While there are sad stories like what happened to this maid, let me assure you there are also stories of the total opposite. A story I can now say I have experienced. An experience I hope never, ever have to go through again.

Tri- my maid fled last Friday.

The whole week last week, I felt uneasy. I could not put my finger on anything, but I constantly felt fear whenever I called home to speak to Mariessa and nobody picked up the phone. I do this a few times a day. And whenever the phone is not picked up, it's always because Mariessa (and Tri) are at my neighbour's house playing with the neighbour's children. I'm ok with that.

But last Friday, when I called at 3 pm and the phone was not picked up, I felt instant fear. I called the maid's handphone, it went to voicemail. Adikki (my brother who's currently staying with me) had gone out to sent Alang (also my brother) to Pekeliling. So I had no one else to call. I kept on calling non-stop until 5 pm. I stopped for a few minutes for solat Zuhur and a few more minutes for Solat Asar. I prayed hard that whatever happens, pls God,  protect my children.

At 5pm, I called Adik asking him to please go home and check. I was starting to feel anxious. Adikki said, he was already almost home anyway. 5.15- still no calls from Adik. 5.30 I called home, and Thank God, Mariessa picked it up.

The story? Well, Adik went home to find the house are all locked! Only Ummi was home. Adik kata, roti berterabur atas lantai, a sign that Ummi was probably hungry and tried to eat. It breaks my heart just imagining it. Adik then went to my neighbour's house. The neighbour's maid (Teti) said No, Mariessa's not there.

Then some kids told Adik that maybeTri and Mariessa were at Afiq's school to pick Afiq up, since they saw Tri and Mariessa walking there earlier. Adik then went to Afiq's school and found Mariessa there, with Afiq. Tri is nowhere in sight. Adik took them home.

When I reached home, I found that tri has taken some of her clothes with her, and had apparently found out where I had kept her passport and took that too. My wedding ring, my engagement ring (I took them off since my jari dah bengkak now due to pregnancy) and Mariessa's gold anklet (that we bought when she was born) were missing as well.

Talked to the nursery's owner on Monday and found out that tri told her she was going to get married in Thailand. The best part is, she is marrying one of the security guards at my area. He's Malaysian, and he's married. His wife is now frantically looking for her husband too, who had disappeared as well. (Of course!)

Talked to the Teti who claims that she doesn't know of Tri's plan to flee (betul ke tak, is irrelevant in my opinion - i'm doubting everybody now though), and she told me so many heartbreaking stories. Like how once Mariessa was left at home when she was asleep and tri pegi entah ke mana! Mariessa woke up crying, opened the sliding door and that was why Teti heard her crying. (Mariessa tak boleh keluar since ada grille). Teti & Aida (neighbour's 10 yr old kid) ended up consoling Mariessa from the other side of the grille for hours before tri came home! - Malas nak cerita detail lagi, sakit hati! Patah hati mengenangkan Mariessa. Makes me feel guilty, makes me feel that I failed, as a mother. Makes me want to quit my job. Makes me want to strangle someone's neck (someone on particular, of course). Makes me angry. Makes me sad. Makes me fuming mad.

Another time, Mariessa was left at Teti's house from 9 am to 4pm. Teti had to give 'air sirap' to Mariessa when she asked for milk. - Pun malas nak cerita detail.

Teti apologized for not 'reporting' tri's behavior to me earlier. I don't blame her. Things we do for our 'friends'.

We found out on Saturday that tri had also taken our Sony Handicam and our digital camera.

We filed a police report on Saturday. Filed a report to the immigration on Monday. (Kena bayar RM250 ok to immigration, kalau maid lari! chis! - but the lady said we only have to pay the fine when we're taking another maid next time. I told her, there will be NO next time for us. So we didn't pay. Ntah apa lah rasionalnya kita pulak yang kena bayar.).

I was on a roller coaster of emotions since Friday, to say the least.

First it was intense fear. Then anger. After that, it was sadness. Then I felt angry again. Then macam2, i don't even bother sorting my feelings out anymore.

You would think that after 2.5 years you can trust someone. I did and I was proven wrong. You would think that after 2.5 years of being nice to someone (I had never, never, even raised my voice at her. Always tegur baik2. Close an eye on how imperfect her work is, as long as the children are taken care of - which I now find out tak jugak lah kan?), the person would be as nice to you. Well, apparently not.

But I still believe that buat baik dibalas baik. Buat jahat, kita tengok nanti balasannya mcm mana. I won't play god to balas jahat to orang jahat, no that's not who I am. I don't even want to see if one day, her jahat dibalas jahat yang macam mana. She's out of my life, and she'd better stay out.

Took leave for 2 days to sort things out. Adik brought Ummi back to Temerloh. Spent 3 hours ironing on Monday. Spent more hours with Shahril cleaning the room tri used to occupy. Habuknya, MasyaAllah. What the heck I paid RM500 for all this while, I dont know lah! Got rid of all her things. Puas hati.

All in all, good riddance!

At the end of the day, I am grateful that my children are OK. I am thankful that this is happening now, than later. Bersyukur dengan hikmah di sebalik musibah. It's a lesson. And we've learned.

Thankful,