I Am Negombo

The Migrant Worker

Lejmal Hussein

Lejmal Hussein reflects on vicissitudes of working as a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia for nineteen years, away from his family.

Interview language: English
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Transcript and translations

Language

English

Subjects discussed

Every two years I come here and go back

Nineteen years. One place. Only one place. Every two years I come here and go back. I stay only one or two months here, then go back.

When I go to Saudi Arabia, I got only two children. So they were very little, small. Then I come back from there. When I come every two years, second child, he doesn’t come to me (laughs). You know? So I have to practise for two, three days. The only he comes to me. I felt very sad. I missed my family at that time, you know?

I write letters every week. Every…go every month… I write. Always, I talk when I get the chance, I speak. You know in the Saudi Arabia,  there are… that walking phone (laughs) you know that means? When you want to talk…talk to Sri Lanka, there are some people, they have phone. They say, 5 rupees, 5 riyal for one  hour like that.

Then he brings the phone on Sunday only. So that Sunday we talk. One hour we can talk like that.

At that time, that telephone operator, he called me. He said, “Come here, there’s a message for you. You come…you have to come”.

I asked, “What? What happened? What happened?” I asked. He said, “You don’t get excited. Your father has passed away”. He said. I was at the room and I was crying like that. (Laughs). When die, one person, you have to bury him before twenty four hours. Within twenty four hours, you have to bury it. This is the system.

I asked to my manager. He said, “No, now you cannot go. Because very difficult to go now. We have to arrange ticket, and everywhere, everything. It will take time, so you can’t see your father. When you go there, everything will be finished. So no point of going”. I couldn’t come. I felt very…you know…very sad. So I helpless.

After that, after some years, again another message. My mother passed away.

Yeah, happy.  And when I went there, I happy. Sad thing is only these two. I lost my parents and I couldn’t participate in the funeral.

About this portrait

Photographer: Kannan Arunasalam
Interviewer : Kannan Arunasalam
Assistant: Shashika Bandara
Translator : Shashika Bandara
Recorded: September 8, 2013
First published: August 2, 2023
Last edited: November 7, 2023

Comments

  1. Helga Perera
    September 9, 2013 at 10:47 am
    More great important gems unearthed. Thank you so much for sharing all with us. Magnificent work, Kannan.
  2. Cham
    January 14, 2015 at 02:50 pm
    This is beautiful

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