First Remittance -
Three months passed in a flash. The Aiden whose voice used to tremble every time a customer spoke to him was slowly disappearing. I had learned the rhythm of the morning rush at the coffee shop. I already knew how to press the screen with my eyes closed, I could tell the difference between a loonie and a toonie coin without hesitation, and above all, I was no longer afraid when Canadians spoke quickly. If I didn't understand, I had learned to respond with confidence, "Could you please repeat that for me?" accompanied by a wide smile.
"You've improved so much, Aiden. I'm really proud of you," Sarah smiled one Friday morning as she handed me a small white envelope. This was my paystub for the past two weeks of work.
"Thank you, Sarah. I learned from the best," I replied with a joke. Sarah laughed and patted my shoulder before returning to her office.
When I stepped into the breakroom for my lunch break, I quickly opened the envelope. When I saw the number written on the check, my heart nearly stopped beating. After deductions, my net earnings for the two weeks came out to over one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,000 CAD). The remaining five hundred would be saved for my share of the rent at Kiko's house and for my food.
"Wow, that's a hefty amount, kuya. Your family back home is definitely going to be happy. Is it for house supplies or for a celebration?" Grace asked as she rapidly typed on the computer.
"To buy cement and new corrugated iron sheets," I answered directly with a mix of pride. "I want to replace our old roof so they won't have to lay out buckets every time it rains."
Grace stopped typing and stared at me. Her expression softened, and she smiled with deep admiration. "You're such a dutiful son, kuya. You're a godsend to them. Here are your receipt and the reference number. They can claim it at Cebuana or Palawan right now."
"Thank you, ma'am," I said before taking the paper.
As soon as we stepped out of the remittance center, I didn't waste any time. I immediately called Tatay through a video call. After ringing three times, Tatay's face appeared, looking a bit dim because he was inside the house, and as expected, I heard the faint patter of raindrops hitting the roof. It was rainy season in the Philippines again.
"Oh, Aiden, son! You called? I just finished fixing the buckets here in the living room, the rain is getting heavier," Tatay greeted while wiping his forehead.
"Tay, I have good news," I said, trying to hold back my emotion while my voice trembled with joy. "I sent some money over to you. The reference number is already sent to your messenger. Pick it up first thing tomorrow morning."
"Oh, thank you, son! How much is this? This'll cover our rice and food for the next few weeks."
"That's forty thousand pesos, Tay," I said straight to the point.
The other line went silent. I saw on the screen how Tatay's eyes widened. Shock and disbelief slowly took over his face. "F-forty thousand, son?! Are you sure? Did you make a mistake with the remittance? That's a lot of money!"
"Yes, Tay. That's my first full paycheck," I laughed as a tear fell down my cheek. "Don't set that aside for food. What I want you to do is call Tito Jun the carpenter. Buy the best quality roofing sheets and cement. Start repairing the living room and bedroom roof. I don't want... I don't want to see a single bucket in our living room the next time I call. I want you to sleep soundly even if there's a storm."
I watched as Tatay slowly covered his face with his hands. A tough, rugged construction worker whom I had never seen cry in my entire life suddenly broke down sobbing on the mobile screen. He leaned against the wall, overwhelmed with emotion. "Thank you, son... thank you so much. This is such a huge help. I never thought that at my age, I'd experience not being afraid of the rain anymore... Thank you, Aiden."
"You're welcome, Tay. That's for you and Nanay. Send me pictures when you start working on the roof, okay? I love you, Tay."
"I love you too, son. Take care of yourself over there," Tatay said before cutting the call to collect himself.
When the call ended, I felt an intense lightness in my chest. All the hardships of the first day, the customers' shouting, and the cold of Edmonton suddenly felt like trivial things compared to the tears of joy from my father. The course of our lives had changed.
"Alright, since you're done making your dad cry, let's go eat! I'm starving," Kiko joked, throwing an arm around my shoulder as we walked toward the mall's food court.
As we looked for an empty table in the crowded food court carrying our food, a woman walking briskly and dismissively didn't notice me because she was frowning while reading something on her phone.
BOGSH!
The tray of food I was holding spilled slightly, and I nearly stumbled if Kiko hadn't caught me. The cup of juice the woman was holding splashed and splattered right onto the floor near my shoes.
"Watch where you're going!" the woman snapped without hesitation, looking extremely annoyed as she roughly dusted herself off. When she raised her sight and noticed that the clothes and bag badge I wore came from the Philippines, she rolled her eyes even harder. "Oh, my god. You're already blocking the way, yet you're still the clumsy one."
I froze at her outburst. There was no trace of politeness or a soft expression—only sourness and haste were etched on her face.
"Miss, he was the one you bumped into, what gives you the right to have an attitude?" Kiko immediately defended, shaking his head at the woman's behavior.
"Whatever. I'm late for my class at MacEwan University and I don't have time to argue with neophytes here," Chloe said, rolling her eyes again before turning her back on us abruptly and walking away fast amid the crowd.
I was left standing there scowling at Kiko, who just rubbed the back of his neck in disbelief.
"Jeez, what an early way to ruin someone's day. Who was that?" Kiko asked as we arranged the food we brought.
"I don't know. Her name is probably 'Pain in the Neck'," I replied as I sat down to eat. Even though the mood was slightly ruined by that incident, peace still prevailed in my mind. There are people who just pass by to mess up your day, but for someone like me from Bataan carrying a new hope for his family, a grumpy stranger couldn't possibly ruin such a wonderful day.
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