"A Lease of Love, a contract for 30 days, no feelings allowed." Episode 01

CHAPTER 1: Buckets and Dreams

I am Aiden Dela Vega, twenty-two years old, born and raised in Bataan. Whenever the rainy season hits our province, there is a running family joke that is as painful as it is true: there are more buckets scattered across our living room floor than there are people living inside. The rhythmic dripping from our leaky roof sounds like a never-ending symphony of poverty.

To keep our heads above water, my mother, Rosa, works herself to the bone as a Domestic Helper in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, my father, Noel, braves the harsh realities of being a construction worker here in the Philippines. My only weapon every single day is the burning dream to lift them out of this hardship.

At ten o'clock in the morning, while I was sipping coffee for breakfast, the gentle vibration of my phone suddenly woke the quiet kitchen. A message from Kiko Torres, my best friend, popped up on the screen.

"Bro, how are you? Do you want to work abroad? They are hiring here in Canada right now."

My heart instantly pounded hard against my chest. Could this be the chance? My fingers quickly flew across the keyboard.

"Sure bro, but I need to talk to my mom and dad first. I'll see if they'll give me permission."

After sending the text, I didn't waste any time. I immediately dialed my mother’s number in Hong Kong to ask for her blessing.

"Son, why did you call?" the familiar, exhausted, yet loving voice of my mother greeted me from the other end of the line.

"There's just something I want to let you know, Mom. Please tell Dad too," I began, feeling a bit nervous.

"Sure, what is it, son?"

"Kiko texted me earlier. He's asking if I want to go abroad... to Canada."

A momentary silence filled the other end of the line. I could feel the heavy weight of my mother's thoughts before she took a deep breath and answered. "Do you really want this? If that is your dream, then go ahead, son. Your father and I support you. Just be very careful out there and never forget to call us, okay? I love you, son."

"I love you too, Mom," I replied, fighting the lump forming in my throat. "I will work hard in Canada to fulfill my dreams. One day, the three of us will be together there. Take care of yourself always, you and Dad."

With my parents' blessing, it felt like my feet grew wings. I quickly processed my papers for Canada. Once I completed all the necessary documents, I immediately informed Kiko so he could prepare for my arrival.

The day of my departure finally came. Around two o'clock in the afternoon, I was already at the Manila airport. Carrying my luggage and an overflowing sense of hope, I faced the long queue for my boarding pass. Goodbye, Philippines.

[EDMONTON AIRPORT]

The moment I stepped off the plane at the Edmonton airport, it felt like a wall of ice slammed into me. The temperature was playing around -25°C—a kind of cold that my skin had never felt back in Bataan.

"Bro, welcome to Canada!" A cheerful voice broke through my daze. It was Kiko, heavily bundled up in a thick jacket, approaching me with a wide smile.

"Th-thanks, bro," I stuttered, smoke visibly dancing from my mouth as my entire body shivered uncontrollably.

"You're welcome, bro! Are you okay? Aren't you freezing too much? It's the peak of winter and snowfall right now, you know. Do you want to grab some coffee first? There's a Tim Hortons here. Come on."

"Sure, bro. Just to lessen this shaking. Wow, it really is freezing here! I thought I'd only encounter light snow, but winter here is intense."

After Kiko picked me up from the airport, we drove straight to the house where he was staying.

"Bro, there's a room here in the basement. You can leave your things there for now and get some rest. Goodnight!" Kiko said, pointing at the door of my new room.

"Thanks, bro. Goodnight."

I entered the room and quickly left a message for Mom and Dad to let them know I had landed safely in the promised land.

Early Morning in the Kitchen

The entire house was dark, with only the thin stream of light from the open refrigerator door breathing life into the kitchen. I sat on a wooden chair, a thick blanket wrapped around my shoulders as I stared at a steaming cup of hot coffee. I coughed softly, trying to find warmth in the dead of the night.

The adjacent door opened and Kiko walked out in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes, clearly half-awake.

"Bro? Aiden? Why are you still awake?" he asked in a sleepy voice, looking at me. "It's three o'clock in the morning. Do you still have jetlag?"

I smiled bitterly and slightly looked away from him. "Not anymore, bro. I just really can't sleep. I've been thinking."

Kiko walked over to the sink, grabbed a glass, and poured some water to drink. "Thinking about what? Is it about work tomorrow? Don't worry, like I told you, you'll get a job at the place we visited. Just have faith, bro."

"It's not just that, bro..." I liquefied a hollow laugh. "Earlier, before I went to bed, I called Dad in the Philippines. He said it rained again back home, and the rows of buckets are back in our living room because of the leaks. It made me remember Mom in Hong Kong, working herself to exhaustion all alone out there. And here I am now, sitting in a quiet, nice, and warm house in Canada, but... my heart just feels so heavy."

Kiko stopped drinking. He slowly set his glass down on the table and walked over to me. He gently patted my shoulder, a gesture of understanding that only a fellow migrant worker could truly comprehend.

"That's completely normal, bro. We all go through that. When I first arrived here, I secretly cried in the bathroom because of severe homesickness. People back home think it's easy once you're abroad—that just because you earn dollars, you have no problems. They don't know that the price of the dream is a daily battle with loneliness."

I looked up at him, and for the first time since landing in Edmonton, the expression on my face softened. "Thanks, bro. If you weren't here to catch me during my first few days, I honestly wouldn't know how I'd survive the minus twenty-five-degree cold of this place."

Kiko laughed softly and tightened his grip on my shoulder. "It's nothing, bro! What else are we Filipinos supposed to do abroad but help each other? Come on, finish up your coffee. We need to wake up early for your orientation at the coffee shop later."

I nodded and took another sip of my coffee. "Yeah, bro. I'll make sure I won't disappoint you. For Mom and Dad... and for our buckets in the Philippines. I will definitely get rid of those leaks one day."

"There you go! That's what I want to hear!" Kiko said with a broad smile. "Alright, I'm heading back to sleep. Go to bed too once you finish that, okay?"

"Sure, bro. Thanks again."

Kiko walked back to his room. I was left alone in the kitchen, staring out the window where a thick blanket of snow was slowly covering the outside world. As I finished the last drop of my coffee, the anxiety in my eyes slowly drifted away.

During my first week in Edmonton, I couldn't help but be amazed every single day. The scenery was beautiful, the surroundings were clean, and the traffic system was incredibly organized. It made me realize even more how massive the difference is between life in the Philippines and this new world.

After a week of resting and adjusting to the climate, I decided to start preparing to apply for a job, even at fast-food chains like McDonald's or local coffee shops just to get a headstart.

One night, Kiko and I came home exhausted after a whole day of walking around to drop off applications. As we sat on the living room floor sharing a bowl of hot instant noodles, we found ourselves talking again.

"Bro, have you noticed?" Kiko began, sipping his broth.

"Notice what, bro?"

"The beauty and orderliness of Canada compared to back home in the Philippines."

"Yeah, bro. It's so quiet here, and there aren't many neighborhood gossips or 'marites' hanging around outside the houses," I replied with a laugh.

But the serious tone in my voice gradually returned as I remembered my purpose. "By the way, bro, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Could you guide me and help me look for other jobs here? Something more long-term."

"Sure, no problem, bro! I've got your back while you're starting out. Anyway, finish that up so we can get some sleep. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, bro. Thanks a lot."

Before I finally closed my eyes under the thick blanket, I dialed Mom and Dad's number back in the Philippines once more. I wanted them to hear my voice, and I wanted to reassure them that I was doing well and sleeping safely here on the other side of the world.

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