I came here to Canada in 1984 as a nanny. I left my daughter in the Phillipines. I was going abroad to give my daughter a good education. Every month, I sent my sister ten thousand pesos to look after my daughter.
In 1986 I got my papers. I sponsored my daughter to come to Canada. But my sister didn’t want to give her to me. Immigration kept asking me where is my daughter RosaLea. And then immigration told me to go back there and fix my daughters papers. My sister keep holding her papers and do not take it to the embassy. I went to the Phillipines to get my daughter. I picked her up from school and bring her to my friends and the next day we went to the Canadian embassy. They asked me where I would hide her to send her the papers. I gave the address of my friend and then I fixed her passport and I go back to Canada. I bought her a one way ticket and asked the airline to have the flight attendants guide my daughter. When she came I enrolled her in grade 7. She finished high school and went to college.
In 1989, I met my husband in Villa Colombo, a dancing ballroom. He didn’t have his papers, so we got married quickly so he could stay with me in metro housing. When he got his papers in 2008, he removed his name from the lease. I kicked him out, because I don’t want to be a liar to the government.
Last year, I had to stop working, because my employer passed away. I had eye surgery, then knee surgery, now I have back pain. I am on disability. I live alone in metro housing. But, I still have a good relationship with my daughter. She has a good job now, a house, a husband and 2 kids. Jerron is 16 and Maya is 11. I say Lea, I don’t have water, and she drops me a box. I say I don’t have flax seed, and she brings me, toilet paper, whatever I need. She drives me to the hospital – anything I ask her, she says ok. Twice a month they stay with me, and I am happy because they love to stay with me.