Chapter 19: The OFW Reality

"Friend, Marco, I heard you're rich now?" Ryan Mallari called me up.

"Oh come on, still the struggling Marco Fernando, What's up man?"

"Some of my wealthy friends, have a party tonight, at the Jumeirah's house?

"Wallah, are you sure, saddique?"

"Yes my friend, I'll fetch you in your accommodation at seven in the evening. Are you alright with that time?" asked Ryan.

"Yes, I do. Do we need to energize or not?" I asked.

"No, not at all, we need to be in a normal state to gather their beauties and riches...Ha-ha-ha-ha..."

"Okay then, I loved it. Bye!"

We arrived at the Jumeirah's mansion with an awesome feeling about this special party. Ryan parked the car near the gate where some bushes camouflaged the vehicle. The gate was near the front door where we can view people inside. The Indian guy asked our names politely, and we introduced ourselves with unusual names. He nodded his head, left to right, as an Indian customary gesture. He guided us going to the swimming pool where the party was held.

"Hi, Glenda...hi, girls...this is my friend Marco!"

Glenda and the girls greeted me in unison. I saw some girls were beginning to undress me the way they looked at me. But I noticed a female helper looking at me with soulful eyes. Some of the males were busy preparing food, drinks, and other accessories to be used at the party.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we celebrate my birthday, my 28th birthday. I'm one of the workforces of this house, and this house belongs to my employer who's vacationing in Italy. But don't worry I have permission to use this pool as my birthday venue and the adjacent guest rooms too. If you want to eat now, just do it, and...if you want to drink liquor or soft drinks, we have a table over there," Glenda pointed at the beverage table. "Enjoy my friends!"

Ryan and Glenda began to pour their drinks; I started to pour two shots of tequila, and drank bottoms up, with sliced lemon and salt, my favorite. I came nearer to a lady that I spotted before who was tending the barbecue grill, "Hi, my name is Marco, and you?" I extended my hand to her with energy within me.

"Vivian...Vivian Montoya," she accepted it and looked at me.

"Good Vivian, nice to meet you. Can you give me your address or contact number? I'll visit you in the flat."

"Here's my number, 04-4558098, landline, call me first and I'll give you my address."

"Okay, thanks."

I helped her grill some marinated meats and seafood while drinking liquor. We're laughing because my polo shirt smelled fish, Vivian's too.

"Marco, come on, the water's cool!" Ryan shouted at me.


I undressed instantly beside Vivian, went to the pool, and enjoyed the water. Every visitor seemed agitated when I approached Vivian again for another shot of tequila and a stick of barbecue. I didn't know why but I enjoyed being with her. She knew how to handle my questions with sense.

Ryan Mallari introduced another lady named Susan Magtoto. We chatted near the pool for almost an hour which made Vivian Montoya act differently. I glanced at her, still grilling but now, drinking canned Heineken beer. Susan gave her mobile number and address. Left my place and chatted with another male guest.

Around one in the morning, I was quite tipsy, and tried to find Vivian around the place. Glenda told me that she wanted to go home.

"Glenda, she left just now?" I asked.

"Yes, she told me to ride a taxi."

"Okay, just a minute, I'll call her." I went outside the gate, and saw her on the main road waiting for a taxi cab, "Vivian, it's me Marco!"

"Yes, Marc, why are you here? I'm waiting for a taxi cab."

"Come inside, we'll wait until morning to go home, but at this hour, it's very dangerous for you to travel alone."

We spotted a police car approaching us, Vivian told me to hide, but I grabbed her and run near the mansion house. We hid in a prone position under the bushes, near Ryan's car. After a while, we embraced totally feeling our hearts like a thunderstorm. The police car left and we got back inside the house. We enjoyed chatting together telling some amusing OFW stories.

"You see, what happened to us, we're running and hiding like rats in a desert, but I believed that this city could give us hopes to fulfill our dreams. Do you believe that Marco Fernando?"

