Kinder Surprise

It was a dream come true to be able to go to a foreign land. We all know that job is the main problem with our country that in the later years of 2000 I was fortunate to go abroad, in Japan.

The company I had applied to was offering jobs for farm assistance for livestock and vegetable farming. It was a two-year contract. I was lucky to be hired at the livestock section for poultry because we can work overtime and get compensated for it. For those who were at the vegetable gardening section, they're out when it's already dark.

Though it was only a blue-collar job and not seen as decent work for others I was thankful that I was able to have it. In our country, we have lots of unemployed degree holders but they prefer to go abroad and work there though the job was very unrelated to their degree. Not to boast but I was earning six digits when converted to Philippine money.

Two years after I came home.

I was able to save enough from my salary in Japan for a start of a little business. I can tell we were living a good life together with our only child. Life is too hard and we planned to have only one kid so that we may be able to provide for all his needs and wants. We built and invested in a mini grocery store and a three-door apartment.

We were contented with what we were earning to the point that we didn't think of me going abroad again. We can grow our grocery store and be with our son while he grows.

One time, investments - Ponzi schemes had become prevalent. Easy money, sales talk of those who were inviting were persuasively good. It's convincing. So, we tried an amount of 5000 pesos to play safe. We invested in what we could afford to lose. And in 26 days, an amount of 4500 pesos was added to our dashboard, the remaining 500 pesos was for the processing fee (Kuno).

Oww! Wow! Great. It's good we thought. It's easier than selling goods at the grocery. Therefore we raised our capital to 100,000php. And in another 26 days, the capital gained an interest of 90,000 pesos. However, I was able to get an initial payout of 50k. It was only 50,000 because they said that there were lots of us who paid out. The remaining 40,000 will be given on the next payment.

We got excited and were very sure of ourselves that there is true money with the platform. After I and my husband talked about adding more, we took out everything from our bank account. We only left 1000pesos as a maintaining balance. All we were thinking that time was that we could get it back in less than a month. That was a short period to wait and in the next month will we be able to get it doubled. We have the grocery store where we could get our daily needs and the apartment's rental for backup.

A tinkling 600,000 we did let go. No worries, all hopes.

Three days after while we were watching the news on TV that we learned it was a Ponzi scheme. In short, the one we joined in was nothing but a mere SCAM. We were one of the victims who were not able to notice the red flag when they were not able to give the 90,000 interest fully. No matter how we tried to get back our money but it was gone down the drain.

The once secured future we were dreaming and could attain was nowhere in sight. It was very heartbreaking. All your hard-earned money was just gone in one blow. Nonetheless, we have to accept it and start anew.

It was hard for us to start again from scratch so that when we were able to accumulate enough sum, I flew overseas. For this time it was China as an English tutor. The rate was good but not as high as when I was in Japan.

I was enjoying my job though there were bad hair days and that's already a given especially when you're in a foreign land. After six months of working when I became friends with another tutor, a Pinay from the Visayas region. Since she was good to me and seems like a good person that I moved to her place. We shared in paying the rent. However, I learned that she was fond of going out at night, nightlife that is. At one time she came home from one of her rompings, her boyfriend, a Sudanese was with her. This had been their routine every other Sunday. Well, I have nothing to say because they're nice.

A year passed that we were still boarding together. But I have noticed they were living lavishly which was unusual because my friend's rate in teaching was just the same as mine whereas her boyfriend has no job. Out of curiosity, I asked my friend if she was sending anything to her family in the Philippines and she said she is sending her full salary, no more no less. Hmm, it left me wondering all the more.

I've met a guy, a Sudanese also. Let's call him Marvin who became my boyfriend. He's a tour guide. Though I didn't want to because I have a husband but it seems I've forgotten about it. I was influenced by my friend.

There were occasions like holidays when I tagged along with the guy to the place where he's tour guiding tourists. This led me to get to know the tourist spots. I got interested in it that I even researched the histories of the places. Therefore, I've had enough knowledge. I resigned from my job as an English tutor and applied as a tour guide as well. I got hired.

I and my boyfriend looked for another apartment to live and we were able to find one. We barely see each other like twice a month only because our schedules were conflicting. When he got home, I was away on my job, it was the same way with me.

One day, I got home to find Marvin with another woman in our apartment. I got jealous because who wouldn't. But Marvin said he brought her because she's her cousin and would like to introduce her to me. She's Mitch. All went well.

I learned the woman was also a tour guide. She said her next destination would be Hongkong and she wanted me to go with her. I was having second thoughts but my boyfriend urged me to so that I will be able to relax a bit. I agreed because I also wanted to see Hongkong and expenses would be theirs.

While I was packing some clothes to bring they told me that there's no need to. We will buy clothes in Hongkong because there were lots there. The only thing we will be bringing were the goods from China that their friends in Hongkong were asking to bring.

Hmm, that's very good I said.

On the day of our flight from Beijing to Hongkong, me and Marvin's cousin have our luggage to pull. They were big but it was light.

At the airport, people put their items of luggage at the conveyor belt while they stood in line to be checked. The luggage also passes through a machine for a check-up while you wait for it at the other side.

We put our luggage on the conveyor belt when we arrived at the airport where we stood in line. Mitch was first and I came after her. I laid down the luggage but Mitch made a sign to get it up so I did. I thought that maybe there's something inside that could be spilled when it was left lying. Then we boarded the plane.

We went straight to a five-star hotel when we arrived in Hongkong. We were automatically booked in there as Mitch said. We left the luggages then we went out to catch the bus which Mitch is touring.

The day passed as we tour around Hongkong that on the evening we checked in at a different hotel. I reminded Mitch about our luggages but she said not to worry about it as it will be picked by the owner. The following day, Mitch accompanied me to a mall to shop around. She said I could pick anything that I liked. We ate different delectable dishes at the restaurants. Everything was paid for by her, I never get my hands to my pocket.

In the afternoon, by 3 pm Mitch told me we go to a bank to send money to my husband.

"What?" I laughed. For what reason would she do it, I asked her. Then she told me it is my salary for keeping her company. So I agreed. Well, that's money and was given freely that who could decline. I only need to see how much is she sending.

Mitch made the transaction but it never came even in my wildest dream that someone would just give an amount that huge. A staggering amount that when converted to pesos is a tintinnabulary 200,000 php.

My jaw dropped with that kind of amount which was just sent, thus I asked her what's the reason behind it. My husband would surely be asked about it.

She simply answered to tell my husband that I've got a new employer in Hongkong.

What could've been the reason for that amount just to be given away...

Abang...

08-18-21

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