The reason to emigrate -The Ink well Creative Nonfiction Prompt #24.

Efrain Maican, my cousin, suggested me to write his story, especially the reason why he had to look for new horizons that would allow him to improve his living conditions with his family. He is married to Lourdes, from this union two sons were born: David and Alejandro, currently one of 30 years old, married and with two daughters, his wife Jogrelis, and the other 26 years old, divorced and without children. This family group lived in Cumaná-Venezuela. When Efrain was newly married, he worked at Toyota, an automobile assembly company, but a spinal ailment after 15 years of service caused him to leave that job. Lourdes worked as a home hairdresser. Her husband, when he was recovering from his illness, would go to the Municipal Market of this city to sell coffee in a thermos with bread spread with butter, which served as breakfast for many people; with the money he obtained from that sale, he would buy provisions to take home and complete the daily diet. In addition, he bought sugar, salt, coffee powder and rice in bulk, and divided them into transparent plastic bags and sold them in a small store he had in his house. He also made wrought iron furniture and sold it with his wife, which supported his family.

In Venezuela, inflation skyrocketed, basic necessities and medicines increased excessively every day, the dollar increased daily, and the bolivar was devalued. As the months went by, the economic situation worsened.

Efrain consulted with his wife to sell the car, she got upset, very angry, she shouted:

"You are going to sell the car too, we are going to be left with nothing!".

He very distressed, with trembling hands, held her hands. And he said to her:

"My life I have to do it, I no longer have the resources to stock the bodega, nor do we have enough money to eat!".

By that time his children were of age, they participated in a Hive page, with the money they received Alejandro was saving it, and with those resources he decided to emigrate to Colombia.

After a short time he left for Colombia, and when he arrived, he rented the annex of a house and started working in the recycling company.

At that time David married Jogrelis and a few months later she gave birth to a daughter. He worked as a clerk in a grocery store. His monthly income was not enough to support his daughter and his wife, who was pregnant again. One day, very worried, he spoke to his wife:

"My love, I tell you that the situation in our country is chaotic, Alejandro will send me money to go to Colombia".

She hugs him and whispers in his ear:

"I love you, don't go" He replies:

"It is a sacrifice I have to make, I love you, but if I stay we will all three perish" Leaving his wife no choice, he replies:

As soon as you get fixed there you send me money, to go with the child, and give birth there. To be together again.

"Of course, my life, that's how it will be."

Her brother transferred the money to pay the expenses of the trip. The next day she left for Colombia. When she arrived, she stayed in the annex with her brother and immediately started working in the same company where Alejandro worked. After six months he saved and sent money to his wife. She traveled with her baby girl to live with David and a few months later gave birth to another baby girl in a hospital in Colombia.

Meanwhile, Efrain and his wife, in the privacy of their bedroom, mourned the departure of their children.

Lourdes said to her husband.

"I can't stand having to live without my children. We have to find a way to go where they are," he replied:

"We don't have the money to go." Lourdes suggests:

"I propose that you sell all your wrought iron welding tools."

He listened to her and, with the greatest pain in his heart, sold the tools and other household goods. A few days later, his sons sent him money to complete his passage.

One night before leaving, the two of them sat down to reminisce about the time they were married while building their house, they remembered when their children as children played in the hallway of the house. HE said to her:

"How much it hurts me to have to leave my home, my homeland, the rest of my family and my friends" His wife, very sad, replied:

"I also feel the same, but it is necessary to emigrate to another Country to change this rhythm of life and to look for the welfare for our family group".

The next day they left their beloved country "Venezuela".

After a long trip they arrived at their destination, her children went to receive her.

They lived with them in the city of Bogota, in a housing development with expensive rents and services. Soon after, they decided to move in the same city, to a building of lower social class. The expenses were shared between the two couples.

Jogreliz works in a supermarket as a cashier and her brother-in-law Alejandro packs fruit in the same place. The girls go to preschool. Efrain's wife works in a hair salon near the building where they live.

Efrain, when he first arrived in the city, worked as a bricklayer. Then he decided to set up a workshop near the pedestrian zone on the main avenue to repair bicycles together with his son David, who repaired motorcycles. They worked there for two years. Three years ago in a small workshop on the second floor of the building where they live. They renovated it and now he has his workshop. In a small space he repairs bicycles, attached to this space in another small space David repairs motorcycles. Currently each one of them earns quite a high amount of Pesos per day, which allows them to live better together with their family group, besides it is enough for them to save, live comfortably and send money to some of their relatives.