"Deep in my heart, I can say yes, but it depends on us, as OFW, to take good care of ourselves. Vivian, how long have you been here in Dubai?" I asked seriously.

"Okay, Marco, give me another double shot and I'll tell you my story? Okay?"

I got a bottle of whiskey and six canned beers on the table, a bucket of ice cubes, slices of dried beef meat, and green mangoes. We sat on the sculptured Bermuda grass and positioned a small table at the center. I prepared this stuff alone, and she's quite tipsy, I observed. But she wanted to tell her story. I mixed the two shots of whiskey into a canned beer in a transparent glass, put some salt, and gave it to Vivian. She grabbed it at once and tasted it. I also mixed the same for myself, but I squeezed the lemon halves on my drinks.

"Vivian, go on tell me your story, I'm interested to know about it. Come on, go on..."

"Okay friend Marco, I've been hired as a domestic helper, so, my visa status is in domestic helper with a white card. For you, a blue card isn't it? ....Because you're in a service industry. Actually, I graduated in BS Nursing, but I've got pregnant with that bastard, you know, got two kids for him and left me. My family got messed up for our financial capabilities to survive with our daily existence. So, I applied even as a domestic helper. I've applied for a loan to process my departure, got bored with my job, and missed my two kids."

Her tears started to fall and I wiped them out with my bare hand. She wiped it too and smiled.

Vivian Montoya began to tell me her story.

"I left my employer without permission....and I stayed with my friend hiding from authorities like a criminal. But I need money to send with my family, and for my unpaid loan. So, I worked, part-time job for hotel catering, but I'm very careful not to get into contact with people in authority. I'm a TNT here in Dubai."

"What's TNT?" I asked.

"Tago ng Tago... So, I stayed for more than six years now without any documents; passport, white card, etcetera...etcetera...If I want to go home to the Philippines, the deportation process must be applied to me. And, there are some Filipinos who offered to help me, but in exchange, I'll have to live with them as partners...I turned them down...and here I am, still chasing my dreams. But I do believe that this place can give me financial freedom on my part. By the way, call me tomorrow so that we can talk some more, okay Marco?"

"Yes, it's my day off tomorrow. I'll call you in the afternoon, that's fine for you?"

"Yes, my friend. It's six o'clock in the morning now, where're the other guests?"

"I think they're sleeping in a guest's room."

"Want to go home to your flat? I'll go with you then."

"Okay, let's wash first."

We got a taxi cab going to Al Riqqa Road where she stayed, and I headed to Satwa. I went down the taxi cab, and walked upstairs to my room, but Ruel Mondragon, one of my staff greeted me.

"Good morning Sir!"

"Yes Ruel, what's up? Anything I can do for you?"

"Sir Marco, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yes, come inside. Want some coffee?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Okay, make a strong coffee for me too I'll take a bath first."

When I finished bathing, I went outside the bathroom dried my body with a towel, and, sipped my coffee. I observed he was crying silently. "Ruel, why are you crying? Is there any problem?"

"Yes, sir, I received a letter yesterday from my mother...that my wife left my children. She eloped with her boyfriend."

"Ohhh, my, my, my...why on earth! It's a fashion now? What can I do to help you?"

"Sir, I want to go home to the Philippines, but I don't have enough money for my plane tickets and extra money for my children. Could you help me please..."

"Don't worry, I'll help you."

"Thank you so much, Sir, you're the best Sir! Bye!"

When Ruel left, I began to close my eyes to sleep, ready for another encounter with Vivian Montoya. When I awoke, another knocked on the door, I opened it and Ronnie came in. "Sir, there's a problem with our stocks yesterday. We ran out of some important items needed for today's operation."

"Make an emergency order to the commissary at once. You send my remittance as always?"

"Yes, yes Sir!"

"I trusted you about this remittance. Be sure you send it on time so that Ayah Isabel can have it for the children. Okay, Ronnie?"

