Episode #8: Inconvenient Refugees 8: Hope

Apr,07 2025

Cathy did work at the hospital the next morning, I was awoken much earlier than I hoped. Still, I went and ate breakfast with Cathy when it was still dark outside.

"The lamb was delicious" I tell her.

"It was, but it's not my favorite meat"

"I can get more from Giovani"

"Perhaps we can let the others have it? Unless you love it yourself"

"I don't, but if you want it"

"Dave, Lindsey came over yesterday"

"Of course she did"

"I realized something."

"Oh?"

"Well, she scolded me for not asking for anything from her list, I told her I was missing nothing, and she complained"

I laugh. "She did?"

"She said that almost everyone misses something. Maybe a spice I can't find or a kitchen utensil"

"But then, you just tell me"

"But that's her issue. You have a position of authority so that I lack nothing, shows favoritism"

I laugh. "She does too"

"she claims she doesn't"

"She hates Zoe" I said

Cathy laughs. "True. But Zoe is weird, you have to admit. She lives with nothing. Wants nothing, cares for nothing"

"Still a good farmer" I say.

"True, but like, Lindsey can't help her. It makes her feel useless"

"Right. So what is your thought?"

"I think that we should make more efforts to look less privileged"

I laugh. "We don't even have a better house"

"But we still lack nothing. I think I should keep something to myself, not tell you, and ask Lindsey. But that also means not taking any advantages like lamb"

"You might be right"

"D'uh, I am always right" she says, and then laughs. One of the reasons my wife is always right, isn't that she is better than anyone else. Well, I still think she is, it's why I married her, but it's because she doesn't speak up, unless she is very sure of herself.

We kissed each other before she left, and I cleaned up the kitchen. I am not always home, but when I am, I do my part of the chores.

I soon went to do my rounds, and I spotted the two orderlies, nude, with their nude son, playing in the part.

"Hey, good morning"

"Good morning, Mr Administrator", says the husband.

"Just call me Dave. Listen, if you want, I can have your future supervisor, Jessica, come over here in the next hour or so to brief you on the job you will do and get a sort of interview going?"

"Shouldn't we do this in the hospital?"

"And ruin the run your little guy is having? Let's give you guys a break. Are you adapting well?"

"Well? No. But adapting, yes.", says the husband.

"When I woke up this morning, I was confused as to why I was sleeping naked, and unsure of where I was. I looked for my clothes, and realized, right, I don't have any"

"You should have those you were wearing"

"A woman came over with Fatima with laundry bags to collect them for washing"

"Ah, Cara, right?"

"I think so?"

"We don't have individual washers and driers. Cara runs the washing service with Julia, but she is older and can't do the rounds anymore"

"So we will get them back?", says the wife

"If you'd like to, but you can't wear them outside"

"Ok. So when would we start to work?",

"when you want. We'll need to find a play for your little one. We have an excellent daycare, and one of the refugees will have a home day care"

The father speaks up. "Thank you. We will think about it. I think we should start working sooner rather than later. To help getting integrated."

"Good idea"

I wished them a great day, and went to see Julia. She was getting ready to get to work when I knocked on her door.

"Dave, what owes me this honor? I am in trouble?" she says, worried.

"Never, Julia. In the park near my house is a new family of refugees with their 2-year-old son. The parents were both orderlies and maybe you get them oriented"

"Seriously? I get two new people? Dave, if I didn't like Cathy that much, I would just kiss you right now"

"Hey", says her husband behind, in the kitchen.

"What, you know I don't like you"

"Good, I don't like you either", he says, laughing.

"Am I missing something"

"It's in inside joke, we don't like we other, we love each other"

"Ah. But I like my wife too?"

"Dave?"

"Yes?"

"You've been married for a few years. We've been married for 20. We find our fun where we can"

"I suppose. So, I'll let you to it, I have other people to see"

"Hey, I had a question", she says

"Shoot"

"Why aren't the new refugees cleared at our hospital?"

"They were cleared by Costa Rica"

"And you trust them?", she says.

I look at her.

"Shit. Should I quarantine them?"

She laughs. "They were on a boat for like 5 years, Dave. Already quarantines from the world. What my husband is mostly worried about, is malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, undetected cancers"

"Right. Could he go see them? I would rather have him do the rounds than send them to the hospital"

He gets to the door.

"You want me, to go door to door, with my tools to check on the refugees?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Dave, I've been asking for telemedicine for over a year and I keep getting denied"

"By whom?"

"Who do you think?"

Right. I sigh. "II have others to see. Go tell the hospital that I need you for the day for a emergency and take one of the nurses if you need one"

"I can do the rounds on my own", he said, rather abrasively. Now, I remember why Clark he can't get what he wants... Zero diplomacy.

