Beyond Borders: My Journey of Sacrifice and Strength

When my heart was broken and my father passed away, everything changed. There was no one left to support our family, and no one to pay for my younger brother and sister’s schooling. I knew I had to do something, so I made the difficult decision to go abroad to the United Arab Emirates. On March 3, 2016, I arrived in Dubai, holding onto hope for a better future—one where I could finally provide for my family. I went to stay with my Aunt Cathy; she was such a kind and good person, and she supported me until I was able to find work. Because I was still adjusting to the new environment and culture, I often felt unwell and sick. After a month, I needed to renew my visa, so I had to travel to Oman to exit the country and process my new papers. I stayed there for a week. I was so scared and unsure of what would happen, but I never stopped praying. It was there that I met Jane and Danny, who became my friends; they stayed with me and kept me company the whole time, until we finally returned to Dubai. We spent our days going out together, searching for jobs. Eventually, Jane and Danny both found office work, while I was hired only as a cashier at a supermarket. On my very first day, I felt so nervous and anxious. But thankfully, all the Filipino coworkers there comforted me and helped me get used to my tasks, making me feel comfortable and welcome. The next day was the first time I saw my manager—he hadn’t been around on my first day. I felt instantly afraid just from his aura; he seemed so strict and unapproachable. He would watch my every single move, and always told me, “You need to do a good job if you want to keep this position.” I was willing to do absolutely anything to make it in this job, so I did everything asked of me. I even carried heavy loads and took on hard work, just so I could pass their evaluation and prove myself. After one week, I successfully passed my probation, and they gave me a two-year employment contract. I was so excited—until I looked at my manager’s face. His expression was cold as ice, and my happiness faded a little. According to the contract, I was supposed to have one day off every week. But almost a month passed, and I still hadn’t been given a single rest day. I finally spoke to my supervisor. “Sir, may I please have a day off soon?” I asked. He answered, “You will need to ask our manager about that.” “Alright, Sir.” I went straight to the manager and asked if I could take my day off. He said, “I will give you your day off, but not until next week.” I felt so happy just to finally have it approved. When that week came and my rest day arrived, I was overjoyed. I planned to finally rest and sleep all day—until noon came. Halfway through my day off, my manager called me and said, “Come to work now. Your day off is cancelled.” I felt so angry and hurt inside, but all I could say was, “Yes, Sir.” Once again, all my plans were ruined—because of my manager.