“I was thirty years old. The economy had collapsed. My husband…
“I was thirty years old. The economy had collapsed. My husband had just passed away. I had two young children. I was working as a teacher but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to send my kids to school. It wasn’t even enough to feed a family. So I found an agency that helps you find jobs overseas. They taught me to work in other peoples’ homes: how to cook, how to clean, things like that. On the day that I left Indonesia, my children were four and six. I brought them to my sister’s house. I explained I had to go to work. Just ‘go to work.’ That’s all I said. I’ve been gone now for almost twenty-five years. I could only visit my children every two years, when I was given a vacation. But I did provide for them. I sent all my money to my sister. I paid for their school. And they did well. They are both in pharmacy school now. But recently they’ve told me how much I hurt them. They’re older now and I guess they think I can take it. They told me how everyone else had a mom. And how hard it was for them. I always wonder what life would have been like if my husband hadn’t died. Sometimes I blame myself. I left my children. What kind of mother leaves her children? I still have one year on my contract, but after that I want to go back to Indonesia. I’ve grown old already. I hope I can become closer to my kids. I have two grandchildren now. I want to know them. I just hope I can make it better.”
(Hong Kong)