“It doesn’t look too good for you back home”
“True, I say. But I’ve been lucky”
“How come?”
“Well, I have a brother here who is ready to take me in. Paid for the rerouted
ticket and took care of logistics. I have had offers of respite from people I
barely knew: People I had just met even. People I had only exchanged a cou-
ple of words with – no more. And they all offered assistance. Friends offered
shelter as well: In Oregon, Washington State, West Virginia, and Florida. I’ve
been lucky I tell you. OK, there was quite a bit of apathy at times, but a lot
of people live in their own insulated bubbles I guess. Even when I traveled
using Southwest which is all about first come first served, and despite my
boarding pass being labeled B – meaning that the people with boarding
passes labeled A had advantage to board over me (But the voice already
knew that, being a frequent traveler) – I managed to find window seats in two
successive flights.”
“That’s a good way to rock” The voice said.
“You’re staying over at your brother’s, right? He can’t kick you out. Can
he?” The voice asked not knowing if it was insulting cultural habits.
“Well, technically speaking, no he can’t. I am just hoping it will be a short
layover here. Against all logic I know. But hope comes for free. You can’t let
the bastards win.”
“Well, if you feel awkward over there, I will give you my coordinates.” At
that point the voice jotted down an email, and a private cell phone number on
the back of a visiting card I had extended. I immediately took it back only to
discover that the ink it was written in wasn’t dry and the phone number was
now scrambled.
“Tell you what.” The voice said softly “I will write it again, this time we’ll
expose it to the air until it dries. The card sat there bodyguarded by my wal-
let, as the remnants of food garnished the two adjacent breakfast trays.
“Am I pronouncing your name correctly? – Tarik?”
“Try exchanging the “i” with an “e” I said. Tarik means road”
The voice emits a sound that is a little better than being called a street, and I
answer back with a warm grateful smile.