"I said, if you need one"

"Right. Maybe a count of the skin cancer vaccines we need. Two of them already have it"

"Good"

"Ok, I'll let you be, I have a cook to talk to"

I wish them a good day. Clark might be abrasive to his bosses, but he has the best bedside manners of all our family doctors. I think that having him visit the patients, would help a lot. Some people, like Jackson, never take a day off, and he needs help for his elbow.

When I make it to Samir's house, the cook, there is a fight in progress.

I listen, but it's not in English, so I am at a loss.

I knock on the door, and the fight stops.

Samir's wife, Amira, answers.

"Dave" she says, happy. "Can you knock some sense in my husband's mind"

"What is happening?"

"He wants to leave the free zone"

"But he can't"

"Yeah, I am aware of that. I know I will never wear clothes again, and our kids will not either. I am fine with that. He isn't"

"I don't understand why we can't leave", he says.

"Oh, it in the United Nation treaty on free zones"

"I read it. It doesn't say we are prisoners"

"No, indeed.", I sigh. This is a big controversial point.

But I see that their kids don't look calm at all.

"Samir, maybe we can take a walk to the restaurant, while Amira helps your kids?"

He looks at them, and to her. She nods.

"Fine. Sorry kids"

I guide him, but Amira stops him.

"are you forgetting something?", she says, angry.

"I love you?"

"Not that"

"You look great"

She sighs.

"I will be back later"

She puts her hand in front of her face.

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"Apologize to me too! "

"Oh, sorry Amira"

"Thank you. Now, go with Dave, and when you are back, I want you fully convinced that we are in the right place. Or don't come back here."

"Yes Amira"

"Dave? I need a job, I guess"

"Are you always that assertive?"

"Why?"

I smile. "Peter runs our musical instrument factory. It's what brings us a lot of our funds. He is getting closer to retirement and needs help to manage the employees"

"Ok, Fatima will come to help me with my kids, I'll ask her to introduce me to Peter, and if we kit it off, I'll do that. I don't care."

"You are convinced"

"Samir will tell you why."

He nods.

We go on a walk to the restaurant.

"There were bad people on the boat, she was almost, well, hurt a few times. There were more good people, but not everyone was lucky"

"I bet. Listen, it's not that you are a prisoner here, it's that free zones were allowed to bring in people from rich countries, into poorer countries. So, you can't walk out of here to immigrate to Costa Rica, as it wouldn't be fair for them. Originally, you would have just boarded a plane and returned to your country of origin, but when the super vaccines came in and people fought to have them, free zones began offering them to their citizens in exchange for, well, being bound to the place."

"I guess I get that. I am mainly worried about the restaurant"

"Listen, Samir. If you aren't happy with it, we will open one for you, but you will need to find waiters, sous-chefs, and such. Now, we have one, and need a better menu. I think there is good synergy there"

"Fine"

But when I presented Samir to Lucy, the head chef, they both connected and became envious of each other's abilities.

She welcomed him into "her" kitchen and they quickly developed some professional chemistry.

Good. If it worked with Peter and Amira and their kids get settled, that's another family.

I went to speak to the two construction workers. The welder lady was still shy about being nude, but her husband was almost ready to start working.

I ended up going with them and their 8-year-old son, who was thrilled to be nude, to the school as he couldn't wait to go.

By the time he was sitting in class, his mother felt more comfortable nude. Good.

We went to the new hospital wing project, which inspired both of them. They met the building engineer, who doubled as the foreman, and as I was leaving, the wife was getting dressed in a welder's suit and was about to go weld some beams, while her husband was sent to finish some joints, something that could be done nude. He would also paint, another task doable nude.

I went to speak to the hospital chief of staff about letting Clark do home visits, and he pushed back, saying they need more help in the hospital.

I thought.

"Maybe we can do a schedule? One day per week for visits, and see if the in hospital visits are reduced?"

"Ok, we can do that. Thursdays. It's the slowest day"

"I'll let you decide, but today, he is dealing with the refugees"

"I wish I has been told earlier"

"Me too. Me too"

When I came home, Cathy was on the couch, looking serious.

"Hey, you finished early"

"I did the breakfast run. Dave, I am late"

"Well, doesn't matter, I just arrived anyway. Want me to cook for a change?"

"No, I mean, I am late"

"huh?"

"31 days"

"Wait, seriously?"

"It might be nothing" she says.

"Did you get a test?" I ask.

"Dave, I can't, and you know why"

Right. Everyone would become overtly interested, and it would just bring more pain.

"I can get one, saying it's for one of the refugees, and refuse to give their private information. Even Amanda wouldn't ask"

"Good idea. I know this morning I said to be fair, but we are also more visible than the others"

"Indeed. " I say.

There is a pause.

"Why this month?" I ask.

"The better question would be, why not the previous months?" she says.

But I know why. Now, I filled with hope, and soon, will be filled with worries. I was needed to be on top of my game to handle the refugee intake, and now, I can hope with a quiet mind and tomorrow, when we have confirmation, worry about a miscarrage without too much risk.