EXPERIENCE IN SAUDI ARABIA (Part 4)

EXPERIENCE IN SAUDI ARABIA (Part 4)

After the two unforgetable experiences during my first month
in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, I was challenged to work double time
to generate fast income. That year 1985 was the start of the so
called Saudization, where in the Expats who are finish contract
were no longer renewed, Instead the jobs of the Expats were given
to Saudi Nationals.

Many highly paid Filipinos were finish contract, and those who were
left were the low and the average income earner only. Inspite of my
double time on my job selling Real Estate in the Philippines to
Filipino Contract workers in Saudi Arabia, My income was still so
slow. I decide to do some sidelines, I started to sell practically
anything to all Filipinos that i met. Form Hopia to siopao,
Door to Door Cargo, Door to Door remittance.

In most of the big Hospitals in Jeddah, Where most of the nurses
can't get out from the Hospital to buy anything they need to buy
in the Market, they'll just oder it from me, and i make a little
income on it. Remember, we don't have the salary, We were on
commmision basis. I really felt the pressure on how to make both
ends meet.It was May of 1985 when we arrived in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia. After few months of working there, all of my companions
were going home for Christmas! All of us did not make as far as
income that we were expecting to earn. That's the reason i did not
go with them. I was left in our office and at the same time our
Villa. Few days before they left for Manila, I recieved a news
from one of my people in Manila saying that my wife has a
relationship to another man.

With the loneliness and boredom that everyone of us experienced in
Jeddah, I was a bit affected, My office mates were counseling me,
But i did not show them my negative reactions. After they left for
Manila, i was alone in the office and our villas. Our head for that
International operation hired a partime bookeeper/accountant, to
do the reporting and the remittance of all collections for Manila.
The accountant will report to the office after his duty from his
company, since it was just his second job.

After few months since my office mates left for Manila, I recieved
another news from the same person from Manila. This person is very
close friend of mine. This time the news was really bad! My wife was
three months pregnant! It prompted me to call Manila and i was able
to talked to my wife. It was positive that she is pregnant! When she
told me about it, there was a sudden change of feelings deep inside,
I trembled while talking to her, I could not understand my feelings,
I don't know what to say, It was a mixed emotion! I don't even know
if i was angry? All i ask from her was who will take care of the
kids? And she told me to go home because she will endorse the three
boys to me. The youngest during that time was less than one year old,
the second was two years old and the eldest was five years old. I
agree, but i can't go home immediately because i don't yet have the
money.


This was the start of my being mentally and emotionally tortured.
There were so many sleepless nights, Where i made nights into days
and days into nights. I was counting minutes into hours, hours
into days, days into months and months into years. There were
moments that i have to ask the almighty, What have i done wrong?
But since i'm alone, i have to answer my own question, I have to
move on! I continued on my daily routine, However, this time i
don't have the direction driving my car. I felt floating on the
air! This lasted for more than a month. On the second month i
started talking to my self, convincing myself to put focus and
redirect myself.

I was back on my foot on the second month and double time on
my sidelines. I happen to drop by a Korean store selling golden
necklace with a cute pendants, So bought one and i offer this
to Filipinos for installment basis for two gives. I bought it
at SR. 75.00 (Saudi Riyal) and sold it at Sr. 175.00. I sold
twenty pcs. in two weeks, and i made some income. After i completed
the collection of the balance, I schedule myself to go back to Manila.
I told my friends with regards to my vacation because it's a new
Filipino culture there in Saudi that who ever go home for a vacation
many of their friends will send even letters to their families.
During those year no body knows about internet. Mails would usually
take a month before it can reach to the destination.

The days before my flight, i got an early visitor in the office
looking for me, I thought they will send letters for their families,
They were four of them returning back the necklace to me because
it was a fake gold. Since they know that i'm going Home for Manila,
they even threaten me if i'll not give back the money, they will go
to the airport and advice the Immigration for a hold order. I did not
know that it was a fake gold since the korean guy told me it was pure
gold. And besides we were in a country which has a lot of gold. If you
will go to the gold Market, you will find plenty of golds. You can
even build a building of gold! Without hesitation i gave back their
money. These four guy knew that i'm going home but they don't know
the exact date of my flight. It was only me who knows the exact date
of my flight. There were more friends of these four guys who bought
from me. They told me that the following day, they'll be back with
their three friends. So i just told the four guys to bring the necklace
so i can give back their money. I told them also that i'll return it
to the Korean store were i bought the necklace.

My flight was 9:00am the following day, so i should be at the
airport at 6:00am. When i was about to get my boarding pass, i
saw the six guys were there at the airport. They drove for their
friend to the airport who is bound for Manila. I pretend to be
relaxed, and i approached them and ask for the necklace so i can
give back the money to them. Since they did not brought the necklace
with them, we just agree that i'll give the money to their family
once they can send the necklace to Manila. It's easy for them to send
the necklace to Manila since almost every other day they have friends
going Home for Manila whose contract were finish. I was a little
bit nervous while talking to them at the airport because they can
cause a delayed on my flight if they want to do it. I felt so
guilty to the people whom i sold the necklace who didn't know that
it was a fake gold. Had i still have the time to return back their
money and get back the necklace, I'll do it. I'm really sorry for
the other customers.

My exit was normal, and when i arrived Manila, i was fetched by my
President and some office mates together with my wife. Since my
President knows our problem, He immediately offer a room for me in
his house. We proceed to my President's house and i gave chocolates
to everyone including my wife and for the kids.

After few minutes of talking to my office mates and my Boss,
since they know our problem, they give as time to talk privately,
then we agree on the date, time and place for her to endorse the
kids to me. Few Minutes later everybody went home already.

More Excitements and thrills on my next chapter!

1. What was the reaction of the kids, they did not saw me for
more than a year?
2. Where did i brought them, i don't have the house?
3. How did i manage, my kids and my career? I was a top
producer in our company?
4. What happen to my career and my kids when i started
managing them three?

See you on the next chapter, (part 5)

Thanks for your time,

Peter E. Cadorna
Author