When we graduated from high school in 1991, one of my classmates eloped with her boyfriend and became a mother in a matter of months. But life had been very difficult and my friend started working as a domestic helper abroad as soon as it was legal for her to do so. She worked like she’d never worked before, believing in her heart and soul that she was doing it for her kids.
Years had come and gone and her kids grew up. They grew up like strangers to her. She didn’t know them that much, their likes and dislikes, their moods, their dreams, their angers and fears. She didn’t know them at all. She felt sad but she couldn’t do anything. Working abroad is not for the faint-hearted, it is for tough people, and she met one tough guy. They got drawn to each other that when they came back here in the Philippines, she chose to go with him instead of go back to her real family.
More years passed. She kept on working as hard as she could and never stop sending money to her children and doing her responsibility, thinking that she was doing her part as a parent. So, she was surprised to learn that her eldest child joined a fraternity and allegedly got injured in the hazing, the boy was only fifteen years old. The boy’s injury led to a more serious illness. He was diagnosed with bone cancer and his leg was amputated. Even after the amputation, the boy underwent a series of chemotherapy.
Two years ago, I saw the boy’s pictures in Facebook. He died after fighting cancer for a year. My friend came home for the wake and went back abroad after a few days.
People say that things happen for a reason, but sometimes, it’s difficult to find the reason for a painful thing like this.. :(
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