Sad Reality of Black Gold!!!

I woke up this morning, after a long and blissful deep slumber of around 14hours. I never imagined that such a beautiful morning would take me back to that one fateful memory buried deep in my subconscious, which I hoped and prayed would never resurface.

Let’s look at the fateful day 16 years ago…

Dad had been home for around two months and the young girl would always enjoy it as that meant he was spending much more time with the family. He would leave around 1pm and be back by around 6pm. This was much better than him commuting every weekend Delhi- Mumbai. Little did she realize the truth of the situation the family was in middle of. A blissfully unaware 10year whose day started with school, homework and playing with friends, she wasn’t aware of the little storm brewing in her house.

One day while playing one of her friends (maybe her family had provoked her too ask, maybe the inquisitive aunties had…who knows???) asked her:

“Why doesn’t your dad go to work in the morning”?

“Why does he always sit at home, these days”?

“Is he a “House-Husband”?”

Since the girl could never control her anger when someone spoke against her parents she got really angry….thrashed her friend and came back home crying. As her parents tried to find out what was wrong, in what sounded like a heartbroken child’s murmurs to a wail….she had questions, innocent as they seemed but valid enough for her to know.

That night her parents sat her down and explained to her the grim reality the family was facing. Dad wasn’t back because, daddy didn’t wish to commute anymore. Daddy was back because Daddy wasn’t needed at work anymore. Oil has sunk to $9 per barrel, drilling was stopped. Some XYZ top boss sitting in a plush office in Den Hague had decided that what Daddy was working on wasn’t feasible for a big giant to pursue and more money shouldn’t be pumped into a venture which isn’t going to make money. They had nearly sold off the asset to a new player on the block and left for the wide west…Gulf of Mexico!!! Well so yes a “Jobless Dad” was what his status was, society doesn’t see what you have sitting in your banks they care more about what time you leave and what time you get back.

Have you ever seen grown men cry? Have you ever seen your Superman become so weak and frail that you start thinking that he isn’t who he is meant to be. As a child I never understood fully what that phase was but come April 2000, I was very happy Daddy was moving to a new city and this time we were moving too…

I had decided long back that Black Gold was my passion, I wanted to join and experience this drug of ecstasy which like any other intoxicant is extremely addictive. I guess when I went through such an experience in 2015, I had a daddy to support me when I fell hard on the floor. No Complaints as it was better me than someone else.

So now,

Coming back to the story, you must be wondering why this traumatic memory resurfaced. This morning, I saw the same superman get weak and frail again. My heart sank and started thinking every possible thing which could have gone wrong. Has it happened again, NO was the immediate answer which came to my mind. I very bravely gathered the courage to ask the question and he said “No it’s not happening to me” but I am the one gathering pieces for the crew this time.

I couldn’t stop but let the 10 year old come out again and say Daddy don’t cry, I know it’s a hard time but it will go away like it did 16years ago. This time it wasn’t my daddy that I had to console but my heart cried out for the colleagues who belonged to the same profession as I did.

I spent the whole day thinking about what must be going through the mind of that crew which has been told…..Boys this is your last hitch, DRILLING is stopped AGAIN!!! Grown men do cry, tough boys do cry when they think of the family they have to take care of and the responsibilities they have. Boys I know how you feel when you think you’re a brother, father, boyfriend, fiancée but trust me if the 10 year old in me could reach out to each one of you laid-off due to this recession, I would still say – My Daddy did it then and you will do too. This time will too end and you will be smiling and happy working again.

I know one thing though that never have I been happy when the petrol prices drop or when the gas price hits an all-time low….I know millions out there rejoice but I and few others know that all-time low price of gas might mean, me or someone else I know or someone else they know might have to live with a possibility of no pay-check next month.

-Daughter of a Drilling Engineer!!!

(It doesn’t matter what I do as a profession as I will always be a proud daughter of a Drilling Engineer)

P.S. Nine months on and this situation hasnt improved but just gotten worse by the day. Numerous family friends have been laid off, people do say often that why are you guys cribbing when you make enough during the haydays. The pay-cheque isnt the only thing that people look forward too, but these boys and girls enjoy their work and its a horrible mental torture that you endure when you are jobless that is worse!!! Sometimes I wish it was all about the money and not about the feelings and maybe we as an industry wouldnt have lived in this constant fear of low prices!!!