Cleaning – The Job I Needed

I work as a cleaner in a Children’s Party Centre. Like most of the things which happen in our life, it looks like I started this job by chance. But I think nothing actually happens just like that. Our faint is redefined in a strange way.

I am of Indian origin. My parents settled in East London in the early 70’s. Like typical immigrants, our life was rather difficult. I have three brothers and a sister, so my mother had to stay at home, take care of us and keep the house. The entire responsibility for family finances weighed on my father’s shoulders. It was not easy for him. He wanted not just to provide food and clothes for us, but to ensure our education too. This way we could have a better chance than the one he and my mother had, he said.

Despite all of his efforts and dedication my father often had to change his job. He had no profession, nor a school diploma, neither enough money to start some qualification course. So he had to take all kinds of work. He worked from done till sunset, he was always tired and anxious, but the money was never enough.

I am older than my brothers and sister and all the family had great expectations for me. My father was very proud of me. I was an excellent student, so he planned my entering to university. But the money was never enough. We barely scraped through even when I was in school. It became clear that we have to wait one more generation till one of our family graduated university. To be honest, this wasn’t bothering me at all. I was a good student, but I had no desire to study anymore. I would like to please my father, but I actually wanted to start working as soon as possible, so I could help him with the family maintenance. I knew I had to keep my feet on the ground.

Once I was talking with a classmate of mine about our plans after graduation. She was excited about upcoming life in college. And she talked, and talked… I listened to her patiently and when she asked me what am I planning to do with my life, I answered I just intend to find a job. She was puzzled and asked me what kind of job am I seeking. I said, it could be anything as far as it is decent and relatively good paid. “My father has a Children’s Party Centre. I heard he fired his cleaning woman. Are you interested?” – She said.

That’s how I started job as a cleaner the very next day after my school graduation.