Outside, there were not many people. It was a cold winter afternoon.
I walked along the pavement. I arrived at a wide road. Really, what JIAN said was right. There was no bus.
No way to go home. I felt a bit panic.
I returned, desperately.
I heard a car behind of me arrive. It stopped at a parking lot nearby. I trotted to catch the man getting out of the car.
Sir, can you help me?
For so many years, from the very beginning of my English class, I have learnt “Can I help you?”
But that day, the first, the most important phrase was not the one we learnt so much. It was its inverse.
-What is the matter?
--I want to go back to Montreal?
-How did you get here?
--A man drove me here.
--Where is the man?
--He is in Montreal, he could not send me back to Montreal.
-Follow me, someone will go back to Montreal in several minutes.
I followed the man into to a synagogue.
In the hall, the man asked a chef when he would go back to Montreal, the chef said at five o’clock.
So the chef could drive me back to Montreal.
Suddenly an idea occurred to me.
I called 911.
..Hello, 911, can I help you?
.I want to go home.
..Where are you now?
.I don’t know.
..Where are you from?
.Montreal.
A moment silence …
..You are in a Jewish community.
.I know.
..How did you get there?
.A man drove me here for work this afternoon, but now he could not drive me home.
..You should ask the man first. If he could not help you, call me back.
.Thank you.
..You are welcome.
I called the Jew.
.Hello, Mr. Maoshe.
..Hi.
.I wanted to go back to Montreal now.
. Could you wait for others to finish the work?
.No, I could not. I have told you that I would finish at 4 o’clock.
..But now I am in Montreal, I could not …..
.I do not care, if I could not leave this place right now. I will call the police.
..Ok, return to the house, someone will send you to metro immediately.
.Thank you.
I returned to the house.
The foreman asked my fellow citizen if he would like go back with me or work a little longer. My fellow citizen, he did not want work any more, said he wanted to go back too.
The foreman paid us.
Another guy drove us to Montreal.
On the way back, we talked a lot.
He was young, but an old immigrant.
I was old, but a new immigrant.
When he came here, after 911, the economy of the whole North America was in hell. No job, everywhere was unemployment. So many people went to university, no other better choice.
He was not lucky enough to enter the university, because the competition was fierce. He worked in Ontario, the worst job not today’s. He had ever worked in a rubbish classification centre. You could imagine what the rubbish means. What you can imagine could be seen on the transmission belt of rubbish. You must react fast, because the transmission belt moves fast. You pick out paper, glass, metal, etc within a limited time. He had even seen a graceful Chinese girl, just out the university, picking the rubbish. He was really reluctant to accept such a fact. At home, she could not do such a job, at least, she should work in an office as a while collar. But here, in order to move on, you have no choice.
Now he studies in university. After graduation, he will go back to china, and never come back again. This place is not good for him. He, in his spare time, works in a restaurant, very hard. He does every kind of job, very hard for the minimum salary. Just because he wants cash, check will affect his loan and bursary.
He said the Jew was not good. But fortunately, I can speak English. I can call police for help. He had ever worked in a Vietnamese farm, where he met many Chinese, they could speak neither English nor French, had to work hard, suffering the intimidation of the Vietnamese farm owner. When the Vietnamese farm owner intimidated him, he told the former to be polite. So many people here worked illegally, being payed cash. So the owner said nothing, no more. He knew this guy was tough.
To him, I wish him good luck, whatever he does, wherever he is.
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