"Begin"
I am Aiden Dela Vega, twenty-two years old, and a native of Bataan. Whenever the rainy season strikes in our province, there is a painful yet true joke in our house: there are more buckets lined up in the living room than there are people living in it. The leaks from our roof are like an endless symphony of poverty.
To somehow sustain us, Nanay Rosa works hard as a Domestic Helper in Hong Kong, while Tatay Noel takes his chances as a construction worker right here in the Philippines. My dream of rescuing them from hardship is my only weapon every single day.
At ten in the morning, while sipping coffee for breakfast, the quiet kitchen was suddenly disrupted by the soft vibration of my phone. A message from Kiko Torres, my best friend, popped up on the screen.
"Bro, how are you? Do you want to work abroad? They're hiring here in Canada right now."
My heartbeat instantly spiked. Could this be the opportunity? My fingers flew quickly across the keyboard.
"Sure, bro, but I need to talk to Nanay and Tatay first. I'll see if they'll allow me or not."
After sending the text, I didn't waste any time. I immediately dialed Nanay’s number in Hong Kong to ask for her blessing.
"Nak, why did you call?" greeted the familiar, tired yet loving voice of Nanay on the other end.
"I just wanted to let you know something, Nay. Please tell Tatay too," I began, feeling quite nervous.
"Go ahead, what is it, nak?"
"Kiko texted me earlier. He's asking if I want to go abroad... to Canada."
Silence reigned for a moment on the other end. I could feel the weight of Nanay's thoughts before she finally took a deep breath and answered. "Do you really want to? If that is your dream, then go, nak. Your Tatay and I will support you. Just take good care of yourself there and don't forget to call us, okay? I love you, nak."
"I love you too, Nay," I replied while desperately fighting the lump in my throat. "I will work hard in Canada to make my dreams come true. Someday, the three of us will be together there. Please take good care of yourselves, you and Tatay."
Carrying the blessing of my parents, my feet felt like they grew wings. I quickly processed my papers for Canada. Once I completed all the necessary documents, I immediately informed Kiko to prepare for my arrival.
The day of my departure arrived. Around two in the afternoon, I was already at the Manila airport. Clutching my luggage and overflowing hope, I faced the long queue for my boarding pass. Goodbye, Philippines.
[EDMONTON AIRPORT]
The moment I stepped out of the Edmonton airport, a wall of ice seemed to welcome me. The temperature hovered at -25°C—a kind of cold my skin in Bataan had never experienced.
"Bro, welcome to Canada!" A cheerful voice broke my daze. It was Kiko, bundled up in a thick jacket, walking toward me with a wide smile.
"Th-thanks, bro," I replied, the steam from my breath clearly dancing as my whole body shivered.
"You're welcome, bro! Are you okay? Aren't you freezing to death? It's the peak of winter and snowfall right now, you know. Do you want to grab some coffee first? There's a Tim Hortons here. Let's go?"
"Sure, bro. To at least lessen this shivering. Gosh, it is really freezing here! I thought I'd just catch some light snow, but the winter here is intense."
After Kiko picked me up from the airport, we drove straight to the house where he lives.
"Bro, there's a room here in the basement. You can put your things there for now and get some rest. Goodnight!" Kiko said, pointing to the door of my future room.
"Thanks, bro. Goodnight."
I entered the room and quickly left a message for Nanay and Tatay to let them know I had landed safely in the promised land.
Dawn in the Kitchen
The whole house was dark, and only the faint light from the open refrigerator door brought life to the kitchen. I sat on a wooden chair, wrapped in a thick blanket around my shoulders while staring at a steaming cup of hot coffee. I coughed softly, desperately searching for warmth in the middle of dawn.
The door beside me opened and Kiko came out wearing pajamas, rubbing his eyes and looking obviously sleepy.
"Bro? Aiden? Why are you still awake?" he asked in a sleepy voice, looking at me. "It's three in the morning, man. Do you still have jet lag?"
I smiled bitterly and slightly averted my gaze from him. "No more, bro. I just really couldn't sleep. I've been thinking for a while."
Kiko walked over to the sink, grabbed a glass, and poured water to drink. "Thinking about what? About work tomorrow? Don't worry, like I told you, you'll find a job where we went. Just trust the process, bro."
"It's not just that, bro..." I let out a dry laugh. "Earlier, before I went to sleep, I called Tatay in the Philippines. He said it started raining there again and the lined-up buckets in our living room appeared once more because of the leaks. It made me remember Nanay in Hong Kong, working hard all by herself. Then here I am, sitting in a quiet, orderly, and warm house here in Canada, but... it still feels so heavy."
Kiko stopped drinking. He slowly lowered the glass to the table and walked over to me. He gently patted my shoulder, a gesture of understanding that only a fellow OFW would truly grasp.
"That's normal, bro. All of us went through that. When I first arrived here, I also cried secretly in the bathroom because of severe homesickness. People back home think it's easy when you're abroad—that because earnings are in dollars, there are no more problems. They don't know that the price of a dream is a daily battle with longing."
I looked at him, and for the first time since I landed in Edmonton, the expression on my face softened a bit. "Thanks, bro. If you weren't here to catch me during my first few days, I don't know how I'd survive the minus twenty-five degrees cold of this place."
Kiko chuckled softly and tightened his pat on my shoulder. "No problem, bro! What else are we Filipinos abroad supposed to do except help each other? Anyway, finish your coffee. We need to wake up early for your orientation at the coffee shop later."
I nodded and took another sip of coffee. "Yeah, bro. I'll make sure not to let you down. For Nanay and Tatay... and for the buckets back in the Philippines. Someday, I'm going to get rid of those leaks."
"There! That's what I want to hear!" Kiko said with a wide smile. "Alright, I'm going back to sleep. You should sleep too once you finish that, okay?"
"Sure, bro. Thanks again."
Kiko walked back to his room. I was left alone in the kitchen, staring out the window as thick snow gradually blanketed the outside. Along with the emptying of my coffee came the slow fading of fear in my eyes.
During my first week in Edmonton, I couldn't help but marvel every single day. The views were stunning, the surroundings clean, and the traffic system incredibly orderly. It was then that I truly realized how vast the difference is between life in the Philippines and this world.
After a week of resting and adjusting to the climate, I decided to start applying for jobs, even if it meant starting at fast-food chains like McDonald's or local coffee shops to get a foothold.
One evening, Kiko and I came home exhausted after a whole day of walking around for job applications. As we sat on the living room floor eating hot instant noodles together, we talked again.
"Bro, did you notice?" Kiko started while slurping his soup.
"Notice what, bro?"
"The beauty and order of Canada compared to us back home."
"Yeah, bro. It's so quiet here, and there's not much gossip or neighbors meddling outside," I replied with a laugh.
However, the serious tone in my voice gradually returned as I remembered my purpose. "By the way, bro, can I ask a favor?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Can you guide me and help me look for more permanent jobs here? Something long-term."
"No problem at all, bro! I've got your back while you're starting out. Now, finish that up and let's go to sleep. Goodnight!"
"Goodnight, bro. Thank you so much."
Before I completely closed my eyes beneath the thick blanket, I dialed the numbers of Nanay Rosa and Tatay Noel in the Philippines once more. I wanted them to hear my voice, and I wanted to reassure them that I was doing well and sleeping safely here on the other side of the world.
Some dreams are paid for in foreign currency... but no one tells you that the real price is crying in silence beneath a minus twenty-five degrees chill.
