“Anyone can figure out what’s going through your mind when your face is scrunched up and you’ve got a wrinkle in your brow.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize I was making such a face.” She scrubbed at her forehead, smoothing the crease in question. “Um, I hope you’ll keep this chat between us. I’m not speaking on anyone else’s behalf here, just my own.”
He nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m good at keeping secrets.”
“Does this mean that even once things calm down back home, there’ll be a way for some of us to stay? Um, legally, of course.”
Now it was his turn to contemplate. He put a hand to his chin and lapsed into thought. Had she looked the same a moment ago?
Since he’s not answering immediately, I guess that means it’s impossible. Maybe he thought she was greedy and ungrateful. I shouldn’t have said anything.
But Nelly had said something because if anyone knew how to stay, he would—and she couldn’t suppress her desire to do so. The director probably hoped she and the other refugees would leave as quickly as possible. I am such an idiot.
She wanted to clutch her head in her hands; why couldn’t she think more before she opened her mouth? Maybe he would still forgive her if she hurried up and apologized.
“Um,” she squeaked out, “I’m so sorry!”
“Hmm? Oh, no need. There are ways,” he told her. “I was thinking about why we don’t seem to be on the same page. Figured it’s probably my fault again.”
She perked up. “There are?!”
“Yes. You simply need to say you want to stay.” The director went on to explain that when the time came for the refugees to return home, she simply needed to fill out paperwork expressing her intent to stay. Those who wanted to remain would be allowed to do so. It sounded too good to be true.
“I think the ‘refugee’ label is probably what creates misunderstandings,” said the director. “The term works to an extent, since you literally are taking refuge here after fleeing from your homelands, but we locals think of you more as immigrants.”
“Immigrants,” Nelly muttered, testing the word on her tongue.
“Someone who moves from one country to another. To tell you the truth, some citizens were worried about us accepting refugees because they assumed you would be here for the long-term, not temporarily. They wondered whether there would be language and cultural barriers, but all their fears disappeared after interacting with you.”
“So what you’re saying is that from the very beginning…” Nelly’s voice trailed off.
It was dawning on her that they’d been welcome to stay from the start. As long as they didn’t commit any crimes, none of them would be forced to leave. When that sank in, tears of relief sprang to her eyes.
“It seems we’re still lacking in how we communicate things to you and the others,” said the director. “I’m glad I understand how you feel now. Let’s call a meeting soon.”
During said meeting, he could give a more in-depth explanation about the regional healthcare system.
Nelly was worried at first when she heard it wouldn’t be implemented for another three or four years at the earliest, since that was so far away. But it was also an administrative declaration that the refugees were welcome to stay long-term.
Lady Claudia truly is incredible.
It was just as the director had said: The Lindsays’ region had a promising future again. Their policies aimed to make life better not only for their residents but for the refugees as well. It was a necessary nudge forward for Nelly, a reassurance that she had a place there today—and she would tomorrow and the day after too.
“I don’t know how to begin repaying you all for what you’ve done,” said Nelly.
The director answered, “Be kind to others.”
His words reminded her of Claudia’s; if she ever felt like she owed Claudia, she should help someone in need.
“It’s more difficult than you think,” he went on. “You must be in a good place mentally yourself before you can do that. And it’s something you do without expecting any gratitude in return.”
“But that’s exactly what you’ve done for us!” Nelly protested.
“Not at all. We’ve expected a lot of you. We want you to be grateful, and besides, making sure you can live here safely will help the development of our region. That’s why we’re giving you financial support and encouraging you to gain independence. As a merchant might say, this was an investment.”
He was probably trying to make her understand that they had ulterior motives in helping them, but as far as Nelly could tell, she and the other refugees only stood to benefit from it.
“I’ll do my best to help anyone who needs it!” Nelly declared.
“Just don’t push yourself beyond your own means. You don’t have to help everybody, just those who ask. If you think it’s too much for you, then come to us. It’s our job to deal with the big problems.”
“All right.” Nelly returned to her temporary housing feeling triumphant.
The size of each house correlated with the size of the occupying family, but the overall layout was the same for each. After the entryway, the first room was the cooking area with an earthen floor, then there was a step leading up into the living area and bedrooms. Where the entrance was square-shaped, the rear of the house was rectangular. There was solid distance between one’s house and their neighbor’s if they were living in family housing, but the single-person residences were all connected to one another. She learned they were called townhouses.
The area that sat beside the training facility and the plaza had transformed into a real residential district. All the buildings looked identical, however, which could make it hard to tell her house apart from the others at a glance.
Children were out playing in front of their homes. It seemed there were more children about now than there had been before.
As Nelly returned to her laundry, realization struck her. “He basically told me I should continue living the way I have been.”
All the director wanted from her was the same thing she’d been aspiring to back in her homeland—to lead a peaceful, regular life.
Her tears threatened to spill again. She didn’t have to do anything special. The country she lived in had changed, but she didn’t have to. All she had to do was live the way she always had with her children. That was it.
Her shoulders felt so much lighter. This was salvation; she could feel it. Her heart swelled with gratitude.
Since there was nothing else she could do, she clasped her hands together and prayed, hoping this time, too, it would be answered. If there was nothing else she could offer, she could at least offer this.