Creative Work #2

Dressed in rags and the simplest of means, a widow, poor and jobless, sits on the curb of the road- homeless and broke. Her husband left her alone on the streets, two weeks ago, telling her he will be right back, never telling her that he is seeing another woman. With no education, she is sitting patiently, questioning her life and slowly wallowing in her sorrow. She asked for work in the stores nearby, each declining her based on her appearance and disheveled apparel. But what can she do except wait for something good to happen.

Just days ago, she was not well off by any means but at least she had the basics: food, shelter, clothing and enough money for a day-to-day basis. In the blink of an eye, her husband left her for another woman. Her parents have passed and she has no one to turn to for all her relatives are from out of the country. The deep furrows on her face and the growing wrinkles indicate the disparity and loneliness she feels at this time all alone in a strange new place. Her dirty hands, covered by the germs and debris of the city streets and unsanitary and fifthly clothes are just minor to the distraught she feels inside. She wonders: Is it that hard to find love? To this day, she has never experienced the same love she once had with the man that was once hers.

Her two boys, each like her, yearn for a father figure in their lives. The family came here so the boys could get a better education. Each and every day, they ask their mother in the most innocent way: Where is papa? And everyday, she cannot bear to tell the truth but faintly with a fake smile, claims he “went on a business trip.” Weeks past and after hearing the same response over and over again, they conclude that their father is not coming back for them. Dressed in what was once a nice cotton cardigan given by their dad, for that was all they could afford at the time, is now garbage and filth. To this day, they have never forgiven their dad for the injustice he has done to his family. They too need the love of a father figurehead.

Not able to bear the pain anymore, the boys hide their faces behind their mom’s back, ashamed of their social standing and current lifestyle. These boys-smart boys- have the potential to be the smart and upper class citizens. Their intellect and perception of things are much higher than those of children in their old neighborhood. However, all they can do is sit and watch the other children go to school.

Without ever giving the hint of leaving, the father has left the family in shambles with no records or traces. He has left the family hopeless, without food, without shelter, and has ruined the future for his two precious little boys. All this happened so quickly and secretly without even a hint of a goodbye, just for the sake of another woman. But it was not just any woman. It was his wife’s sister. Without ever knowing, the widow could only sit on the street, yearning for help and love from another man. All she could do now is just sit and pray…this sadly is how many immigrant widows feel when they are left all alone in the country we call home.