Puppies For Sale

Story in the paper last couple of days concerning a case before the courts of an Orchard business couple starving their Filipina maid over a number of years. When they went on holidays and ate at restaurants for the maid they took along her usual fare of Maggi instant noodles. Striding off for the fruit after the newspaper and morning teh the corner agency again stabbing at the brain as it has done the last year since it opened. Familiar scene observed on numerous occasions. One side the girl was on her knees outside cleaning the front window; given some occupation during downtime. At the adjacent agency woman behind the desk was occupied with a prospective couple in the market, while opposite three or four girls, one well into her thirties, were on the floor cleaning the Lego pieces from the toy-box. Working smartly the crew, lifting each individual lolly-coloured piece and RubRubRubADubDub like they were taught in training. Colours made to gleam. (They would need to keep a sharp eye-out for infants playing with that kind of hazard.) All in readiness then for the young royals whenever a chance visit occurred. The pair at the counter seemed to be still uncertain, but judging from what they could observe behind their flat would be spanking clean were they to choose any of these willing workers. On the weekend Zainuddin had come to the table from that side fuming after what he had witnessed in passing. According to Zainuddin the operator, the scarved middle-aged thin woman who ran the corner maid agency, had just returned and on entry the girls within had suddenly leapt to their feet and stood at attention. Not a prospective employer: Zainuddin knew the principal there, he had passed often enough. Man outraged. A co-religionist creating such abhorrent mastery over underlings. How many times had Din told of the Prophet's great care and kindness over his servants? Hadn't Mohammed freed one of his man-servants as an example to his followers? With her colourful scarf and whatnot clearly the business-woman knew nothing whatever of Islam. At Orchard and Katong there were reportedly scores of such agencies where the uniformed girls sit waiting in the windows like puppies for sale.