Paying My Last Respect

Sunday, July 19, 2009

It’s almost three weeks now since my last post in my blog. I was too tied up with work that I am too drained by the time I reach home, and even if I still have that last ounce of energy, work follows me home. Except tonight, I must post this memorable day of my journey as an OFW. Memorable not because I want to remember this day, but because it has enlightened me in someway about life as an OFW. Today, I paid my last respect to a great colleague.

This week is a tragic week for us as a company. We lost a colleague, our Deputy Construction Manager. He did most of the house chores the night before and putting his kids to bed. His eldest tried to wake him up to send her to school the following day, but he never woke up. He passed away.

Last Thursday when I was about to leave for work, Mamang, in the laundry, called me and told me that June died just today and Sir Manny went to his house to check on the family. I was shocked. I was just discussing with him about work the day before. When I reached our workplace, the carpark area was almost empty. When I reached my office, our tea boy asked me if I already knew what happened to June. Our quantity surveyor also came by my office and asked me. The news about June has reached everyone in the company.

Today, our Project Manager has shortened the working hours to 4:00pm for everyone to pay a last respect to June. They will offer June a simple rite at the hospital’s mortuary. Since this country is an Islamic country, they don’t have a proper place in a hospital like a small chapel for such a simple rite. June’s wife has requested the hospital for the simple rite. She also requested for her to bathe June and to dress him up for the rite.

We arrived at the mortuary about 4:30pm, my group was among the first to arrive. We offer condolence to the grieved family, especially to the wife. As we are waiting for the rest, I sat at the waiting area. I watched everyone who arrived and every time someone offers their condolence to the wife she cries on their shoulders. It is a very sad sight to see. I really feel the wife’s grief that every time she cries on someone else shoulder, I feel that I also wanted to cry. Frankly, I am holding back my tears because I cannot avoid to think the “what if’s” that crop up to my mind. As much as I wanted not to think about it, it just sticks to my mind.

Then June’s children arrived, they’re very young to be in such a situation. Nine, four and almost two, they are too young to understand what’s happening around them. And to think that they just joined their father here in Doha two and a half month ago. It is really devastating. Their only consolation was that they have lived with their father for the last two and a half month, before he left.

I already reached home, but still I am thinking about June’s family. I just wish that they can make it through the hard times ahead of them. Specially the wife who is left alone to raise three young children, fend and provide for them. I wish she’ll come to terms the soonest that June will no longer be around. I wish her all the strength to be the father and mother of her children.

Paying my last respect to June and witnessing the grief and suffering of his wife has someway enlightened my views on being an OFW. More often than not, OFW’s are out there making and earning as much as he/she can. That sometimes, family time is sacrificed if not forgotten. That sometimes, work is more important than quality time with the family. That sometimes we tend to forget, that once we die we can be replaced the next day or two in our work, but our family can never replace us and once they lost us, they will grieve for a very long time.

But for June, he chose to be with his family in the last moments of his life.

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