it's her first time to be away from her family.  She wouldn't be here in Lipa if not for Nanay's old angel, Len, bidding her goodbye after only about half a year of service.  My nanay's condition before letting her go was simple, find a replacement and train her awhile.



Because what's important is someone should stay with nanay at night (she's a widow and a retiree), working for her is not particularly demanding as she herself is still very able.  But Len deemed that she would like to try her luck as a saleslady at 168 Mall in Divisoria.

A few days ago, Joy arrived.  Len who was not known to show any emotion remained consistent.  But her zeal in teaching Joy her duties betrayed what she was feeling -- she could already imagine herself selling fake bags for a Chinese immigrant.

When Len left today, Joy was the opposite of her name.  My nanay was not at her house but instructed us to give Joy something to do in our place (which is literally a whisper away from nanay's).  So instead of cooking lunch as I normally do, I went to nanay's house to allow Joy to do it for me, only to overhear her crying and sobbing uncontrollably as she talked with someone on her cellphone.

I let her be.

I proceeded to cook lunch.  I went back after a while for Joy, this time I no longer hear cries so I decided to call her from the outside to give her time to compose herself before showing her face.  She did not answer at once.  I knew what she was doing, she was trying to look like she was not crying.

She continued my cooking and when she was done, she prepared the table.  She only placed two plates, one each for me and my wife.  She went out the door to my nanay's place.  I added a plate for her and called her back.

She ate with us, silently.  I can't imagine what she was feeling.


I'd love to hear what you think of this post.  Please leave a comment or reaction.  Thanks!