Today, dad sent me this via email. A very moving story. Please take time to read.
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When we were in grade school, my siblings and I studied in a private school populated with rich kids. But don’t get me wrong. We are not rich. My parents just wanted to give us decent education even if it takes four promissory notes before we could take the monthly exams.
I used to be envious of what my classmates had. New clothes. Trendy cool shoes and gadgets. Expensive toys. Everything imported. Anything that is tatak-imported is everything I could not have. Unlike them, I do not have any family member working abroad then.
My Ate Marie would often tell me not to envy my classmates. Those things are just material things anyway. Having them would be too much for our way of living.
Of course, I knew we are not rich. But being a kid, it was pretty difficult not to. Who wouldn’t want to play Super Mario and Pokemon in a Gameboy Colored, or have nice Skechers shoes and cool watches?
We can buy those someday.
It was my sister’s favorite consoling line. Definitely, eating pancit with my family while having a healthy dose of laughter is way better than celebrating birthday in a famous restaurant without my father by my side. She taught me that studying hard and persevering in any undertaking would help me succeed. Emphasizing how lucky we are for having a complete family facing all life’s challenges through thick and thin, my ate would then pacify my capricious cravings.
I thought we could get through life’s challenges without anybody from the family leaving the country to work abroad. Then came the unexpected. In 2005, my sister decided to try her luck in Dubai to help us earn a living and settle our financial constraints. My brother was in college, I was about to enter college, and our youngest sibling will also be studying for college the following year. Apparently, she had no choice but to leave.
One has to sacrifice, thus my sister did. It would be sad to leave your family but it would be harder to see them suffer and you cannot do anything about it. The day she left for Dubai was the day I felt our family was no longer complete.
My sister is a graduate of BS Nutrition from the University of the Philippines . But her job role in Dubai is way too different from the meal planning courses and food pyramids she studied in college. Everyday she has to struggle with numbers, computing and accounting. I asked her why she wants to stay there even if the work is not fulfilling. “Mahirap kitain sa isang buwan sa Pilipinas ang isang buwang sahod ko dito,” she answered. Our family and her faith in God are her motivations to stay there.
I could not blame my sister for staying in the greener pastures of Dubai . Perhaps, most OFWs share the same sentiments. Even here in the Philippines , a lot of people opt to take jobs different from their expertise. Worst, there are even graduates who cannot seem to find jobs. The more graduates there are, the lesser jobs are available. What more for those who did not finish schooling? Those who never even tried to learn ABCs?
In this modern world, I get to be with my sister. Well, at least, virtually. Thanks to web cameras, the Internet, roaming services and instant messengers. We can chat as if we were together. We can laugh at nonsense stories. Talk about how beautiful and advanced Dubai is. Discuss Philippine current events, even showbiz chismis. We just talk and talk to avoid sad stories. We vowed never to be too melodramatic. We defied distance barriers.
Despite modern communication methods that the world offers, I still feel the absence of my beloved sister. I cannot extend my hands to give her a hug. All I can do is say “I love you,” “mwaaah” and “hug.” I can only blow her a flying kiss. The fact remains I cannot be physically present to share her happy days. I cannot be there to console her when she feels alone and so down particularly with her work problems.
It has been four years, and she came home once; a ten-day vacation just to see me march and get my diploma for finishing college last year. We managed to do family bonding with the short number of days. When she left again, I did not want to let her go. But she said she is brave. She did it and she will be able to do it again for us. I believed her.
She promised she would be back later this year. I can no longer wait for days to pass so I would meet her again at the airport. Hug and kiss her personally. Tell her how much I am proud of her being my sister. Tell her I love her.
Now, that “someday” where we can buy material things came. I have pretty expensive shoes, a digital camera, a videocam and a laptop. All imported from my sister. Though we are still not rich, we manage to get through life’s difficulties.
Am I happy? Of course, I am. But I could not be happier if the day she will never have to return to Dubai comes. I really do not know when. When it does, we can always celebrate our birthdays, New Years and Christmas together even with just pancit, soft drinks, and buns on the table. Our home will be filled once again with our heartfelt stories and laughter no matter what happens.
Just thinking about us being complete again fills me with joy and excitement. All I can do is wait. So the waiting continues.
-Reynaldo Araja Jr., 22, works as a writer for a business transformation outsourcing company.
