Dubai Trip

Dubai Trip

Dubai Trip

People go abroad to make money. 

Some go abroad to have fun.

She wants to travel out too to make money

She tried going to Saudi Arabia

It did not click

Her neighbour works with a tourist company. 

She was offered an opportunity to go Dubai. 

The place is also full of milk and honey they say. 

Her neighbour processed the visa with a loan advanced to her. 

Their agreement is that she will pay in monthly instalment from the salary she will earn when working over there

She was connected to an agent

Who got her a job as a nanny.

She travelled shortly before the end of the year and resumed work immediately. 

She is to be in uniform always.

Her international passport was collected from her. 

She will not have any day off work. 

Her duty for each day starts as soon as the children she is tending to wakes up 

And ends when they sleep.

There were three of them. 

Her meal is the remnants from the family dinning table. 

When there is no remnant there is no meal for that feeding time. 

In just three days that she got there she regretted it. 

She was signed on a two year contract. 

She made up her mind to endure for a year and she will ask to leave. 

Along the way her employer increased her work load

She was made to do laundry and housekeeping together with the nanny work

Whenever she complain of body pains

She was told to take paracetamol for relief 

 

After four months 

She was taken to another family on sub contract. 

She was contracted into a new two years contract with the new family. 

She was not even informed of this arrangement. 

She heard from the children of the new family. 

She objected to this new arrangement. 

She asked to be returned home to Nigeria. 

That was when she started seeing the real colour of the agent. 

He called her ingrate and threaten her with all sorts. 

He started charging her bills

For services she was not aware of. 

He told her she may have to get over millions of naira to settle the bills before she leaves or she stay back to pay for it all.

The agent was always hurling insults at her any time she asks when she will leave for Nigeria.

He called her unprintable names. 

All because she asked to leave.

Every day since the drama of going home started she prayed.

She prayed like she had never done before. 

Meanwhile she was made to dress up in pudah. 

She was even persuaded into being a Muslim. 

She was taken to Mecca. 

The employer felt she should be grateful for all these. 

She was not. 

On the contrary she felt imprisoned. 

She just wanted to go back home. 

Every morning she pace the few tiles of her sleeping corner (she sleeps with another maid in the laundry room) 

Having a serious communication with her maker. 

She refused to see her coming back before two years as impossible. 

The Lord heard her prayers. 

In the middle of the night of the sixth month

She was called by the agent to get ready to leave for home, Nigeria. 

She didn't bathe. 

She packed her bag hurriedly.

The agent came in a cab to take her to the airport. 

Shortly before they got to the airport 

He got down and told her he won't reach the airport with her. 

She collected her passport from him

She didn't know why he will not get to the airport with her

Until she was detained at the airport. 

She was told her visa had expired by two days. 

Apparently, her agent cancelled the old contract 

With the intention of processing a new one 

Then the issue of going back came up. 

He deliberately delayed taking her back on due time

It is to punish her for spoiling his business 

The agent earns commission from her salary

 

The money she earned in the last month was given to her in cash. 

She used the money to settle the penalties. 

She arrived Nigeria looking rough. 

Her first son sent someone to pick her up from the airport.

She had no home to get back to

No job for source of income 

She had not even paid up the loan advanced to her to travel

Her son took up the remaining debt 

She stayed few days with friends and family alternatively 

She could not cope with the conditions of living with them

One of her aunties helped her get a job as a matron in a boarding school 

She took up the job and started afresh again

What she was seeking abroad

Is right in her pocket

If she had known 

She would not have wasted her time travelling abroad

Abike 2018