Date: May 22, 2022

Have you tried to be away from your parents during your childhood or teen years? What's your feeling?

Thank you my wonderful sponsors for staying in my blocks.

Hello my dear virtual friends. I was absent here yesterday because it's a Sabbath Day. In the evening, I wasn't able to visit here too because we have my sister in law as our visitor and we enjoy the dinner together.

This morning, I was inactive too because we have our Bayanihan again in our church.

Today, I will be sharing again another life experience of mine. This is a continuation of my two previous articles. Hopefully you won't be tired of reading it.

• Know a part of me

• Life without television

A year away from parents

I was the eldest among the 6 siblings. When I graduated in Elementary, my other 3 siblings were also studying. My parents told me that they will send me to my aunt (sister of my mother) so I can help my aunt and the same time they could help us. I will stay with them and they will send me to school. In short, I will be a working student to them.

Thinking about my younger siblings who wanted to study, I decided to agree with their plan.

My mother accompanied me to my Aunt's house which is located to another province. Since transportation is difficult that time and it cost a lot, my parents wasn't able to visit me there and at the same time I wasn't able to go home for a year.

Experience as a working student

I was there in my aunt's house for one year. I am 13 years old that time. My aunt is not a good example to me. She is married with two sons.

My aunt is not a good example of a responsible mother. When her husband came home from work, uncle will take care of their youngest child. He will be the one to clean them up and let them eat and the worst is, he is still be the one to wake up in the middle of the night to provide for milk. I was in the other room and they never asked me to do it also.

My aunt is also involved in gambling. She always play card games and this is the reason that she cannot attend or take care of her children well.

My daily assignment

During weekdays, uncle will cook rice for us in the morning since he will wake up first because he will go to work as early as possible. He will wakes me up when he will go to work so I can lock the door. I will clean the house, sweep the floor, clean the surroundings, wash the dishes and will prepare my self for school.

My aunt will give me 10.00 for the day. 6 pesos will be for fare back and forth. 2.00 will be for my viand and 2.00 is my allowance. Sometimes I have some things to buy for our project but don't have enough money for it. When I ask to my aunt, she will only said she don't have money. I don't know what to do and I really want to pass for our projects. Until I decided to save my two pesos allowance. I didn't take merienda so I can save. I bought one pack of Barnuts during our lunch break and sell it to my classmates in the afternoon. I did it everyday until I was able to save for my projects. I never told my aunt about it because she might get my money and use it for gambling.

During weekends, I always cry because I felt so tired. I will wake up early and fetch water using big container from the main source of water going to their home. I will just carry the water container in my shoulder. I will make the plastic drum full. When its full, I will do the laundry. I will wash all of their clothes making my hands have a lot of wounds after.

I remember that my aunt will reprimand me because I will lay down in bed even I am not finish doing the laundry. I did it because I felt like vomiting and my head is aching after using chlorine. Do i have an allergy about it's smell? When I felt better I will continue doing it and I will be done in the afternoon.

Experience that let me decide to go home after a year

Almost every evening I cried silently in my room. I felt tired almost for everything, I miss my parents, I miss my family and I was thinking that my parents won't do it to me. It became worst when my aunt said that her money was lost and she is pointing me that I did steal her money. Oh! it's so hurt. My mother didn't teach me to steal anything from someone and I can't do that. Even I have a hard time in school but I cannot do such thing. I was thinking that might be she spent it in gambling.

There is also time that I was sick, hoping for her to buy some medicine for me but she did not. I can't remember how I recover from that fever.

Ending thoughts

Though my aunt treat me like that, I am still thankful for the chance that i was able to continue my studies even atleast for a year because my mother get me there and bring me home at the end of the school year. I never have grudges to my aunt and we also have a good relationship until now. Those experiences helped me to be strong and trying find ways to earn and finding solution to a problem.

When I was already in my parents, I have heared that my uncle is in ICU because he got an accident while going to work. Unfortunately, he died. That time I thought that God let my uncle rest from the weary life he had with my aunt.

For now, my aunt has been married again.

Different experiences really teaches us different lessons in life. All we need to do is to fight challenges that we faced because God will always there to help us.

Thank you so much for reading.

If you want to read more, click HERE.