- - - - - ->
When we were in grade school, my siblings and I studied in a private school populated with rich kids. But don’t get me wrong. We are not rich. My parents just wanted to give us decent education even if it takes four promissory notes before we could take the monthly exams.
I used to be envious of what my classmates had. New clothes. Trendy cool shoes and gadgets. Expensive toys. Everything imported. Anything that is tatak-imported is everything I could not have. Unlike them, I do not have any family member working abroad then.
My Ate Marie would often tell me not to envy my classmates. Those things are just material things anyway. Having them would be too much for our way of living.
Of course, I knew we are not rich. But being a kid, it was pretty difficult not to. Who wouldn’t want to play Super Mario and Pokemon in a Gameboy Colored, or have nice Skechers shoes and cool watches?
We can buy those someday.
It was my sister’s favorite consoling line. Definitely, eating pancit with my family while having a healthy dose of laughter is way better than celebrating birthday in a famous restaurant without my father by my side. She taught me that studying hard and persevering in any undertaking would help me succeed. Emphasizing how lucky we are for having a complete family facing all life’s challenges through thick and thin, my ate would then pacify my capricious cravings.
I thought we could get through life’s challenges without anybody from the family leaving the country to work abroad. Then came the unexpected. In 2005, my sister decided to try her luck in Dubai to help us earn a living and settle our financial constraints. My brother was in college, I was about to enter college, and our youngest sibling will also be studying for college the following year. Apparently, she had no choice but to leave.
One has to sacrifice, thus my sister did. It would be sad to leave your family but it would be harder to see them suffer and you cannot do anything about it. The day she left for Dubai was the day I felt our family was no longer complete.
My sister is a graduate of BS Nutrition from the University of the Philippines . But her job role in Dubai is way too different from the meal planning courses and food pyramids she studied in college. Everyday she has to struggle with numbers, computing and accounting. I asked her why she wants to stay there even if the work is not fulfilling. “Mahirap kitain sa isang buwan sa Pilipinas ang isang buwang sahod ko dito,” she answered. Our family and her faith in God are her motivations to stay there.
I could not blame my sister for staying in the greener pastures of Dubai . Perhaps, most OFWs share the same sentiments. Even here in the Philippines , a lot of people opt to take jobs different from their expertise. Worst, there are even graduates who cannot seem to find jobs. The more graduates there are, the lesser jobs are available. What more for those who did not finish schooling? Those who never even tried to learn ABCs?
In this modern world, I get to be with my sister. Well, at least, virtually. Thanks to web cameras, the Internet, roaming services and instant messengers. We can chat as if we were together. We can laugh at nonsense stories. Talk about how beautiful and advanced Dubai is. Discuss Philippine current events, even showbiz chismis. We just talk and talk to avoid sad stories. We vowed never to be too melodramatic. We defied distance barriers.
Despite modern communication methods that the world offers, I still feel the absence of my beloved sister. I cannot extend my hands to give her a hug. All I can do is say “I love you,” “mwaaah” and “hug.” I can only blow her a flying kiss. The fact remains I cannot be physically present to share her happy days. I cannot be there to console her when she feels alone and so down particularly with her work problems.
It has been four years, and she came home once; a ten-day vacation just to see me march and get my diploma for finishing college last year. We managed to do family bonding with the short number of days. When she left again, I did not want to let her go. But she said she is brave. She did it and she will be able to do it again for us. I believed her.
She promised she would be back later this year. I can no longer wait for days to pass so I would meet her again at the airport. Hug and kiss her personally. Tell her how much I am proud of her being my sister. Tell her I love her.
Now, that “someday” where we can buy material things came. I have pretty expensive shoes, a digital camera, a videocam and a laptop. All imported from my sister. Though we are still not rich, we manage to get through life’s difficulties.
Am I happy? Of course, I am. But I could not be happier if the day she will never have to return to Dubai comes. I really do not know when. When it does, we can always celebrate our birthdays, New Years and Christmas together even with just pancit, soft drinks, and buns on the table. Our home will be filled once again with our heartfelt stories and laughter no matter what happens.
Just thinking about us being complete again fills me with joy and excitement. All I can do is wait. So the waiting continues.
-Reynaldo Araja Jr., 22, works as a writer for a business transformation outsourcing company.
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