'Now You See Us'

I meant to read this book when it was published, but there was long queue waiting to borrow it. So I didn't bother. When I was browsing the library's catalogue, it was available. It's Balli Kaur Jaswal 'Now You See Us' (2023). It's a nimbly crafted work of the unseen lives of migrant workers in Singapore, and questions what humanity is. We ask ourselves, what are the narratives we know about domestic workers? Do these hold? Should these hold?

Through many interviews, the author sought to understand the psyche of domestic helpers in Singapore. Within these stories and interviews, she weaved fact and fiction to create a compelling tale of disenfranchised women in Singapore, heavily depended upon, yet marginalized by both government and society. (Reviews here, here, here and here.)

We follow the lives of three Filipina domestic helpers in Singapore — veteran domestic helper Corazon Bautista, 20-something impulsive and fiery Donita Tugade and heartbroken Angel. Each of them holds a secret and past that they're not willing to share. Their lives are also led according to the employers they have, and the duties allocated in the homes they work in. The author spent some time descrbing their backgrounds, their family circumstances and their employers and the homes they work in. 

Cora is running away from the mafia in her hometown who had somehow had the local police frame and kill her nephew. She found a kind employer in Madam Elizabeth Lee. She is also blackmailed by her boss's eldest daughter who wanted her to convince the elderly lady to sign over some documents of inheritance. She came clean to Madam Lee. Angel worked for the Vijays, taking care of the senior elderly Mr Vijay who is paralyzed. The man got worst and his adult son installed a camera to peek at her nakedness, and the daughter didn't want her to report it to the police. She quit and managed to find new employers who are supportive of her part-time studies to become a nurse assistant.

Donita has a cruel employer in Mrs Fann who is supposedly a devout church-goer. She was physically abused and also locked in a storeroom for a few days. But Donita fought back and went on national television to tell the world what Mrs Fann did. Donita found an opportunity when reporters and a camera crew visited the home. She then went to the shelter. 

Then there's Flordeliza Martinez, a fellow Filipina helper who has been arrested for the alleged murder of her female employer Mrs Carolyn Hong. Everyone thinks she's guilty, except for our three protagonists. She helped fellow maids in a number of ways, one of which was to create fake Facebook profiles to spy on what their bosses are saying and maligning them on Facebook pages. Those take some courage to read, I might add. It'll cause you to lose faith in Singaporeans, if you haven't already.

At great risks to themselves and their jobs, Cora, Angel and Donita set about proving Flordeliza's innocence. It was Donita who walked precariously by the boundaries the city's laws, and found evidence that Flor is innocent of the murder of her employer. The murderer is allegedly someone else. Three months later, Flor is released and deported back home to the Philippines. She is allowed to work in Singapore again, but no agency or employer wants to take her on because of the huge deposit (collateral) to be paid in case trouble brews anew.

She doesn't realize realise that protests don't happen here. Ever since Donita's video was released, the comments have piled up and Angel has been keeping track. Some people suggest storming the police station or marching in the streets. It's all fanciful thinking. Angel indulges her anyway. 'I'm glad people are going to say something. Hopefully the police will listen.'

'They'd better. Imagine if we all stopped working. Imagine what would happen to this country.'

Angel has indulged in this scenario before. Those skyline centrepieces would only shine in an architect's imagination; that reclaimed land on the island's edge would remain submerged underwater. In houses, dishes would become crusty with old food stains, curtains would grow furry coats of dust and plants would shrivel into nothingness. Mustiness would replace the smell of air-freshener and clean laundry. Children would wander the streets, not knowing how to get home after school. The windows would be left open and, after storms, spider wasps would pack their conical dirt nests against the sturdy surfaces of bookcases and book frames.

'They wouldn't know what hit them,' Angel offers. 

Rubylyn giggles appreciatively. 'My ma'am is most grateful to me after an off-day. She joked the other day that she's always ready to give her children away by Sunday evening.'

To me, the helpers' employers in this book are regular residents of the city. The author wrote them as classic stereotypes and got them down pat — their attitude to the maids, the words and the expectations. These aren't just stereotypes in the book. I know women who treat their maids exactly like the book described, and who behaved exactly like that to people whom they perceive to be in a 'lower' social strata than they are. They don't think their maids have brains, rights or any right to privacy and cellphones. It's extremely distasteful. Unfortunately, our Singapore employers (mostly the women) of these maids have gained a terrible reputation, and most of it is generally... accurate. 

The writing is concise, and while it fleshes out the individual experiences of the characters, they don't meander. They meld to become a coherent tale of hard work, heartbreak, and tells of the grim perseverance of migrant workers because there isn't a better alternative back home.