an encounter of a house-maid arriving from Saudi Arabia |
It was an evening in last may our son's family was readying to go to airport after a month's holiday here in Sri Lanka a holiday that they have enjoyed so much They took the flight to Dubai at ten in the evening from Katunayaka International airport with our grand-daughter 'Chaneli' of thirteen months blowing flying kisses to us, non-stop On our way to the car park, I saw this lady with a travelling bag with pleading eyes, alone, frightened and a look of hurt she advanced to my wife and asked for help 'can you drop me to my home at Wattala please?' It was way beyond our home, thirty kilometres to the south we got her in to the vehicle and asked what her problem was 'this is all I've got after working two years in Saudi' 'What's happened there?' wife wanted to know 'I was a house-maid in Saudi and they ill treated me forced me to swallow twelve nails and beat me up I was not given meals and no water for two days finally I escaped through a friend to our embassy' 'They provided me with a plane ticket after a week or so no wages for me for the past six months I am bruised, hurt and have difficulty in breathing' all of a sudden she started crying Finally we reached her home, one roomed house in the suburb she got down with thanks and opened her bag with tears flowing her eyes, she grabbed a t-shirt offered it to my wife with both of her hands She was looking at us and wiping her tears It was past midnight when we left her I looked at the side mirror and saw her raising her hand in a final good-bye! |