It Hurts So Much, Brother Eddie
I was trying to pull myself out of bed late this morning because it is Sunday and my shift during the weekend starts at 11AM.
I am used to waking up as early as 5AM even during rest days. You know when your work starts at a very early time your body clock is kind of used to wake up as if there is an alarm clock inside.
However, no matter how hard I tried to sleep until around 7AM, I just couldn't make it because my neighbor started playing music on his small radio at around 6AM. Since it is Sunday the music being played was old time hits.
The sound was loud enough to reach the next three blocks. I was a bit annoyed but I couldn't do anything about it and pulled myself up instead. Then I brewed black coffee.
I don’t want to start my day with negative emotions so I opened my PC and read some News and Interesting topics on the internet.
I was trying to think of a topic to write but the song playing on my neighbors radio was echoing. So I kind of lost focus. But then after a few minutes I found my topic for this day. Thanks for the song on that small radio.
The song was so old that I have been hearing it on radio stations since I was a kid. It was a local song and it tells about the life of a man who worked overseas but then experienced unfortunate events. It narrates how hard it is to work abroad with hard labor and then the family he has left doesn’t give value to all of his hard work.
I remember when I was in the Middle East working as an OFW too. It was like all the lyrics in the song were true. Like your kids will become hard headed because you don’t have control of them. Then your partner will tend to become unfaithful.
I really experience how hard it is to communicate with my family and loved ones despite the availability of communication devices. I mean what more if it was 30 years ago when there was no Smartphone and internet to communicate. Can you imagine how OFW back then communicated with their family in PH?
I can endure hard work and struggles but the thing is when you are alone and then lying in your bed, you just can’t stop thinking about your family.
I happened to talk to fellow OFW in there one time when I was sending money to my wife. He said was in a construction company, then I noticed that he will be sending his one month salary to his wife that summed up to 1000 SAR (at least 200USD).
I couldn’t imagine how he can survive with a two-year contract in KSA if he will send all his monthly income to his family. What about his food, shelter and personal necessity?
The song can really relate to all overseas workers, even to this current generation.
When I went home, I visited my co-worker who went home one year ahead of me. I just found out that he and his wife got separated. He told me that he found out about his wife’s paramour. Then they broke up. I think I have made the right decision not to come back. Then the COVID came.
Before I resigned to work overseas, my former employer told me that families of OFW often are broken. I told her that there is a possibility but it will depend on how strong the relationship is.
But indeed most OFW I know have their family wrecked. It’s either that the husband finds another woman or the wife becomes unfaithful.
I know there are OFWs in this platform and they can tell how hard it is to work oceans apart from their love ones. I have been there. It is sometimes frustrating when some OFWs get involved in cases that the government can’t prioritize.
OFW has made significant contributions to the PH economy that is why they are considered as heroes.
Hats off.
Thanks for reading. Ciao!
Lead image source credits to frank mckenna
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To all those who support, Thank you!
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