Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The Life of a Breadwinner

I was 13 years old when I left home away from my parents because they can't be able to send me in high school. We are 6 sibling of the family and I am the 2nd to the eldest. A kind hearted family took me to the City, I worked with them as an assistant secretary of their canned/frozen business and I was studying at the same time in the afternoon. After I finished on my first year in high school , my mother asked me a favor to stop schooling because she wanted me to help my elder sister to pay for her tution fees(she was in the private school and I was a wroking student).Because I was pittied to my mother, I stop schooling and since then the family where I worked with give me a monthly salary. They didn't agree with my decesion but they had nothing to do about it. I stopped for a year and help my parents. I used to gave my money to my mother when she came to the City every end of the month. I went back school but I was working as a fish vendor in big market in Bankerohan.(my mother's nephew has a stall). I woke up 4 o'clock in the morning until 12 o'clock in the afternoon co'z I need to be in school at 1 o'clock pm. A lady in the market asked me if I could tutor his 5 yr old son, so she hired me. It was very convenient to me co'z it was very near to my school. But after a few months, a tragedy happened. Her brother got a motor accident and died. She needs to go back to her province to look after her parents business as well as the health of her parents. I had nothing to go at those times. Either to go back in my hometown or just stay their in the City. I prefer to stay in the City and finished my high school there. So, since my sister stayed in the boarding house, I asked my mother if I could stay as well. I stayed there and a few months the nephew of my father asked me so worked with their gambling business. I went out during the middle of the night just to collect the money of their agents. It was a very dangerous job. Somebody could stab or rape me if they find out I have plenty of money in my bag/pocket. Sometimes I hide it somewhere in my lingeries....Anyway, I survived and still alive now. The niece of my father, asked me to stay with themand help her with the business as well(gambling, lending). Since, I was paying the rent in my boarding house and bought my own food. I accepted the offer to save a little bit money and also I am safed. I don't need to go out for the collection. I was with them for about six years more or less... I had to do all household worked and I got only 300PHP for 2 years. But I never complain because they I had free food and a house to stay in. After I finished high school, I thought I couldn't get into collage. Another niece of my father working in an appliance center as a Sales Supervisor, she hired me as her private secretary. To assist all her agents and customer. It was a very good experience to me. So I enrolled collage. Had an afternoon class but I still worked where I stayed. I have to wake up very early in the morning cooked the breakfast and prepare eveything for the children before I went to my secretarial job at 8 0'clock in the morning. Went to school in the afternoon and went home in the evening and soak the laundry. Ang hirap nga noon, wala nman washing machine , so mag handwashed ako. :(:(... I worked hard para lbre lang ako bahay at pagkain. I didn't get any allowances from them after that 2 years. I was working for free because I ate the food, I used water and electricity and I had a bed to sleep.... I cried sometimes, at my young age I experienced such sacrificed because my parents can't afford to send me in school... I worked in a food chain after I left my secretarial job because she was vey ill and she can't reached the sales quota of the company. I enjoyed so much working at the food chain (jollibee, texas chicken, macdonald). Working, studying at the same time doing household work where I stayed was a vey diffficult for me. but still I have patience to survive. Unforunately in the middle of my college studies I had to stop again due to the health of my sister. Her medication was very expensive. I have again to sacrificed my study and after a year my mother got an operation. My father is week of problems and since my mother was ill at those time I should be strong because my sister wasn't well enough... I didn't know where to run for the money. Luckily, my co-crew lent me some money for the operation of my mother.

As my teenage life I couldn't remember that I had a lovely time like any other teenagers. I worked.worked,worked hard for myself and for my family honestly....I finished my degree and right after I found a job but because I want to help my brother and sister to go university/collages, I left my job and went abroad..The time I'm here my first priority is my family. I work here to give them a better life..it is a great happiness to me that they are happy for the money i send to them. a simple thank you that i could hear from them is very flattering...but sometimes I want to give up. How could I chase from it??? Is it really my obligation which the fact I still got a parents. Is it the sense of obligation that cannot be neglected for personal pursuits???? what is it???Do I need to considet them in every decision I make???What about me??? Until when? why me??? why they cannot ask from my other sisters, why I carry the burden all the time??? I don't have an anwer of those question. Is it a right decision to get married and left the responsibility and obligation I have now. Help me G_d...

No comments:

on how to fight this pandemic

In this time of pandemic,  one thing we have in common as mommies is to protect our children  and ourselves. We bought vitamins to boost our...