Since my mother is away, my father is basically looked after by the maid who was already hired specifically for him. Before my mom was always there to manage her. Now my sister moved to my mom’s house during her absence to oversee everything. So I called this morning to check on the maid alertness. Conversation translated to English.
Me: Bibik, how’s Datuk ?
Maid: Good, good everything is good. Everything is good.
Me: What is good? Don’t tell me everything is good and when I come back this weekend, Datuk is not good.
Maid: What I mean is Datuk is like normal. No bad things happened.. Cik Uzir (the nurse) still comes in everyday. He said Datuk is already good. If he doesn’t come in I will call him.
Me: Did you turn Datuk every 2 hours at night? He needs to otherwise he will get the bed sores.
Maid: I did. Last night I woke up at 1 am and then 4 am to turn him. I moved his bed to near my room because I am scared anything will happen to him while Wan is away. Datuk is behaving strange nowadays.
Me: What do you mean strange?
Maid: He never called me before. But nowadays he called me a few times, “Bibik, bibik!” when I answered he said “ It’s nothing!” Sometime when ill people behave strangely means something bad is going to happen.
Me: That means good sign! He’s talking because he’s not in pain. Nothing bad is happening. What about Datuk's food? Did you give him his meals? What did you cook?
Maid: Yes, I give him food like normal. Breakfast milk and bread. Afternoon is rice and dish, evening milo and bread. Supper is milk. Kakak (my sister) cooked the lunch. Today is chicken with rice. Yesterday fish with riice. No porridge. I cooked the rice a bit softer.
Me: Okay la bibik. You make sure you look after him. He is under your responsibility now. Do you understand that?
Maid: Yes, yes, kak. I know.
I hang up. I hope the maid is doing what she said. I know I am doing a remote control here. But so far I see for the past year she’s taking care of my father well. Despite all her faults and blunders which we overlook as long as she treats my father well.
