The Story Of A Housemaid

Beautiful beaches, green surroundings, coconut trees. Fruits, fresh air and the Jawili Falls cascading through slippery rocks. Children playing jumping rope in the lively streets of Tangalan, Aklan.

Many foreigners spend whole summers in this blessed haven. This abundance and tranquility, however, belies the extreme poverty of its inhabitants. This is the kind of place where Elsa grew up.

Elsa Masula is a 41-year old woman and mother of eight, and works as a housemaid in another town. She has brown skin typical of the locals and strong body build able to carry loads of laundry.

She lives with her family in a hut made of a combination of lumber and unfinished hollow blocks. She loves reading magazines during her free time and indulges whenever she can. She is also very much devoted to her church.

During the town fiesta every month of May, they actively participate in national games like palosebo (climbing greased bamboo) and pukpok palayok (breaking pot).

I am inspired to write this story about a housemaid because they are a part of my growing up. I am curious of their stories and how it is to leave one's family to work away from home. I ask them lots of questions and we share stories about their life in the province. This simple and touching story belongs to a very caring, gentle, and diligent woman who gave her time and effort because of love for her family.   

At a very young age, she had left her hometown and went to the Manila to find work expecting to have a better life. Because her family was poor, she decided at 14 to help sustain the needs of their family, she being the third to the eldest of eight siblings. She had finished elementary school but did not have the opportunity to proceed to high school because of financial difficulties.

Her parents were simply farmers, planting rice in the fields, and growing root crops, fruits, and vegetables. Copra was one of their main sources of income because their land was very rich in coconut trees. Even so, what they earn was too small to be sufficient for their daily needs. Sometimes, when they had no income, there was no food on the table.

In the big city, Elsa found employment as a house help but was nearly molested by the master. She ran away, not knowing where to go next, her only recourse were prayers that she be rescued from harm.

Fortunately, kindhearted neighbors were able to find for her a new employer, who was very considerate of her situation. She became a vendor of accessories, was more happy and contented, yet missing her family. After a few more years and having saved enough, she took the trip back home to Aklan.

As part of a community livelihood program, an aunt hired a trainer who taught her how to make handicrafts out of indigenous materials. After mastering the required skills, she herself taught others. The business prospered as everyone worked hard and developed their skills. They made round plates, place mats, oval trays, shoulder bags, jugs, pitchers, dividers, baskets, and many other products, some even exported abroad.

Elsa then met the person she will be with for the rest of her life, Joefrey Masula, a simple and handsome farmer. He courted her at home, each time bringing flowers or food. Soon, their parents talked about wedding plans, the groom taking care of all expenses for the ceremony.

Elsa was 21 years old and Joefrey was 25 when they covenanted in the bonds of matrimony. Through the years, they were blessed with eight obedient children, six lovely girls and two mighty boys. Raising a large family was not easy; nevertheless, all of the children were able to go to school.

The eldest already reached college, the two next eldest already in high school. Still, to augment the family income, she wanted to go overseas to work in a factory making dresses, or be a contestant in a television game show and have a chance to win.

Her biggest trial is when all of the family members become sick. Their location is quite remote such that government help or facilities are unavailable. There is no doctor and they must rely on herbal medicine.

Surviving ordeals like this makes the family more united and closer to each other. They learn to fight and not to give up. Elsa believes that industry, perseverance, and most especially trusting God in all things, keeps them going on. He will help overcome the tribulations and temptations in life, because of His love.