I remember
that I arrived in the Middle East on March 22,
1992 at 7 am. At the airport we were stuck for
like 9 hrs. When we got there it was Ramadan, and
so there weren't many people around in the day
time. I was so hungry I didn't see a restaurant
anywhere in the airport. Then I was beginning to
get homesick. I felt I was going to faint. I was
going to faint if I didn't eat. So I went to ask
the one Arabian guard and said "Excuse me.
Where is the restaurant here? I am starving."
He just looked at me and never said any words.
And one Filipina said I can't go anywhere unless
someone picks us up. So I went back to my seat
with all Filipinos and the other Filipina that I
been with there were so shy and never spoke. I
asked them lots of questions and they could only
say yes or no. That's the only English they knew.
So my attention was with the younger one. I liked
to know what she was doing there and how old was
she? But she just smiled and said no... Well
anyway, I went to talk to another Filipina and
asked the same questions and she was the same.
She didn't even know how to call on a public
phone. So I helped her. When the guy came (the
one to pick me up), I said goodbye to 9 Filipina and they were sad after that moment. I never saw
them again. Okay... In the agency I arrived there
like 5 in the afternoon. I saw that a Filipina
worked in the agency. I greeted her Hi and asked
her Do you have any food, I am really starving."
She said later, our boss is here. We can't really
eat if they are here because its Ramadan. I
didn't know what that means at that time. I said
okay and squeezed my tummy.
After and hour the
couple arrived and they said I have a new home.
Then I knew that this couple were going to take
me. I was supposed to be working as a sales lady in a big
department store. .that
was what I had been
told. And that was what I was expecting. So when
The couple took me I was excited and happy. But I
kept wondering why the women were covering
themselves with a black cloth. It was shocking to
me. I went to the Middle East without knowing the
culture. March 22, 9 pm I started to work as a
house maid. When I got there it was shocking; I
thought it was a hotel. It was a big house with 9
rooms and 8 bathrooms, a big basement and I was
alone to clean it. (THE
HOUSE) I argued with the people in
the agency. I was beginning to write my agency in
Manila to tell them that I was in a bad situation
and I needed their help. But no one ever answered
me. They moved the office. So when my boss went
out that the time I could use the phone. I called
my agency and said please take me out of here,
their only answer was to wait a month and the
real worker will come and then you will be free.
After several months of waiting still nobody from
the Kuwait agency contacted me, so I called them
again. I told them since I came here I didn't
have a salary. They didn't give me any and they
took my passport. But they told me its okay and
hung up on me. When I had a chance to talk my man
boss I ask him if I could have a day off. He
looked at me and answered NO! and he yelled at me.
Then I was beginning to panic. I watched my woman
boss a lot to see what she was doing and I kept
pushing myself to be close with them. She was
nice sometimes but there was a time she yelled at
me because I didn't wrap my hair. She said it is
bad and a sin so I went upstairs to my room and began to wrap my hair. At first it was really
uncomfortable.
After working for them
for 4 months I never received any salary, until
one day a driver from India came named Sebastian.
He was nice and married to a Filipina. He greeted
me and said "Hello. What is your name?"
Oh... my name in the Middle East was not Vie.
They changed my name to Lucy. Well fine by me...
So I told him my name is Lucy. He smiled at me
and asked me if I was okay. I said no I am not
okay. I am worried about my salary. They didn't
pay me since I got here. He looked so sad. He
said "Oh, another one!" and walked away
because he didn't want me to get into trouble.
When my woman boss saw me talking with the
driver, that was driving her crazy. She became a
different person. So since then I needed to take
action. How I wished they'd pay me and I could
get out of that place. I was beg ginning to be
frightened and I was beg ginning to regret to come
to the Middle East. I needed money desperately,
so I guess I didn't have a choice. Since I never
had ambition to die in the Middle East, I was
thinking to escape. But I didn't know how. I had
nothing, not even my passport. But I decided not
to escape without my passport. So I just suffered
everything. I was so sad and thinking about the
people I left behind. I noticed they don't treat
me nice and I knew I'd never have a day off. Its
too late to regret... so I talked to my boss and
I asked him about my salary. They said my agency
already took it. I was sad and I cried what else
I was going to do? I had a family at home who
needed my help.
Then after 4 months
working without any salary I decided to escape. I
would be dead then I guess no luck!! The Indian
driver had an Egyptian friend. She worked in the
neighborhood and seemed nice and very quiet lady.
So we became really good friends after a month.