"Yes Sir!"

"Anything I can do for you?"

"Sir, I observed that you're getting closer with Ryan Mallari? Are you fine with him?"

"Yes of course! Why? What about?"

"Nothing, sir."

"What's this, why and nothing? Okay, I have an appointment now."

"Okay Sir, bye, enjoy your day off!"

XXX

The next day after my duty I called Vivian in the telephone booth and traveled via taxi cab going to Al Guhrair Center. It's a place for shopping and dining out for most residents nearby. I entered the coffee shop, ordered two-shot of espresso coffee, and that's it. It energized my willpower to survive.

Vivian came in wearing a flowery-haltered blouse with a blazer as an overcoat. She smiled, approached me at the table, and said, "Hi Marco, I'm late?"

"No, my friend, have a seat, would you like something hot or cold?"

"I think a shot of espresso will do. We cannot stay here for long, you know, I'm a woman and you're a man. You know what I mean?"

"Okay" I paid the bill. "Let's go... Where to?"

"I think we have to make around-the-globe today, so, that we can share things over a mug or a cup?"

"I think over a mug. Ha-ha-ha-." I laughed.

We traveled from Al Riqqa Road to Hilton Hotel by taxi cab, went to "The Cassanova's Place," ordered two mugs of draught beers, and seated. Vivian hand-in a bottle of "Joop" perfume for Men.

"What's this?... What for?"

"For you just a present for a new friend."

"Ohhh...come on...thanks!"

"You know, for the first time that I'm with a male friend, roaming around Dubai."

"Okay, thank you."

"How do you know this place? I observed that this is a white men's place, I mean British, even the music band."

"I worked here temporarily as a server, that's why."

"Oh. I see. A good place to dine and talk." We sipped our drinks and listened to the band's music.

"You like to request a song? Go on, tell them," Vivian said. I requested a song of "Whitney Houston, I Will Always Love You," and a British lady soloist sang it beautifully while we listened and smiled at each other.

"Beautiful isn't it? A theme song from the movie, The Bodyguard."

"Yes Marco, I loved the lyrics. You want to know more about OFW stories here in Dubai?"

"Yes, if you want to...yes of course."

"Some TNT's were catching other nationalities for marriage, money, and for a visa. They made it a point that they got what they want before living with them secretly. Women wanted other nationalities than Filipinos, but some liked Filipinos because they're romantic and easy to love. So, the thing is, Filipino men working abroad have been married before in the Philippines, but they've got this relationship along the way. Dubai's environment is really conducive for us Filipinos to work in the service industry. Some house helpers eluded their employers by running away; finding a house to stay and working part-time, like me. Other, housemaids got involved in loving their house counterparts like drivers, helpers, and others. But some really have good intentions of working as housemaids because of poverty. I really hate to see Filipino housemaids walking along with their employers at the mall. That's why I'm a runaway."

"Our embassy's helping them when they needed?"

"Yes, for some who are true with their intentions; but like me, naaaaaahhh..."

"Dubai's the best for people who can bear sacrifices of saving money; like working only without spending, or roaming around the malls."

"You mean to say, work, eat, and sleep only?"

"Yes, but later on, your sacrifices will be paid."

"Some married Filipina women had been entangled with some Filipino men too?"

"Yes, there's a lot of them, but they're very careful....with some huh...other women just left their husband and family in the Philippines, just because they found new to love here. You know Marco, it's very strange to know that this was happening to all of us, I mean the new environment really makes us a "bait" just because we need money for our family. Weird isn't it Marc?"

I hesitated, "Yes" but deep within me I remember Ayah Isabel with my children. I looked at her, really felt her, but we were in the same situation, I needed support too, for people like you, for a friend like you that could give inner help to survive.

"Vivian, you like to dance?"

"Yes, let's go to Al Nasr Leisureland, there's a disco-house over there, the best ever! Come, Marco!"

"Good, you're the best friend! Let's go!"

XXX