Ma, pwede na ba akong mag Boarding House?

Tired of living with my big family, I came to my mother one day and asked: Ma, pwede na ba akong mag-Boarding House? Even my office is only 1 kilometer away from our house.

Bakit? Pagod ka na ba sa hirap anak? She answered me with her sincere eyes.

Her answer although it was also a question contented me. I love my mother so much that I don’t want her to be in pain. She doesn’t want her children to be away from her for just a simple reason that I might give her on that time. My mother is my inspiration, my woman of my life, my angel. So, I stayed and yet still wanting to keep distance from them.

This happened on January of 2005, a year after I graduated college and the same time having my own income. I want to stay away from my family because most of my salary went to our house, my brother’s (next to me) tuition, groceries and sometimes water/electric bill which I think beyond my obligation as a good son. Its not that I am too selfish of my earnings, I just want to be independent and get more freedom in many ways.

3 months after, I received an overseas call from Charlie, cousin. He’s inviting me to follow him to Dubai to work in a 5 star hotel. Actually, that was his 2nd invitation for me to go abroad. I refused his 1st offer when he was in Saudi Arabia .

I don’t have a plan to work in other country. When I was in college, I told myself that I will serve my country as it needs me more than working abroad but of course, it changed now. But when Charlie called me the second time, I just answered him yes because I don’t want to offend him for turning down the second time.

The next overseas call I received was again from Charlie informing me to get ready for a phone interview. After 2 hours, a Lebanese Front Office Manager did the interview and congratulated me afterwards for I had just passed. And the rest was history. I found myself queuing on government agencies for passport, clearance certificates, etc.

May 27, 2005 at 11:00pm, I had my first step in Dubai .

Looking back, it seems that God gave what I asked from my mother 4 years ago, to be away from them. To live in Boarding House for independence and freedom. To be a good and loving son for I am still supporting my youngest brother’s (this time) tuition fee (next to me graduated last October), grocery, and sometimes water and electric bill.

Working abroad is like living in a Boarding House, temporary shelter for you to live. Time will come that you will go home to the place where your heart is, your home. There’s no place like home indeed.

Still, most of my earnings still go to my family.

Complaining? Hmmp… sometimes, hehehe…