"Once upon a time in Hong Kong"

January 2016 when my feet first landed in Hong Kong international airport. It was winter and the weather is foggy and cold. I travel alone, though I don't know about the place but because I grow independent I don't find it hard traveling by myself. Hong Kong international airport was wide and since it's my first time I just go with the flow. I silently observed the people around me. I don't understand them, unless if they talked in English, somehow there are also some Filipinos around me but they didn't try to approach me. But I understand as people thought that I'm Indonesian. Oh that's right! The moment my feet landed in airport my identity suddenly changed lol. I am a pure Filipina but people think that I'm Indonesian, because according to them my appearance is quite similar to them.

Anyway I work as a nanny in Hong Kong for 4 year's. I take care an 8 year old girl and the only child of my employer. It took me three days before I meet them, I firstly stayed in my agency when I arrive Hong Kong. Upon meeting them, they are nice specially their daughter. She's cute, sweet and such a nice girl. She's not that stubborn but as a kid there were really times that she will do what she wants to do.

My work is to accompany her to school, fetch her from school and accompany her to her extra curricular activities. And since we were living in an island I have to woke up as early as 5:00 a.m to prepare them a light breakfast as they don't like heavy breakfast. A small sandwich with Sunnyside up eggs and milk or chocolate is enough. Both of my employer's are working, but they only like cereal and tea for breakfast, that's it. I cooked her a simple lunch, like fried rice, sometimes I prepare sushi, dumplings, spaghetti Bolognese etc. Those are easy to prepare, it only takes 30 minutes as long as you move quickly. I have to wake her up at 6:10 a.m and leave the house at 6:45 a.m as we have to take the 7:00 a.m ferry. We only take ferry to go to the other island and take a bus to go to her school. After I send her to her school, I go back home. And when I went back home, both of my employer's are already left the house for work. And it was funny as I get lost at my first day to fetch her in her school lol. I haven't discover the Google map that time yet 😂. When I bring her in the morning I didn't get lost because she was with me but when I fetch her in the afternoon I'm alone and that's why I got lost 😂.

I texted my madame in her phone as I really don't know where I am. Because when I tried to ask which way should I go to reach the school, I don't understand the people around me. 😂 I asked them in English as I don't know how to speak Chinese, and they will answer me Chinese and I get crazy as I don't totally understand them 😂. Luckily my madame immediately replied me, only to find out that I'm just near the school, I just have to walk for 2 minutes then I'll reached the school .

The whole year of 2016 goes smooth. My employer are a good payer as they always give my salary advance. Every holiday they went abroad for vacation and I'm staying alone at there house. I was just five months working with them when they first leave their house in my care. They trust me lol 🤣, they trust me because they are holding my passport 😂. Actually it was against the rules of Hong Kong immigration as my passport is my important document and that was supposed to be keep by me. But since I have to deal with them, I just let them keep it for me. They don't actually trust their house under my care because they found me trustworthy, aside as they are holding my Passport, their house also have five CCTV's at home 🤣😂🤣😂. Imagine a 500 square meters house has a five CCTV's 🤣😂? The only rooms that has no CCTV was the kitchen, the masters bedroom and the bathroom. And since I am sharing with their daughter's room, our room has a CCTV too. But it don't bother me, because I know myself, I can prove them that I'm a trustworthy.

Bad thing about their absence is I don't have salary when they are on vacation. Another against the rules as it is not part in my contract. But I'm a first timer, and I don't wanna ruined my record in Hong Kong so I just agreed. But before they leave Hong Kong they will give me a part time job, so I can have earnings while they are having their vacation, and also they will leave me food allowance. Actually part time job in Hong Kong is also another violation, as I have signed a contract with one employer. But since we both agreed with the part time job, it is exceptional but not totally to be considered as.

I took care dogs while the dogs fur parents are also in vacation. They will leave their dogs under my care for one week and they will pay me $500 HKD($60 usd) for that one week. All I have to do is to feed her and her fur siblings, bring her out for walk and bring her back to their house for two times a day.

2017 has started, the first quarter of the year was smooth. But a really bad day came, where I thought my journey will end so soon.

It was Sunday morning and it's my day off. The time was just 5:50 a.m when my employer's woke up early as they will go fishing. And since it was my off, I don't bother to woke up early, I just let them prepare their things besides I already prepared the other things that they need to bring before I go to bed the last night. Until I heard my madame call me and tried to woke me up as she was looking for something and she cannot saw it by herself. She was looking for a jacket and since I just woke up and they have so many jackets I don't remember which one she was looking for. I told her that maybe it's inside her drawer, and she immediately went to the other room to look for it, but she still didn't find it so she again call me, that time she was already mad. I immediately get up and go to the other room to look for that jacket. She followed me there while nagging. She even called me stup**. I was so shocked of what I have heard from her, that even her own daughter can't believe that her mom was behaving like that. For over one year, that was the very first time she nagged me that way. I was hurt as I don't used to hear bad words while someone is pointing her fingers in front of my face. They left and I was left crying. They saw me crying but they don't bother.

I decided to go to my friends boarding house as I really needed someone to talk. Actually I don't have any plan to go out that day because I wanted to have a rest as I really felt tired the other day, but since I really feel bad I went outside. I forgot to bring my other phone, I don't know that my madame texted me. She texted me to say sorry and she didn't mean what she says but it was too late when I read it.

When I went back home at night they are already home, I went inside silently when she suddenly approach me with another nagged. She was mad, as she thought that I didn't accept her apology, because I didn't reply to her text. She scold me when I told her that I forgot to bring my phone, and that is why I haven't read her message yet. She was mad again and shouting at me again ,as she thought that I am being so stubborn and disrespectful. Her husband tried to calm her down but she's totally mad, and she shouted me to pack up my things and immediately leave the house that night. I was stunned but I didn't let them see my reaction, I tried to look at her emotionless as I don't know what am I going to do. It was already 9:00 in the evening and I don't know where am I going to go if I leave the house. She shouted me again and she even try to drag me so I could pack up my things right away. But....

To be continued........

Sorry guys as my story is getting longer, I will continue to write the second chapter of my journey tomorrow...

Thank you for your time..

November 25,2021 18:15

Lead image source was originally edited by me using logo maker app!