‘I’m pregnant’, the most dreaded news by career women from nice house helps

There are signs and wonders that when you observe in your house help, you know ‘baas’, she has eaten the forbidden fruit. For starters, I had a very good house help in the name of Eshe, but she took a break before elections to go see her people in Uganda. I replaced her with Petronilla.

Petro is a youthful quality house girl, she is excellent with Tasha and Troy, is a great cook, is clean, polite and always on top of her game. For the two months I have been with her, she has impressed me. Sadly, it appears that I am not the only one who has been enjoying her services. And there is evidence.

I was beginning to really like her but a few weeks ago, I noticed some signs in her that were disturbing. She was vomiting in the morning, hated onions and was always tired. I immediately knew she was pregnant. But when I confronted her, as expected she denied three times.

“Hapana mama Tasha, mimi sina mimba…” she dismissed me the first time I confronted her.

The next day when I noticed she was still sickly, I demanded that I take her to the clinic. That is when she came clean. She was one month pregnant. And guess who is the culprit? Nephat the busy body caretaker. I have had it with caretakers, fundi wa viatu, gate man and shop keepers when it comes to my nice house girls. While I see a domestic worker in the girl I bring to my house, they see a potential wife to take to their mum in Butere.

They always spoil it for me whenever I get myself a good house help. With this Nephat guy, I knew he was up to no good the first time I brought Petro and I noticed how sheepishly he was eyeing her as he opened the gate for us. Looks like Petro was also smitten by this smooth operating caretaker. Given that Petro is still new, it looks like they hit it off with Nephat immediately. So sad because I was planning to broach the family planning talk with her.

As a career mum, who has seen them falling pregnant before they get their second salary, I have learnt that it is wise to have the sex talk ASAP. Otherwise the plot's mafisis will make the girl a wife under your nose. I have always given my girls time and money for the clinic. I never like to take chances. But with Petro, I got carried away with her goodness I forgot we needed to have the sex chat.   The good thing is that she still wants to stay until she delivers and she has promised to pull up her socks.

“Wacha tu nifanye kazi mpaka nijifungue,” let me just hang around until I give birth,” she pleaded with me. Now that my Eshe is not coming back soon, I have to put up with pregnant Petro, the nausea and all.

The writer is a married working mother of a toddler boy and a pre-school girl. She shares her experience of juggling between career, family and social life.