A CALL FROM A CRYING MOTHER | LIFE OF OFW

A call that broke my heart in silence.

Moving out
8 months ago, I decided to follow my wife here in the United State as she is currently working here for almost 3 years now.

We are just a 1 year-old married couple and following her was I thought the best thing a husband should do to help his wife be at ease from loneliness and so they could start their own family under one roof.

Decision of sacrifices
That decision implies sacrifices!
As a breadwinner in the family, I have to support my parents for a living. Support them sustain their daily needs and help them stay in good shapes. It wasn't a burden but a joy to help my parents who raised me well, sent me to school and provided good education. Though, I finished my degree through scholarship, it was my parents who supported me very well.

Family
We are 5 siblings and I am the fourth one. I am the first one who finished college and next was my younger brother where I supported my self. (It is always a choice).
All of my elder siblings had already settle with their own families after high school. My younger brother is still in a search for a job. My parents did not finish their school and so coconut farming was just thier livelihood.
Coconut farming was a good source of income to the family not until they were wiped out by the supper Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 which harvested them all down to flat! It was a tragic and another story to tell. With that, I was called the breadwinner by default.

My lovely parents taken infront of our simple temporary house that is still in progress after our original was wiped out by the Typhoon Yolanda

I miss my parents! I do! Especially my mom! She is so dear to me. She is strict yet sweet. She is a crying mama.
Leaving them at home after marriage was a painful decision yet with a joy. It was something, but leaving them and go out of the country was another thing. A decision that no one would probably want to do. But for me, I needed to.

I've been here in West Virginia USA for 8 months now, staying all day at home for now. waiting for my wife everyday to come home after work. I couldn't do anything for work due to my working permit. I'm still waiting for it to be a legit to work. I couldn't believe I left my comfortable life in the Philippines, left a promising job as an Engineer and moving here with void Engg. License! But again its fine. It was a decision that was genuinely made. LIFE OF OFW!

The call
Now, Since the day I landed to this foreign land, I didn't have a single chance to talk with my mom. Never once and not even facetalk due to "the number you have dialed is out of reach" you probably know what I mean.
Here comes the day, just yesterday, I finally had a chance to facetalk with her after 8 months! Trying to compose my self for her to see I'm fine that her son is doing good :) We started taking with a calm and sweet voice. It was an obvious voice that misses someone. We started with "hi, hello" as if we are strangers. She looks fine and I was happy to see her in good shape not until she started crying. She couldn't hold her tears. I asked her why was she crying? While I was holding mine not to drop. She cried because she knew that I wasn't fine. She felt it. I couldn't hide my feelings from a mother who knows me well. She started talking that she misses me a lot and that a few hours ago she was folding my clothes in my room with tears dropping while remembering me. She cried more because she learned from someone that I do some house cleaning in our next door for a part time. She couldn't imagine that I would do that. Well yes I did sometimes and so I could send some money to you :) I responded with a smile :). She was not okay but I have assured her that I'm fine. I used to it. I've been seasoned by challenges and hardships so It's fine with me. You know, Filipinos are practical. Welcome to the world of OFWs!

Finally, we finished our talk after an hour with her face at peace :) I am glad that I was able to talk to her finally! It was just an overflowing joy that I don't want to stop.

I salute our millions of OFWs around the world! Hats off to those who have been in distance with their families for too long now.

I believe that one day, I will see no more Filipinos like me that would go out of our "Lupang Hinirang" and sacrifice for our families. I see a better Philippines in the future for the Filipino people!
No more!

Mabuhay ang lahat na mga OFW!!

What an emotional blog I have today! Shedding tears......

God bless us all!

Thank you for all your support! Let us spread love!
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