Beware: deceitful baby-sitter

Beware: deceitful baby-sitter

From Kompas

I hired a baby-sitter from a foundation (BK) at Jl. Jembatan III, North Jakarta, on April 3, 1994. Her name is AL and she was born in Pati on Aug. 22, 1972. She was rather plump and tall and had dark skin, curly hair and pimpled cheeks.

She was very polite, so I did not have the least suspicion of her. On July 19, 1994 she asked my permission to go to her home town to attend the wedding of a relative. She also wished to borrow Rp 200,000 from me, to which I had no objection.

Her monthly salary was collected on time and was sent home to help her family. She came back to work on July 25 two days later than promised.

On Aug. 10 she phoned me at the office, weeping, telling me that her grandmother had died. Again she asked for a three-day leave, and said she had no money. I told her to get Rp 30,000 from my mother at home as I couldn't leave the office. Two days later she came back, without my knowing, to my house at about ten o'clock in the morning when I was at work. Then she packed all her belongings and also my blanket and traveling bag. She threatened my maid and warned her not to tell me, or she would be beaten by a male friend. I haven't heard anything from her since. She was a deceiver. In fact her grandmother died long ago. To add to my amazement my neighbors informed me later that this baby- sitter let a construction worker, who worked in the neighborhood, come into my house almost every day.

I hope this experience serves as a warning to anybody who wants to employ a baby-sitter.

Name and address

withheld