My phone rang with bad news.....

Yesterday, my phone rang and I answer:

A young man   : Are you Dj Nana?

Me                   : Yes, I am. What’s up?

A young man   :  Do you happen to remember one of your callers named Pros Leak? His number was 098............

Me                   : Sorry, I have too many callers to remember who is who, but what about him? and who are you?

A young man   : I am his relative who has just attended his funeral a few days ago. He has hanged himself and now he is dead. I am calling you and wish to know if he has told you about his intention to commit suicide?

Me                   : Sorry, I still don’t know which caller was he. What was his problem? Usually I don’t remember the person but I do remember their issues.

A young man   : He was the one whom his parents force him to go to work in Korea.

Me                   : Oh...

By then I recalled his issue...

Pros Leak is 19 years old and he is studying in grade 12. Pros Leak is the youngest son in his family which living standard was not that good. His parents asked him to quite his study and go to work as worker in Korea as the neighboring houses did. His parents believe that working in Korea would earn much more income for the family. Pros Leak was in dilemma between continuing his study which he really really wants and fulfilling his parent’s request. He called in my show about a month ago to ask for my opinion if he should go to Korea as his parents wish?

I didn’t give him a Yes or No answer, but asking him back about his future plan and health condition. Pros leak said that he wish to be an IT engineer. He knew that he wouldn’t have enough money to study IT in university but he will tried to do best in high school hoping to get scholarship when he enter university. As a youngest son in the family plus having a thin body, he never really works physically hard before. Nevertheless, he doesn’t want to upset his parents.    

I have an uncle who used to work for 3 years in Korea before so I knew how hard the work there could be, physically. So I told him that going there would be a risk for his health. I have suggested that he ask his parents to stay but he would find part time job to support family while studying. Yet, if at the end, he has to go anyway, I have a close friend who is studying there and there are some Khmer NGO workers who would be willing to give any support possible.

Pros Leak said thank and he would talk with his parents again. The second time he called in, he said he hasn’t talk with his parents yet but he will. For this time he called in, he asked if IT a good subject? Will there be job market available for this subject? I said yes if you are really good at it. The certificate alone cannot offer any job, but the real knowledge.

After that night he called in for the second time, I never had any more update about him till his relative called yesterday that he has committed suicide. I was so sad hearing this and started to felt very angry with his parents. I suddenly recalled my other fans’ issues. There have been so many callers who wanted something so bad but rejected by the parents or hated something so bad but forced to accept by the parents. The parents always have one excellent reason “I am your parents” which I mean I know what is right for you.

I’m sorry parents but this is a stupid reason. Another caller of mine was in grade 11 when her parents forced her to marry a man who is rich. She got married for 5 months now but she felt nothing better than living in hall, she said. The doctor said that she is now having some kind of woman sickness and should not be having sex. The husband who she was forced to married to ignore her health condition and keep having sex with her. She told this to her parents but her parents didn’t believe her. Her parents said that you are making excuse to try to divorce. Please don’t divorce my daughter. If you divorce, it will be bad for our family reputation, her parents said. Damm it! I said.