Once their cultural exchange ended, the refugees were given career training. Nelly chose to learn agriculture, the primary industry in town and the region as a whole. It had also been recommended by one of the local women, who’d become a close friend of Nelly’s, which played a big part in her decision. Soon enough, she and her friend were working together to earn a living. That was about the time she caught wind of a regional healthcare system.
On one of her days off, while hanging her laundry up to dry, she spotted the local director near the temporary housing lot. She instructed her children to stay in her line of sight and sped toward him, calling his name. Nelly had become better acquainted with the man through his wife. She’d made all sorts of connections through the cultural exchange.
Claudia had been on the money when she guessed that Nelly would be a sociable, optimistic person in the right conditions. Thanks to the opportunities afforded to her, she’d become acquainted with a vast number of locals.
The director had stayed at the training facility with the refugees for a while, but lately, he only came to check on them. His own home and workplace were in the city, so he needed a carriage to travel to the housing project. It was a stroke of luck that she’d managed to catch him.
Meanwhile, I see Deacon Smit all the time.
Smit was living in the temporary housing as well. She saw him often, even without looking for him. She was a little worried about him, though, since she’d caught him zoning out quite frequently. The dark circles beneath his eyes hadn’t lessened whatsoever. When she tried to inquire about his well-being, he insisted he was fine. There wasn’t much an ordinary person like her could do for a man of the faith.
Nelly shook those errant thoughts from her head and focused on the director. The whole regional healthcare stuff was a bit difficult for her to grasp, but now that she’d learned refugees like her were eligible for it, she had to seek confirmation. She knew that proactively seeking information would net her an advantage.
“Ah, the regional healthcare system? We’re working out the details of its future implementation,” said the director. “You remember how we had all those day laborers here, building your housing? As we speak, half of them are busy building a school.”
“A school?” Nelly tilted her head at him. She didn’t understand what a school had to do with healthcare.
The director apologized, realizing she was right to be confused. He oversaw so many projects that he tended to link them together even when they weren’t the main topic. “My wife’s always telling me it’s a bad habit of mine,” he said. “Anyway, the healthcare part, right? The refugees will be covered by insurance as a special exception. We’re still setting up the system, but once it’s ready, you’ll all be able to see a doctor for an affordable price.”
His longer explanation about how this system functioned reminded her of the way the village women would pool money to pay for everyone’s tea. The tea fee was always the same, and whatever was left over would be placed in a rainy day fund in case any of them needed it. When she was younger, she thought it would be better to save all that money for other things, but she knew now how important community was. It gave them a sense of solidarity, and she always appreciated the wisdom shared by her elders during these gatherings. Nowadays, she still had teatime with her friends if their days off matched up.
“Will this cost us a lot?” Nelly asked.
“It should only be about 10 or 20 percent of your income, I think. Low-income earners will get a break, though. That’s part of the aid we’ll be giving to those who can’t afford it.”
“Oh, all right.”
That was quite the stiff fee, but she would be grateful to have it when the children got sick or hurt. Nelly knew from experience how effective medicine could be. She could still remember how shocked she was the first time she took a pain reliever. Her homeland taught them little incantations, but none of those had an immediate effect; she was appalled when the locals claimed they had no effect at all. The deacon assured her that they most certainly did, but that they might not work here.
“But this means even we’ll be able to see doctors, right?” Nelly clarified.
“Of course! When I say everyone can, I mean everyone. Amazing, isn’t it? A shame that words don’t do it justice.” The director went on to tell her that the idea came from Virgil and Claudia.
“Then it must be remarkable,” Nelly said, convinced.
The director’s gaze lowered to her neck, where she was using the trinket they’d given her as a necklace. His eyes softened. The trinket had an incredible effect on him. “So, you’re a fan of Lady Claudia, are you? The veteran higher-ups are restless because of this new policy. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our region!”
Nelly nodded vigorously. “Lady Claudia is an incredible woman.”
Virgil was the heir and future duke of the region, and Claudia was going to marry into the royal family and eventually be the mother of the whole kingdom. Incredible was an understatement, especially since Claudia had already been named A Priori. Nelly was convinced that if they thought this healthcare system was necessary, then it must be. She would simply have to cut costs where she could.
“And when will it start?” Nelly asked.
“Three or four years from now, at the earliest.”
“Huh?” That was a long way away. Her mind struggled to keep up.
“It’s a huge policy change, which requires substantial preparation,” the director explained.
Nelly’s face pinched. “Um, but…the refugees are included in this, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“But won’t we no longer be refugees by that point?”
A laugh burst out of him. “Ah ha ha, you might be right! Some of you will probably be full-fledged citizens by then. Hopefully, those who want to return home at that point are able to do so.”
She was struggling to digest the concept of becoming citizens. It sounded too good to be true. The director was essentially telling her that if she didn’t want to go home, she didn’t have to. That couldn’t be possible, though, could it?
Nelly eyed the man. He was waiting for her to ask. He’d already sussed out her confusion and the root of it. When she asked him how he’d read her, he pointed to her forehead.