Antonia is back from Qatar

My daughter was hesitant to take Antonia back but I didn’t mind. She may be lacking in many things but I told Oyen at least when she was here she didn’t steal anything from us. None that we know of. And at least kilala na namin sya, mabait naman. So Oyen hired her back a week before I arrived from the US.

Antonia left for Qatar more than a year ago. She was recruited by her cousin who cleans houses in Qatar. Her employer went to the US to complete his Phd so Antonia and her cousin came back to the Philippines. The generous employer gave them sizable amounts each plus lots of expensive furniture, home decors which Antonia’s cousin sold to Filipinos in Qatar. They came home with lots of money. Antonia lent her money to farmers. Ang bayad sa kanya ay palay. Kaya lang binaha daw yung palayan. Nawala na yung pera. Her equally enterprising cousin opened a grocery store and bought a tricycle.

Antonia said she was so bored living in the province that’s why she decided to work again in Manila. She intends to go back to Qatar next year because her employer promised to employ her and her cousin again as soon as they’re back in Qatar.

A day after I arrived from the US, the first thing that Antonia told me was to ask for a P1,000 raise kasi daw in Qatar she receives 13,000 pesos a month and it goes up to 18,000 because she does her employer’s manicure, pedicure, facial, hair color and hair cut.

I didn’t say anything. I pretended to be bingi. Am I going to give her a raise? Of course, but not today. She just started work hello, one week pa lang sya, o magtu-two weeks pa lang ngayon. Siguro when she’s able to pronounce Tyler’s name correctly. Eto na naman si Teller.
“Tiller come her”.

Today I instructed her to put luyang dilaw (turmeric) powder in our rice. Ihalo sa sinaing.
Antonia—–“Oo mam, marami kaming tanim nyan sa prubinsya. Tumirik”.