excerpt
…in mind for a lack of the ability to use the new language. Truly, it was
expected from the locals, the English-speaking people, to hear one
such as Mike, with his heavy accent and funny-looking name, and
realize that he was of lesser quality than them. So, most of the time,
Mike sat quietly aside and listened, and he was nervous and embarrassed
since he couldn’t participate in the simple discussion that
unfolded. Unfortunately, this was the reality for all immigrants, just
like Mike, who left their homeland with empty pockets and with many
dreams, and went to another land trying to make their dreams a reality.
Yes, the dream Mike didn’t even have deciphered when I came to
this country, which he searched for and wished that someday it might
turn into reality.
Then, of course, there were other reasons why he had left his
homeland: the dictators who governed Hellas back then and their
oppressive ways of those years forced many to leave. Mike had truly
left his homeland, and how could he be in a different situation from
the one he was in? He had undoubtedly left the land of civilization
and that unparalleled light that couldn’t be found anywhere else on
the earth, and all that for a dream, he suspected he had, and the hope
that one day his children might have a better future than their father.
Mike’s daily shift was from 4:00 p.m. to midnight, and today it
started with the cleaning of the mechanics’ floor. The mechanics who
worked during the day went home at 4:00 p.m., and the floor of the
shop was empty and available to the cleaners. Broom in hand, images
of his hero, the hero of his novel, which he’d like to add to his book,
which will save the world from an undefined enemy, etc. Of course,
cleaning the floor was Mike’s priority this time, and he applied himself
to the task while murmuring a beloved song from his home
country; that song kept him company and filled him with enthusiasm
and a positive attitude. Surely this job was good enough to provide for
him and his new wife. He earned enough for rent, food, and humble
clothing. With all these positive thoughts in his mind, time passed,
and the time came for the first coffee break. As they all knew, they had
two fifteen-minute coffee breaks and half an hour of lunch during…
Libros Libertad 