Our Maid in India Was Like a Second Mother

I have read Rone Tempest’s article (April 9), “Life in India: Surviving the Servants.” As an American (foreigner) who has lived in India with a maid in our house for two years, my opinions on the subject differ.

The maid we had was a wonderful person whose time was totally devoted to my three younger siblings, my mother and me. We lived in Pune (Maharashtra) and the maid whose name is Josephine, was recommended to us by two of my mom’s friends.

When Josephine came for an “interview” with us, I knew immediately that this was the maid for me and my siblings. The more I got to know Josephine, the more I came to like her and respect her as a person. She did all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping and other work in the house. We never had to worry about anything in the house. Whenever we came home from school we had a hot cup of tea and a “chapati” ready for us on the table. Our lives became entwined and we grew to love Josephine as a second mother. My mother trusted Josephine to stay with us alone when she went away on her business trips.

My mother, siblings and I reside in Los Angeles now, but after three years we still keep in contact with Josephine and send her some money every year just as a token of continuing friendship and love.

As you see, all servants are not bad and disloyal, as Tempest made them to be in his article, and many people develop wonderful and lasting relationships with their servants.

I would also like to add that the servant “problem” in India is the least problem that India is facing at this present time and a much more critical topic like the Sikhs in the Indian military service would have been of more value to an American reader.

REUT NESS

Culver City