Badante
I know Shanti from last six years. I am living in Arezzo from last six years that’s why it has been six years that I know her. Shanti is a Srilankan lady and she is Hindu by religion. When I heard about Shanti that she had heart attack I got shocked because whenever I saw her on the way, she used to walk very swiftly. This means I found her all the time fit and sound. At the moment Shanti is in Arezzo’s hospital called San Donato. It’s quite possible that they send her for further check up to Siena or Milano. I pray for her that she get well soon.
First of all I would like to tell you what the meaning of badante or colf is. In Italy if you look after any handicap person, old man or anyone who is mentally ill is called badante. On the other hand babysitting and domestic job is some kind of badante. Even if you look after a dog, you are doing badante’s job. Now let’s come to the real topic, about Shanti. Many years before Shanti came to Europe after facing many difficulties. Finally she came to Italy and settled here. In the beginning she had language problem, she didn’t have any place to sleep, she didn’t have any job, and she didn’t have documents. She had to face all these problems on her own. She wasn’t the only person who had these problems. In these European countries there are many people who live here without documents. And they waste their many precious years and time to get documents. I would like to clear one thing here, the people who come to Europe and they pay five lakh rupees, which are half million. They think they have done great revolutionary work; in fact it’s not like that. When they come to Europe, they always keep one thing in their mind that in European countries they have document system. It’s not like our countries. There is no control. You go to any place, you find job and start working. If you come to Europe on tourist visa or student visa or for business than your situation is different. If you enter in these countries illegally than your status is different. If you enter in any European country without documents, it means you are illegal in this country. According to their law, you are living here without documents. Every European country has its own laws and legislations but if you don’t have permit of stay or work permit than you are clandestine here. You are illegal here. It’s not like that that you will enter in any European country, as you will arrive here, you will find job, and you will get documents. The first thing you need, when you arrive is shelter, than job, than documents. There are many ways to get documents. Like you find some girl and marry her, you apply for asylum or that country where you are living illegally, they open their immigration.
I was talking about Shanti. Shanti faced all these above mentioned problems. Shanti must be fifty years old. She had slim smart stature, ordinary face, colour dark, short or you can say squat. She had small eyes and she can hardly open them, around her eyes there were dark black marks, which were because of sleeplessness, stress and restlessness. She used to walk very fast, there was a lot of agony and woe is her voice.
When Shanti came to Italy, she had some co- national, who was settled in Arezzo. Unfortunately she came to her. As in those days accept England, in every European, police used to check documents and which still in practice. Police has the legal rights to check anyone either Italian or foreigner. Her friend harassed her that in Italy police control a lot so you shouldn’t go outside without any purpose. Shanti was very coward lady, she respected her advice and she never spoke with anyone, she never left home until unless she had to. She used to clean house, cook for her friend and she used to mend small silver chains at home, that’s how she used to make her living. During this period, Shanti’s co- national found a domestic job for her. It was a house of an old man and old lady. Shanti started living here. They gave her a small room. She used to clean their house, she used to cook for this old couple, and in return Shanti had shelter and food. It has been one year that Shanti was working here. She didn’t know this thing that her friend was collecting her salary from this old couple from last one year. Shanti was thinking that she is illegal so she can’t ask them for salary. During this period that old lady’s husband passed away. So Shanti had to do less work, so they reduced her salary. Now Shanti was able to speak broken Italian. You can say scarcely. She started going outside. She saw outer world. She started meeting with different people. She got acquainted with people. Shanti was very reticent and hard working person. She found a job as a baby sitter at some other place and she left her another co-national with this old lady. But she didn’t do the same thing what her friend did to her.
Where Shanti was working now, they were very rich people. They had big villa. They had a shop in Arezzo centre just to pass the time. So you can say hobby, although they didn’t need this. Shanti was getting handsome salary, she used to eat healthy food, expensive clothes but Shanti didn’t work here for a long period. The reason was their children. They didn’t like her because she was dark or you can say black. These kids wanted a white skin baby sitter. So they found a Polish girl through an international recruiting agency. So Shanti had to leave. Shanty knew about this so she had words with someone. She found a job in retired army officer. Who didn’t marry. He had arthritis problem. He was unable to walk. He used to pass most of his time on wheel chair. At night Shanti used to put him on bed. Over here Shanti had to stay with him for twenty four hours. Sometime he used to ask her for glass of water, or used to go to toilette. He used to call her by ringing bell which he had next to his bed. Shanti was very happy here because she had seen more problems and difficulties before coming here. It has been two years that Shanti was in Italy, Italy opened immigration. This retired army officer was a gentleman and kind. He submitted Shanti’s documents and paid her tax as well, which is called contributi in Italian. Why he shouldn’t have done for her. Shanti was very nice with him. She used to do everything for him. Sometime she used to share bed with him to make him happy. Shanti was afraid, if she refused to this, what he wanted; it’s quite possible that he won’t help her to get documents. One thing Shanti didn’t know that if he will ask for rejection of her papers, she can sue him. Like this she will be eligible to have six months Permesso di Soggiorno (permission of stay which means you are allowed to live legally and work as well). And she will have found another job. Shanti didn’t do anything like this. Exactly after one year, prefettura di Arezzo has given her Permesso di Soggiorno. She was very happy. She knitted many dreams. That she will go back to Srilanka. She will see her kids. She will take her husband to hospital for proper treatment. She used to think about these things many times. Now it was possible. She spoke with that army man. He said there isn’t any problem. I will give you only one month’s leave because; because of you I have comfort. Remember another thing find some nice lady or girl for one month, who will stay with me in your absence. Shanti said, "I will do exactly what you are saying". Shanti still had few days for leaving to Srilanka.
One day early in the morning Shanti pulled the old army man wheel chair and brought him to Giotto Park. She stopped the wheel chair close to small lake, where there are always two beautiful white swans. She pretended that she is giving some feed to swan and those swan came towards her. All of sudden Shanti squeeze her hand, placed it on her heart. She fell on the floor. That old army man starting thinking that how he can help her. He himself was handicap. Few people were passing from there. They saw this scene and called ambulance. They came and took Shanti to hospital. They left that army man to his home. They left a nurse with him until unless there wouldn’t have been other arrangement.
Now the problem in this matter is that INPS will help Shanti or INAIL. She will get salary or not. According to rules its infortunio (accident during work) but we can’t say anything about Italian law. What they do with Shanti’s case. I pray for Shanti she should get well soon because if your health is fine, you can work again and you can earn money. But one thing is for sure that Shanti won’t be working as badante because heart patient himself needs a person. How can he look after someone else?
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