She said maybe I would like to go to Egypt, so
she gave me her address. I took it in my mind...
who knows, maybe one day I would need it. So my
Indian friend who has a Filipina wife introduced
me to another Egyptian who was about to go home
to Egypt. I was thinking about going with them no
matter what it takes. I was going to commit
suicide, I guess. But I felt great to go to Egypt.
My Indian friend let me borrow money. He said if
I have money okay pay him, if I don't its okay.
But before that I asked my man boss to give me
one day off. I begged him and he said okay, and
he allowed me to go out. The joy! I was so happy
about it. That day I went to my agency and begged
them to help me and they said there is nothing
they can help me with so I decided to contact my
Indian friends and ask them if I could go with
them to Egypt. They said I can escape, I didn't
have a choice. So when I came back to that big
house I was preparing myself. I decided to stay
more days to get my passport. One day the
blessing will come. My madam went shopping and
she forgot to bring my passport. I saw it in her
top drawer. I took it with no double thinking...
and after that I put the money in my waist with
the stocking wrapped in my hips. With the
passport and money I escaped.
I went
to my Egyptian friend's house. She was really
surprised, she thought I was kidding. So she told
me to hide and I did until dark. Before I left
from the big house I locked my room and put the
music on loud so that they'd think I was inside.
August 12, 1992 I escaped with my life in the
night. It was so scary but I was determined. In
the Middle East if you are a house maid they
treat you like a slave and they even think to
rape you. But not all... It happened to me. The
brother of my boss was visiting and he was trying
to rape me but I ran to my neighbor. I only came
home when my boss and their kids were home. I
didn't tell anyone. I knew they wouldn't believe
me. It was really a depressing year of my life.
One day the madam became a really bad woman. She
hit me for eating an expensive cookie. I was so
shocked. Well I just tasted it, I was hungry. I
only ate their leftovers. She kept hitting me. I
never fought her back, never... I don't know why,
I just wished I hadn't gone to that place.
In the night I was
ready to escape, no matter what... I was shaking
and I was praying too. I hoped these people who
were helping me wouldn't get into trouble. I had
300 dollars and my passport. August 13, 11 oc
'lock my Egyptian friend bought a ticket and that
cost only 20 dinar. I paid her half.
We didn't have any problem going to Egypt. They
didn't even look at my passport and I was blessed.
In Egypt it
was a really bad and good experience.
(MY PHOTO) Her family,
the family of my Egyptian friend, they
moved south and she only had a friend who
was poor too and had no place for me to
stay. She said I could sleep next to the
goat house with a camel and a donkey. I
did, I thought this was my life now. I
going to die here. But nope, I decided
after 1 1/2 weeks to go back to Kuwait.
Before I got back to Kuwait it took 1
week to drive with the Egyptian family.
It was very hot and I was hungry and
thirsty .
Kuwait... They dropped me in
Philippines town. I experience sleeping in the
swap meet market and in the catholic church there.
So i sat there with a very dirty looking clothes
and I was hungry. I saw a lot of Filipinos and I
began to ask them for help and money. One
Filipina woman named Susan was a real angel to me.
She took me to her apartment and she fed me. We
met August 22, 1992. She was nice and very caring
to me. She helped me and then she became my very
good and dearest friend forever.
- After a month
I started looking for a job. And this
time I had some luck. I was hired to work
in the Burgan Bank as a messenger.
I was so happy; I had my own apartment
and I had a driver too. I thought the
tragic part was over... but nope. The big
tragic was coming from the Philippines.
Someone passed away, the person I cared
so dearly.
So I kept
working and paying my debts and thinking
about having my own family one day. But I
was scared a bit, how would I find a man
in this place, a man who would really
care for and understand me.
Since I was in the Middle
East, I was thinking to go in
Saudi
Arabia for holiday. I know it may be
difficult, but now I'm interested to see
Saudi Arabia. I did go ride in the
tourist bus. I have no fear this time. I
have money and my papers are not illegal.
In Saudi Arabia it is worst! You
can't even look to a person eye to eye. I
was went there for fun and because I was curious to see what Saudi
looks like and now I know. So after a
week we went back to Kuwait. I work like
a horse again. After many months, I received a letter from my sister Elena.
She was inviting me to visit her in India.
I liked the idea. I was preparing for it.
I can't sleep thinking about meeting my
dear sister again. Finally the time comes.
On April 23,1994 I went to the
Indian Embassy. I took my Indian visa.
The Indian guy asked me too many
questions. Well I managed to answer them
all. My brother-In-law, Eric McGaw, was a
big help too. He sent a fax to them
letting them know that i am their visitor.
I was happy. I told my friends that I am
leaving in a week. I never told them what
date. I am sad, and also happy.
 
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