Hired Help

Jasbir, Pushpa and Sita
Driver, cook and cleaning person

I’ve never been more spoiled in my life…but these are paid workers.
I spend more time with Jasbir than anyone else. He drives me to work in the morning and home in the afternoon and anywhere else I want to go. Jasbir owns the Maruti Suzuki Omni van. This past weekend the brakes and everything else was serviced. I requested that it be done. Now my vehicle is safe, even though it is not equipped with seat belts. I ride in the back seat and rest my feet on a seat that faces me. There’s no air conditioning so I keep both windows open. When Jasbir hits a speed “breaker” I bounce; luckily I don’t hit my head. The van cracks me up. Jasbir smiles regularly except when someone cuts him off or stays in the fast lane too long. Then some anger builds in him and his eyes become like tiger’s eyes. I see them in the rear view mirror and I’m scared.

On Bart’s last night, Jasbir said, Sir, Come to India! to Bart with such enthusiasm that we all laughed. His English is okay, but there are major communication barriers at times and I just try to let it go. Only once did I get so worked up that I cried. Sometimes Jasbir or I will call Jeet to translate for us. That’s another service Jeet provides for me in India!

Pushpa cooks tasty Indian food. She prepares three meals for me. Lunch is packed in a tiffen box so I can carry it to school. Breakfast includes a big mug of tea. Now that Bart brought me a travel mug I can finish the cup in the van. For dinner Pushpa makes roti almost every night. It’s a thin bread that she then holds over the high gas flame to puff up with steam. Watching her make them amazes me. I took a picture of her doing it and we laughed hysterically. Periodically when Jasbir and I get home from school, Jasbir will call her and say, Pushpa…and then to me he says, Come Here! I always laugh. Jasbir likes to laugh too. I found out he makes a fantastic cow sound too. Now when we see them and I moo, he moos too. One obstinate bull was in Jasbir’s parking spot outside the house and he beeped, BEEP! And the bull slowly moved along. I was cracking up and then Jasbir made the sound and I laughed even harder. Sita saw the whole scene and had a laugh too. The baby bull then walked in front of us and did his business right in front of the driveway. Sita howled and I giggled with her. Sita likes to laugh. She comes in the apartment everyday to clean and do laundry. I swear she washes my clothes everyday. And she irons them too. I just leave them out for her and whallah! they’re done. It’s amazing. Because Jasbir, Pushpa and Sita are always around I’m never lonely. I pick up my Hindi phrase book and practice with them and find new things to laugh at.

I could get used to having them around forever. Most families keep their help for many years. They have them stay on the property with their entire family. Sita’s husband, Gopal, cooks for my downstairs neighbor. Pushpa’s husband drives for them. Each woman has two children and they are around all the time too. Govind, Sita and Gopal’s son, interacts with me the most. He’s sweet. My other neighbors have had their help for over thirty years. They become part of the family. It’s actually a commodity that I think anyone would love. I’ve joked with Bart about hiring a cook for us when I return. Either that or I’ll take Pushpa home with me.

Music: "So Says I" The Shins