Q: Good morning. How old are you?
A: I’m 41 years old.
Q: Do you have children?
A: I have got two daughters.
Q: Who in your family has emigrated to Spain?
A: My husband.
Q: When did your husband emigrate?
A: The first time he emigrated he was in Spain for three years. Then he returned home and was in Portugal for a year. Then he emigrated again and this time, he has been in Spain for 4 years.
Q: How was your life before he left? Why did this gap of a year happen?
A: This happened when we bought our house. Interest rates went up a lot and, automatically, with our salaries, it was very difficult to comply with the bank. Either we lost our house or he had to emigrate.
Q: So, it all happened because of economic issues?
A: Yes. We bought the house at a reasonable time, but within a year, interest rates went up, the house mortgage increased and we couldn’t pay for all our expenses.
Q: Before his departure, did you live together?
A: Yes, we did.
Q: How often do you talk to each other?
A: We talk to each other every day.
Q: Do you remember the day of his departure?
A: Yes, I do. The situation was this: when he was called he was ill with fever and his mouth was all sore. When he came home to visit us, my first reaction was to ask him “where’s your tummy?” Because almost all drivers have a tummy due to sedentary lifestyle. I only said that to decompress.
Q: You understand that the sacrifice has to be made because of economic reasons. Are there other Portuguese workers where he is?
A: Yes, there are.
Q: Do you have family or relatives living near you?
A: No, I don’t. I can say that I don’t have any family. I have neighbors, friends. These friendships have come about in the walks I make. These walks are good for relaxing when the situation is more complicated.
Q: While your husband was away did you ever needed to go to the doctor, to the hospital?
A: There was only one situation when I got sick and had to go to the hospital. I knew he was awake and was talking to him on the phone. Suddenly I felt bad. He was desperate, because he thought I was having a stroke. He called my neighbor immediately to see what was going on. I have back problems and I was feeling my arm numb. But I did not want to go to the hospital at dawn. He was very worried. It was just this situation. Whoever is far away is even more worried.
Q: What about him. Has he ever gone to the hospital in Spain?
A: He suffers very much alone. I’m sure he must have suffered, or been ill, but since he does not want to worry us, he does not say anything.
Q: Do the people closest to you know that your husband has emigrated? What do they think of that?
A: They do not comment. They know that if people emigrate it’s because they really need to. People understand and give us their support.
Q: When you say that your husband emigrated for financial reasons, do you expect him to come back when this financial situation improves?
A: Yes, I do hope so. I wanted him to come back before retirement age. If that does not happen, he will return when he retires.
Q: How do you usually communicate with your husband?
A: Over the phone, by regular or WhatsApp call.
Q: What do you talk about?
A: We talk about our life in general and we talk about his work. When he is resting, during his trips, he calls me and I do the same. We often talk about our daughter, who is a bit rebellious. These are the priority subjects.
Q: Are there things that you only tell him when he is at home?
A: No, I do not wait until he comes home. Sometimes when it is a serious matter, I try to tell him only when he comes home, but if he senses that something is happening, he insists and I eventually tell him.
Q: How often does he visit you?
A: Every three weeks. He also comes for Christmas and New Year.
Q: Does he live alone or with someone?
A: He lives alone, in his truck. He cooks in the truck. He cooks in the truck or in a small stove that he puts outside and he also sleeps in the truck.
Q: He works in Spain because the company he works for is Spanish, right? Has He never had a permanent residence?
A: At first he had permanent residence in the house of a cousin, but it was only for bureaucratic and legal issues.
A: The only reason I am not there already is because he doesn’t want that.
Q: Do you know exactly what his job is?
A: Yes, I know almost everything about his timetables and tasks, but my daughter knows it better because she has already accompanied him.
Q: Does he have new friends there?
A: The friends he has are work colleagues, all Portuguese. At weekends they get together to have dinner, for example, and have some fun.
Q: Have you ever thought about going to live with him?
A: I’ve thought about it several times. Go to where he is or to a nearby place where we could be closer to each other.
Q: What about your daughter?
A: He doesn’t want to even think about this issue because he does not want to take his daughter out of the country. It is very revolting to me because it is difficult to be a mother and a father at the same time.
Q: You said you have two daughters. How old are they?
A: The oldest was with me until she was 19. Now she is independent, she already works and lives with a friend. The youngest is with me and she’s 13 years old. A difficult age.
Q: What are the advantages of having your husband abroad?
A: A stable economic life. We have our home.
Q: What are the disadvantages?
A: There are many disadvantages. I got used to it. This is not the life I want. This is not what I imagined. It is very hard.
Q: You look very emotional.
A: I get very emotional about it.
Q: Is there anything you would like to ask him to bring to you, something you long for?
A: I just wanted him to be here. But this is impossible.
Q: Thank you for your collaboration.