I don't know what's with me. It's either I'm a magnet of sob stories of our kababayans or there's just too many sorry stories around that you don't need to look for it, they'll just come and surprise you. I realized this during my travel to Bahrain today.

I just arrived from Bahrain. I've no photos for my travel, but I've lots of stories to tell. Sorry, sob stories to tell.

On my flight to Bahrain, I met one kabayan who came to Saudi Arabia to work only to be denied entry at the Saudi Immigration in Riyadh. Reason: he had a fight with a fellow kabayan last year who lodged a case against him with the police authorities. He said, it's all been sorted out before he departed Saudi, but I guess by 'sorted out', he meant he patched things up with the other kabayan. Sadly thought, his police records remained. I sat with him at the airport lounge: I, waiting for my flight to Bahrain; him, waiting for his connecting flight to Manila.

'Paano na ang mga utang ko?', he asked. I told him he shouldn't lose hope. Whatever happened to him, happened for a reason. For all you know, I said, it could be the way to find that 'dream job' you've been looking for. For all you know, I added, maybe your luck is not abroad; it's in the Philippines.


The next day, on my return flight to Kuwait, I met three other kabayans with another sad stories. One kabayan, whose face lights up whenever you talk to her, just lost her brother to a 'kulam'. She said maybe her brother's death is an awakening for her to finally go home. She narrated that she worked as a maid -- not just for one Kuwaiti family -- but for what seemed to be the entire clan! She slaved for the mother of her 'amo', for her amo's sisters and their families, etc, etc.

'Madalas, madaling araw na ako natutulog, pero ni isang kusing maliban sa maliit kong sahod, hindi nila ako binibigyan kahit tatlong pamilya ang pinagtatrabahuan ko,' she said.

Of her lengthy sob stories, what touched me the most is how she narrated how she sits at the back of the family van -- where you normally put your luggages. And whenever they're on a trip and the family orders McDonalds, they would never order for her. She ends up smelling the fries, but never tasting it!

I kidded her and said: Bakit hindi mo sila ipakulam lahat? She retorted: Baka magalit ang nasa itaas (God). I admired her more for that.

The other two kabayans are 'takas'. They thought their 'amo' would process their transfer of sponsorship, only to find out that they are already at the police station being processed for repatriation back to the Philippines. In fact, when I met them, they look like they're just running errands -- on slippers, on shirts and jogging pants. A kind kabayan at the airport gave them new clothes to wear. Another one bought them sandwiches to eat.

We, the passengers of that Bahrain/Kuwait/Manila flight, chipped in cash to give to the three kabayans. Too bad I can only give them that, and I guess prayers that wherever they are now -- maybe just boarding their Kuwait/Manila flight at 11pm -- and wherever fates lead them, may they stay strong and resilient. And may good things finally happen to them in the Philippines so they won't have a need to search their future abroad.