My 18th Birthday

The Training Center

I said goodbye to my parents and my little sister who is by that time only 6 years old. I feel bad towards my little sister for feeling like her existence isn't necessary because my parents are too poor in my eyes to even afford another kid and for putting the financial burden on my 15 years old shoulders. Life is truly unfair and I cannot do anything about it besides move forward and see what the future holds.
I told my parents I don't want to see any tears because I hate to think that their tears aren't genuine because they agreed of me working abroad. I don't remember since when I have less attachment towards my parents. When I was small I remembered how much I love them and how much I looked up to them, but that day I only remember I am all alone in this life.

So I went inside the car with other women who wanted to work abroad too and the car droves away from my village to another city nearby. As we arrived there we got transferred to a big bus, this bus will take us to the capital city of my country. Distance from my hometown to capital city is around 700km, and takes about 18 hours by bus. Back in the day my country was very bad. Government is a joke. No tol road so it takes forever to go to different part of the city or province.
I was nervous inside the bus. I'm not the only young underage future maid. There are others who has similar stories like me. And for this reason I don't complain too much because it's their culture that children play role as ATM machine. Back then I couldn't understand this kind of thinking. I don't think at all. I just live like a robot following the order of my parents and society that it's my duty to repay my parents kindness of raising me.

As we arrived in the capital I saw huge tall buildings. My small eyes wonder in amazement. For the very first time I stepped into the big city that appeared in the school book or television or radio. But I cannot be excited because I'm going there not for vacation but to have a training before I can go abroad to work. Soon the tall buildings disappear and we entered to a small street where the training center are. My nightmare begin here. Although it wasn't that bad.
In the training center there are many women from different parts of the country. We are few hundred people there and everyday we learn something such as how to use modern devices like vacuum cleaner and washing machines. We learned how to cook food according to country we are going. As I'm going to Singapore I learned how to make Singaporean dishes. We leaned how to clean the house, make bad, clean toilet and bathroom. We learned how take care of baby or children, how to bath them and feed them. Learned how to do laundry and iron the clothes. Etc.

I stayed in the training center for 3 months and lucky me I got employer who wants to hire me as their maid. I was excited but terrified. I mean can I do it working abroad? Soon the day of my departure arrived. And for the first time in my life I'm going to ride an airplane!