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The early morning church bell ring served a dual purpose. The first was a call to the faithful to recite prayers & other as an alarm clock. Catherine's mind fought against her aching body, which demanded a little more sleep & well-deserved rest. She was relentless for the lack of choice for her gruelling schedule awaited. She arose & silently prayed to the Almighty to give her strength & his blessings. She multi-tasked, from waking up her sons, cooking breakfast & lunch for her kids & husband, cleaning up the house & everything else. She had managed to pull through the morning & it was time to get to work. She quickly showered & dressed up to start for her workplace.
Catherine arrived sharp at 7:30 AM at her workplace & rang the bell. As soon as the door opened, Catherine smiled widely & greeted, "Good Morning, Aunty." A lady in her late 60s responded joyfully, "Good Morning, Catherine." As a daily practice, Catherine served hot filter coffee to the elderly couple & wheat biscuits. Once they settled in the living area with morning coffee & newspaper, Catherine got busy with other chores. An hour later, the elderly lady instructed Catherine about the menu for the day. Catherine got busy with the cooking & managed other household chores. She had been working at the same house as a maid, cook & caretaker to the elderly couple for a decade. She knew their food preferences, relatives & friends. The elderly couple proudly would announce to every visitor that, without Catherine, they wouldn't know what to do. Unlike other households where Catherine worked, the elderly couple were respectful & treated her well. During Easter & Christmas, they bought clothes for Catherine & her husband. Catherine cared for the couple as she would have cared for her parents.
Catherine's work life was physically demanding. Her body resented the strain, but her face always had a smile. She would accept additional work during festivals & family events to make extra money to meet the ever-growing needs of life. The salary earned by Catherine & her husband as a driver was sufficient to sail through each month. Catherine's life seemed set on a routine, with a few hiccups. No matter the life challenges, Catherine sailed through the hard days. She was content with the humble life. No riches in the world would make her happy than her precious family. She thanked the Lord in every prayer day & night for everything she received in life.
Unexpectedly when the pandemic hit, the restrictions imposed made life chaotic. Catherine's husband lost his job, which affected their tight finances. As the elderly couple had no one to take care of them, Catherine's job continued. Catherine's salary was sufficient to pay rent, utility bills & food. However, the most critical & bulky expense was her children's fees. The united parents front had requested additional time to pay up the fee & parents had some breathing space. The borrowed time to pay the fees was running out.
Catherine's husband coaxed her to request a loan from the elderly couple. She was uncomfortable with the idea but knew there was no other way. After a few days of deliberation, she decided to pursue her husband's suggestion. The following afternoon Catherine brought up the school fees issues to the aged couple. The elderly couple voiced that the school management should be considerate of the parents & and the government should help the citizens. The 15mins chatter gave some assurance to Catherine. She mustered the courage & requested, "Aunty & Uncle, next week we have to pay the fees. Otherwise, the next year's school admission for my children would be difficult. Can you please help me with fifty thousand rupees?"
The elderly couple kept mum. Catherine continued, "I will pay the money back. Every month, please deduct five thousand from my salary." The couple reasoned their helplessness as the pandemic had affected their earnings too. The tenants of their rental apartment had all vacated. Due to this, the couple had to return the advance amount & all their savings were exhausted. Catherine teared up & requested, "Please help me." The elderly lady fetched her handbag & handed some cash to Catherine. The lady said, "This is all we can help. You do not have to return this money." Catherine took the bunch of notes, thanked them & walked to the main door.
No sooner Catherine stepped out the door than she met the elderly couple's manager. As a courtesy, she greeted him & enquired as to what he was doing there. The manager responded that he was there to drop off the monthly rental collection from the apartment. Catherine curiously asked, "How many tenants are in the building?" The manager frowned, "Why? Where will the tenants go? Due to travel restrictions, all tenants are here." Catherine's knotted eyebrows relaxed. The manager was oblivious to Catherine's thoughts & could not read her expression as the mask covered most of her face. The manager enquired, "Are they awake?" Catherine nodded, "Yes, they had lunch & are relaxing. Please go." As the manager opened the door, Catherine overheard the elderly man, "I do not understand why Catherine admitted her sons to an expensive school & not to a government school." She felt a deep pain in the pit of her stomach. She opened her fist to find one thousand rupees & smiled.
Take Away: Some people are so poor all they have is money.
