The Sadness Collector by Merlina Bobis

The Sadness Collector is a short story written by Melinda Bobis; A successful Filipina author who had written her own fair share of Filipino literature; novels, poems and such. The story that takes a more melancholic tone as it progresses and Rica's relationship with her parents worsen. It pays attention to the relationship of the Filipino families or families in general while one of the parents work overseas and the effects it'd bring to the family whether it is negative or not. 

The Sadness Collector is about a six year old girl who goes by the name Rica who begins to grow up with issues due to the lack of a mother figure, since she lives with only her father because her mother works overseas; namely in Paris as a caregiver, yet illegally. Her mother would often send gifts and letters to Rica, it was her way of showing love while she's far away from her. And since her father didn't want Rica to pay much attention to her loneliness and the longing for her mother, he told her the story about a big lady who eats sadness from houses every night, and if she eats too much sadness she'll grow too big to the point of bursting- and the only way to prevent that is to be a good girl and not feel sad. Since then, Rica grows curious and would listen to the sounds from the kitchen at night, and expected for the lady to show up. Until that night came when she heard noises again, and caused her to worry that the big lady might have eaten too much sadness and would burst anytime soon, but only to find out that it wasn't the big lady at all, nor her aunties, but it's none other than her father in a drunken state. Yet, like the child she was, she believed and argued that it wasn't him, but the big lady- then, he began to reassure her and that she won't take her away from him. "She" seemingly referring to the mother.

Rica longs for motherly comfort and love. Since her mother left to work overseas at a young age, and then lived with her father. And it seems the reason why her father told her the story about the big lady was to keep her distracted from the problems their family is facing, not to keep her dwelled to the thought of the mother being far away. The father himself seem to spiral into a depression, as can be suspected from coming home drunk late every night- it could be the same thing for him; he longs for the mother, and their family to be complete even if they'd be suffering financial issues. It was known that the mother works illegally until near the end of the story and the hints throughout the letters- that the mother seemed to have her own family in Paris, and became "legal". 

Especially what the father had said to Rica;

" She can't take you away from me. Just because she's "legal" now. That whore- ! "

It is also hinted that the mother plans to take Rica with her to Paris, and her new family- especially when she received a letter along with a perfect Parisienne winter hat from her mother. It seems that Rica's family had took a turn for the worst.

The story revolves around Rica's lack of love and affection from her parents  and what it means and feels to have a family work overseas. How it could potentially break family relationships and sever it without communicating towards one another. Therefore, it teaches us a moral lesson especially to children for them to understand the reasons why some parents have to work overseas.

                                                                               Written by: Claire Althea A. Dela Victoria