Sam J. Chalhoub

“Hello. My name is Nada. I used to live in Lebanon before I move to Sri Lanka, so I could help my family. We’re having a lot of financial problems, and I heard that Sri Lanka was the best country when it comes to domestics, knowing that a part of my friends have moved there to work. 

I’ve been applying to many agencies. I got called from Colombo. Heading to the airport on the very next night, I was very sad to leave my family for three years. My parents couldn’t come to say goodbye, we don’t have a car at home and not enough money to call a cab. I left.

Colombo. I was sent directly to the agency. I saw the family I’m going to work with. They were signing some papers before taking me home. I was waiting outside, thinking of my parents. Madam has smiled to me before saying bye to the agent. 

Home. If I can call it so… I’ve been learning to cook Pol Sambola all day. I was trying to taste it until Madam came and slapped me on the hand with a table spoon. She taught me how to say sorry in their language, “tchit”. And that was the only word I could say when she was around. She thought that I was stupid, that I don’t know how to cook and always said in front of me: यह पिछली बार जब मैं एक लेबनानी लड़कीकिराया, which means that this is the last time she hires a Lebanese domestic. The telephone was locked and I couldn’t call my parents to express how I feel, nor go and talk to another Lebanese domestic who lives in the building located in front of where I work. Madam had two sons. One was 19 years old, Aditi,  and Abha was 16. When she used to go to her friends’, I used to stay home with them. Mister is not in the country. 

Last week, Aditi called me. He was in his room. I knocked the door. He told me to enter. Aditi was naked on the bed with a belt next to him. I ran in the house screaming, no one heard. He took me using my hair and threw me on his bed. He prevented me of using his belt if I won’t do what he wants me to do. I was screaming “ya emmeh, ya bayyeh, dakhilkoun”. Abha came with a video camera in his hand. He was filming everything. 

On the next day, I couldn’t work correctly. I was crying all the time. I got my daily slaps from Madam. I didn’t feel them, my inside pain was more painful. 

Madam left the house. Abha forgot to lock the phone. When I was trying to use it, Aditi called me again. Here we go, but this time, he used his belt. My skin became red with a touch of black. When Madam came back home, she saw it and asked what happened. I told her everything. She called her sons and said, “Assholes! Didn’t you find any other girl to play with? She is dirty!”

I couldn’t take it anymore, and it was only the second month. My passport was hidden. I couldn’t leave the country. Sri Lanka is horrifying, I wanted to be with my parents. The door was locked. I went crazy. I went to the kitchen where I used to sleep, opened the window, waited for the first car to pass by and I threw myself out of the window. 

I died.

I was all around the press, they all said that Lebanese domestics are crazy. They don’t understand.”

Nada represents more than 400,000 domestics in Lebanon and the Middle East. Say no to domestic violence. 

More from Sam on Facebook: www.facebook.com/samjchalhoub

Tweet Sam: @samchalhoub