Unrequited Love

A mother's role is undefinable. Once she wakes up in the morning, her task starts to serve the family. What happens if a husband is very demanding to his wife like Berting, a schoolteacher by profession who is said to be the breadwinner but relies to her wife Salome who is also a teacher is running the affairs of the household. But his behaviour is not clear if he is taking advantage of a woman who is considered to be the weaker sex. For instance he has promised to give the whole amount of his check, to Salome but half of it was already cut. Since Salome has the capability to do the finances and look after all the household chores instructing her household helper what to do Berting seems to ignore what task he is responsible to do. Take for example when the house where they live now is under construction Salome was the one who look for a contractor to do the job buying all the materials from the hardware store whatever is on the list, what sizes are the nails, boards and how many posts are needed, the best brand of cement to be use. Salome has to look for second hand galvanized iron for the roofing and a thicker Plywood for the walls. So the house is made of half light materials and half concrete to incur lesser expenses. Since they do not teach at the same school Salome has to do the most part of what is to be done during the day before and after school like cooking . The laundry is done on weekends. They have two children going to school and Salome pays a tricycle driver to bring them to school. Berting has to pay his own fare and this is one thing he doesn't ask for money anymore from Salome. What is strange is that Berting doesn't ask how much is their monthly expenses and Salome thought, he might be thinking that everything is fine. Until one day Salome has to ask money from Berting to pay the tuiton fee of their two children paying higher fees as they study in a private school, public school is free. Here Salome begins to wonder why Berting seems to ignore his obligations toward his family. Although there are times of his late night escapades with his friends Salome considered the family background of Berting to be at a lower level than her, once mentioned by Berting when a brother came to ask for money telling that their brother has been brought to the hospital. Salome expects Berting to refuse but he instructed his brother to get the money from her. This is not the first time Berting did this it was Salome who paid his commitments. If he confronts Beerting about his obligations he insist that he is giving enough money to Salome then he adds "I know you are better off and I'm poor," Salome is a quiet and reserved woman that he could not voice out but do all what she can to meet their family's obligation. Yes, it seems everything is fine but Berting has been used to how he treats his wife. Did he remember her on her birthday? No. Did he remember her on Mother's Day? No. Berting is insensitive even to the needs of his children. It seems he has no feeling at all to prepare for family celebrations. He will commit and then you will be disappointed when the time comes, he denies his commitment. Why is there a human being like him? His attitude to his family is unimaginable. Here is a wife who gives all her time and energy and yet he doesn't give a damn of doing something for the family. Aside from being irresponsible he is an inveterate liar. This happened when Salome learned from the storekeeper that he has a list of unpaid lottery tickets he didn't pay at the store. Now Salome knows where his money is going. Buying lottery tickets is not for Salome. When he confronted him he denied that he is buying tickets while the storekeeper has told her and here Salome cannot push her side to require Berting to stop gambling. unequivocal as she is Berting will let her run around the bush and ,,escape to free himself and win the game. Poor Salome! Now you may call her a battered wife can you tell her to ask for professional help? In this region of Asia women are prone to submit to their husbands in particular Salome is way above the norm man are not allowed to have more than one wife so that would justify, yes justify if you may, that they were raise as Christians.This is the time her two children started to ask questions to Salome what their father is doing. Salome explains to them about the situation and they put themselves together to keep on so there is now an alienation of Berting with his children and Salome. When they reach their college courses Martin and Genie their children could hardly both go to college at the same time. Berting added more vices to push Salome harder and harder financially. She strive harder and harder doing her part to answer all the essential needs and the scarcity of food is felt until it only consisted much of rice and fish. When there was an opening to be a part time real estate agent she formed a group of her co-teachers and they were able to get some lots as their commissions and selling more this is where Salome used, to augment her income. The more Berting went deep down to his drinking and cigarette smoking and started to get sick. Life is not getting better for the family and Salome decided to leave to find a greener pasture in a foreign land. Much to her desperation and frustration she is not able to land a teaching job, to the contrary the only available skilled jobs are in the manufacturing sector. Can you imagine the loneliness and harsh reality to accept what is on her hands leaving her children to an irresponsible husband and news has reach her that Martin almost left and her parents tried to fix the problem. Salome has decided to go back home thinking of her children in a dangerous situation ghen she changed her mind,she may not get her former job. She has to stay and continue working at the factory while Berting change his ways and look after his children so that Salome can do her job very well. Soon Martin finished his studies and landed a job with a foreign national company and Genie practising her nursing career Genie decided to go back home. Salome felt the warm welcome of her children but Berting was the same,steel hearted and stoic man he ever met. There was no sign of gratitude and appreciation of all the hardships and sacrifices she went through, the only thing she was thankful for are her children to reach their dreams.