It takes a Village…

Blog 4 of 30

I had two young children at home and families who were otherwise occupied and unable to provide daily babysitting support. Nannies were expensive and unaffordable; day care was non-existent, and maids were unreliable. It was going to be a challenge to balance work and family. There were many who questioned my judgement and thought I would not be able to cope. Those who knew me well, realised that telling me something was not possible was like a red flag to a bull. I hated being told that I could not do something, so naturally I set out to prove everyone wrong.

I decided that my first investment would be in a driver. Seems a strange investment, except that an old family retainer who we had known for years turned up at our doorstep one day. He was trained in the army and was an upright and wonderful man. He had worked for years in an old British company as a chauffeur to the senior management. He had retired now and was looking for a private job. His name was Sundararajan. 

I decided it was worth the investment. If my maid did not turn up, I would merely pop the children into the car and have Sundararajan keep an eye on them while I was in a meeting. In the light of many things today it was perhaps a risky decision, but fate was on my side, and I had no cause to worry when he was with my children. He was gentle, kind, and full of jokes and games that kept them entertained.

When he died of cancer a few years later, I missed him sorely. His reliable presence went a long way in supporting me in the first few years of Masterpage and I truly wonder if I could have done it without him.

He turned up everyday to work in neatly pressed clothes, highly polished shoes and carefully groomed. He was very proud of his English and would greet me with a hearty “Good Morning” He was so well turned out that I would sometimes be embarrassed by my appearance. To a young mother harried in a million different ways grooming is sometimes the last thing on your mind when taking a bath in peace is a luxury!!!

I had Sundararajan and my trusted Maruti van, the boot of which I converted into a small playpen with a small mattress on the floor. I got a music system installed as both my children loved music, and then I was off on the road. Many meetings were taken with my children playing in the boot of the van listening to music in the car and Sundararajan watching over them.

They say it takes a village to raise children and it truly did. It also took a village to build Masterpage and Sundararajan was perhaps my biggest support and asset in the early years. Not only would he watch over them, but he also taught them to cycle, he taught them to play tennis and cricket in my backyard, and football in the garage. There were many broken windows and light fittings, but I could focus on work knowing the children were in good hands.

Years later when I had a small dinner to celebrate five years of Masterpage, he took over the organisation and turned up in a smart black coat and tie to oversee proceedings! But that was in the future, and I had a long way to go.

Clients at the time could never understand a work from home concept. It was unheard of in those days and no client would have given me a job. Often when I was busy with the children, I would tell the client or a prospective client that I was in a very important meeting. It sounded good on the phone and made me seem busy but two months down the line I was yet to find a client.