Si Yulia, ang kanyang asawa, at ang kanilang munting anak na babae ay nakatira sa isang maliit at tahimik na nayon sa Ukraine. Gustong-gusto ni Yulia na ginigising siya tuwing umaga sa huni ng mga ibon. Hindi niya akalain na siya ay titira sa malayo sa kanilang bahay o hindi gigising sa huni ng mga ibon sa umaga.
Yulia, her husband, and their little daughter lived in a small, quiet village in Ukraine. Yulia loved being woken every morning by the sound of birds. She never thought she would live far away from home, or not be woken up by the sound of birds in the morning.
Ang kanyang asawa ay palaging nagrereklamo tungkol sa kawalan ng sapat na pera at siya ay nagsimulang uminom ng alak. Nagpasya silang subukan ang kanilang kapalaran sa Portugal. Baka doon sila kumita ng mas malaki para makapagpatayo ng bahay at magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan para sa kanilang pamilya.
Her husband was always complaining about not having enough money and he began drinking heavily. They decided to try their luck in Portugal. Maybe there they could earn more money to build a house and make a better future for their family.
Mabilis naka-adjust si Yulia sa kanyang bagong tahanan, at nagsimula siyang magtrabaho bilang isang tagalinis. Talagang pinahahalagahan ng kanyang mga kliyente ang kanyang sipag at ang magalang na pag-uugali. Sa kabilang banda, ang kanyang asawa ay lalong napapalayo. Dahil sa problema niya sa pag-inom, hindi siya pinagkatiwalaan ng mga amo at hindi siya binibigyan ng trabaho.
Yulia adapted well to her new home, and she started working as a cleaner. Her clients really appreciated her hard work and her polite attitude. Her husband, on the other hand, felt more and more left out. Because of his drinking problem, employers did not trust him and would not give him work.
Isang araw sinimulan niyang sigawan si Yulia. Pagkatapos, sinimulan niya itong itulak. Lalong lumala ang sigawan at pambubugbog lalo na kapag lasing siya. Natakot si Yulia para sa kanyang sarili at sa kanyang anak, ngunit hindi niya alam kung ano ang kanyang gagawin.
One day he started yelling at Yulia. Then, he started pushing her. The shouting and beatings got worse, especially when he was drunk. Yulia was afraid for herself and her daughter, but she had no idea what she could do.
Kinailangan ni Yulia na pumunta sa emergency room ng ospital na may baling braso, sinabi nila sa kanya na ang karahasan sa tahanan ay isang malaking problema sa Portugal. Sinabi rin nila na ito ay isang krimen at dapat niyang ireport ito sa pulisya.
When Yulia finally had to go to the emergency room in the hospital with a broken arm, they told her that domestic violence was a huge problem in Portugal. They also said that it was a crime and she should report it to the police.
Pagod na pagod na si Yulia at ayaw niyang lumaki ang kanyang maliit na anak sa isang tahanan kung saan araw-araw niyang nasaksihan ang karahasan. Natanto ni Yulia na ang mga palatandaan ng pang-aabuso ay naroroon na mula pa noong una, kahit na ito ay iba-iba ang anyo.
Yulia was exhausted and did not want her little daughter to grow up in a home where she witnessed violence every day. Yulia realised that the signs of abuse had been there all along, even if it took many different forms.
Pumunta si Yulia sa isang tahanan para sa mga kababaihan, kung saan siya ay mas ligtas kaysa sa kahit kailan. Hindi niya naramdaman ang ganitong kaligtasan mula noon siya ay ginising ng tunog ng mga ibon sa umaga.
Yulia went to a women’s shelter, where she felt safer than she had in a long time. She had not felt like that since she was woken up by the sound of birds in the morning.
