While cooking rice, the housekeeper received a phone call from Lu Pin, a 4-year-old boy, my sister's grandson. She used to work for my sister's family, having been close to the boy for four years, but now that he's in kindergarten, she's come to work for my family. Lu Pin told her:
- It's been so long since you came to visit me, Auntie! I miss you so much. If you don't come, I'll be angry.
Hearing the boy say that, she was moved and promised to visit him later that afternoon.
As promised, she came to visit the little boy that afternoon. Seeing her coming up the stairs, Lu Pin ran to hug her around the neck and kissed her. The two of them had only met last week, but now it felt like a long time since they'd last seen each other.
It's normal for domestic helpers to leave after their work is done. But it's precious when they leave behind fond memories for those who remain. Occasionally, I still hear my sister and niece-in-law talk about the lovely, hardworking, and compassionate nature of our domestic helper. She loves Lu Pin as if he were her own grandson. She takes meticulous care of him, from meals to sleep. Thanks to her care, he gains weight steadily. She's always diligent and dedicated to housework. She thinks that she's worked for many families, but rarely has she been treated so kindly, without any distance between the helper and the employer, as this family does. That's why she tries even harder to do her best in everything. When she came to work for my family, I understood and appreciated her even more.
Actually, there aren't many people in my family, so there isn't much work, but my sister-in-law is rarely idle. She's always finding something to do. Not only the house, but also the tables, cupboards, chairs, and beds are always spotlessly clean and shiny. She's very conscientious in everything she does, saving electricity and being meticulous in food preparation. Because our family is poor, she dropped out of school after the fourth grade. Before, she sold vegetables, fruits, shrimp, and fish at the market to earn money with her husband who worked as a rickshaw driver to support their children. In recent years, as she's gotten older and her health has declined, she's become a domestic helper. Despite her limited education, her daily speech and behavior are subtle and insightful, even more so than some people who have received a good education.
She's a decent, trustworthy person, so I always feel at ease knowing she's looking after the house whenever I'm away. Whenever she and her husband talk on the phone, she's always sweet and affectionate towards him. She talks about him with love and respect. I know that, at their age, they're still happy, loving, and cherish each other.
I often listen to music on YouTube, and I've discovered that she has a musical soul. She likes bolero music. She knows a few lines from most of the songs on the albums. For each song, she knows which singer sings it well. After a week of work, she takes Sunday off. On Sundays, she goes to the market. Sometimes she goes out with her close friends. Sometimes she goes to the forest, sometimes to the beach. Sometimes they gather to eat and then go karaoke at one of their friends' houses. She lives wisely, paying attention to her family's and her own health. I've noticed that she always buys quite delicious food at the market. She eats shrimp and fish from the Tam Giang lagoon, and rarely eats red meat.
She said: "We should protect and take care of our health now, because when our health deteriorates, going to the hospital will cost much more." She once told me that she never felt ashamed of her work. She always taught her children that, depending on each person's education and understanding, society assigns each person a different job. Whatever job you do, earning money honestly is good. Her children shouldn't feel ashamed of their mother's work. Her children listened to her, always living dutifully, lovingly, and respectfully towards their parents.
Because both sides treat each other with kindness, respect, and affection, the housekeeper has worked for my family for quite a long time, and we have never had any disagreements. Many times I think I'm lucky to have found such a good housekeeper.
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