‘Work it Out’- with Vivian: A Tale of Undies – 2
So, that was Anthonia. I understand she is settled now, with a relatively good family. About Gladys (not sure this is her exact name as I have been in this house help hustle for long), it is actually a scary story. I am telling it so that we all can be extra careful about whom we leave our homes for.
Gladys started work as a live-in help on a Sunday, and by the following Wednesday afternoon, she was calling me profusely at work, saying she wanted to leave. I enquired why the sudden change of mind, but she insisted there was nothing. She just wanted to go. I begged and persuaded her to wait for me to close work by 5pm, at least. She would not budge, and this destabilized me greatly. So, I prayed. I prayed to God for help – He always answers every sincere prayer.
I rushed home eventually around few minutes past 7pm, amidst Lagos traffic. She was still there, but had her small bag completely packed (when they come with suspiciously small bags, know they have not come for good!). I checked my two daughters first (I had only 2 girls then), they seemed okay. The whole house was dark, and I was using my phone torch. I asked why the generator was not put on, Gladys said, “nothing”.
As I tried to go in to change, she said she was leaving immediately. The whole picture was unsettling. So, I insisted I would check her bag, before she left. I went out and put on the generator by myself, so I could see clearly, as even the darkness was suspicious.
As I searched the bag, I found pictures of my daughters, and my underpants, packed up in the hidden corners of the bag. I had goose pimples all over- did not know what to make of it. I asked her why she took them and the only coherent thing she said was that she loved my children and wanted to take their pictures in order to remember them. I asked her why she was leaving in the first place, if she so loved them, but the rest of the answers she was giving was not coherent.
About my underpants she took, one can only leave the rest to imagination. What a world! Only prayers and uprightness can truly save one from evil. I retrieved those things and let her go, with a heart full of gratitude to God. What if she had left before I returned? What if she had left with my kids or left them alone in the house and ran. What kept her put in the house till I returned? What spirit was overseeing the house in my absence? A thousand and one questions that only God our loving Father could answer.
I wonder what happens these days of social media when people inundate the internet with their personal, family and business pictures. Are the fetish people unable to use digital images? Or has the digital world also made juju to go digital? You know when people see others posting beautiful pictures and achievements on social media and they are filled up with envy – this may be a part of the juju digitalization (lol).
Of course, it is not all a scary tale with house helps. Blessing was God-sent in January 2015, to see me through my business start-up phase. She supported us for 3 solid excruciating years of starting up Vi-M. Not sure I would have done it without her.
I remember when we first went into proprietary software development and started making the ‘Tax Law Book’ App. We had to work with a team of developers whose time zone was about 8 hours ahead of ours. We would work in the night with them, and work in the day with our local clients and other business concerns.
For several weeks, I only saw my children when they were peacefully asleep on their beds, with my ever-dependable Blessing sleeping close to the little ones. She would cater for their everything and for everyone in the house. She so pampered me and the children, as though she knew firsthand what painful challenges building a new business entails.
Blessing was God sent. I still thank her immensely even as she is now a wife and mother to a beautiful baby boy.
There was no tale of undies with Blessing. I am still indebted to her up till now for all her help, love and support.
* Share your experiences and views with us by sending an email to care@vi-mtalentassist.com. Also tell us what you would like to read in the coming week as you stay tuned for the next episode.