Why was the maid—in fact the pair of maids—taken along to Changi that morning for the employers' flight to Australie?.... It was an easy guess. Five or six suitcases and the same number of boxes. There were no old-style porters at Changi, not like on the docks years ago for the passenger liners. With everything so expensive in Australie Ma’am took the coffee-machine, rice and her favourite crackers, among much else. A week in Australie for Sir's mother's birthday. Many years Sir's mother had been living down in Australie with her daughter, Sir's sister. A little gathering of the clan for the occasion. Back here two maids were left in the three storey house in Bukit Timah with time on their hands, only the Ahma, Ma'am’s mother, remaining. No car-cleaning for Ratih each morning, nor cooking, vacuuming, washing or ironing. A little holiday. The pair of compatriot maids have been in the one house together twelve years, but do not get on very well. Ratih started at Bukit Timah—Tin Hill—a few months before her colleague, who has however been in Singapore longer—twenty-one years—arriving soon after her husband died suddenly. A driver was employed. Earlier there was a gardener; now Ratih does the garden. Prime real estate in Singapore Bukit Timah, a free-standing bungalow like that might require more than a few mil. in pocket.
Ratih told the story that same afternoon of her son's marriage a year or two ago back in the kampung a couple of hours out of Jogja, near Borobudur. Twenty neighbours cooked in large outdoor woks. Chicken and beef on the menu. It seemed 20 kg. of the latter had been ordered. 2,000gms. Ratih said, deng-deng more than likely, a processed kind of prosciutto.
Ma'am had advanced Ratih Rp40mil., almost all of which went on the expenses. Gold jewellery for the young pair a major element. Six thousand Singapore dollars equaled ten months' wages. Ratih suggested it was an advance from Ma'am, though on an earlier occasion she had told of Ma'am’s practice of holding over wages until the yearly return back home. (A saving mechanism for Ratih's benefit.)
House-hold items—irons and wall-clocks were mentioned—came back in presents. Clothing, shoes and the like, whatever people could afford. Four hundred and fifty wedding invitations were sent.
This afternoon too Ratih told of the money paid for early release of her brother from jail for drug offences. ("Morphine" smoked.) About $SG1200 achieved a quarter sentence remission—eight months instead of twelve.
Earlier at the time of original sentence Ratih was asked whether she might pay for single cell accommodation: private toilet and bed. That was something like $SG50 per month.
Judging that harsher conditions might provide a better, longer-lasting lesson to the brother, twenty-eight years old with a wife and young daughter, Ratih declined. Later complaints of violence in the cell were ignored. Ratih thought about it, but gritted her teeth.
On her return after the early release the brother had thanked his sister profusely, kissed her face and hands, promised nevermore.
At some point Ratih's husband might return some money to his wife for the wedding expenses. A stingy fellow and not earning much, Ratih was not counting on it.
Should Ratih be visited in the kampung in Central Java she might no longer be recognizable with the work in the fields, she said.
Returning from the wedding nine months ago Ratih had packed thinly sliced cassava for a friend in SG who had requested it. A large one kilogram vacuum sealed bag. In all that time there had not been an opportunity to meet with the friend, to coincide free days. Legislation now mandated one free day a week for maids in Singapore. But that was on paper.
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