The Lonely Commute

The Lonely Commute tells a true story of the author's experiences when he leaves his family to work in another part of Botswana, a country in the southern part of Africa. Before he realises it, he has joined thousands of professionals who become part-time husbands, wives and parents, visiting their families only on weekends, public and school holidays, and of course, Christmas. The author shares his feelings of loneliness during the week days of Monday through Thursday until his next visit on Friday night to start the brief forty eight hours in which he has to make up for what he has missed during the week: sharing intimate moments with his wife and bonding with his five children.

On many occasions he has to sacrifice his weekend retreat due to an overload of work, especially marking his students work, and preparing tests and exams. Inevitably this break from routine draws disapproving reactions from his family members. Sometimes he is forced to return beyond the Sunday evening departure routine because of an emergency at home. That means leaving home in the wee hours of Monday morning. Instead of sympathy he would get a stern rebuke from the school authorities which had the potential to affect his mental and emotional health. In the early months especially, the temptation to quit his job is so strong that for a moment, he wants to put this on paper, but another part of his brain tells him that would be a foolhardy decision that he would soon or later regret. There are tuition fees to be paid as each of his last three boys enter university when they grow up.

The Lonely Commute gives the reader insights into the challenges many working men and women face when they leave their families behind in search of a better life for them. The book delves into the loneliness which they have to endure as they sacrifice their emotional and mental health. From his fifteen years experience of the Lonely Commute the author suggests ways in which professionals under similar circumstances can apply to survive the ordeal.