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I thought she was acting or pretending since every
one in Keyna speaks Swahili and English. After a long arguement, Beerly told me
that she was not from Kenya; she was an American from the United States. I
totally refused to believe her. I told her that she does not look like a Black
American. I accused her of possibly being in the prostitution business. I
believed so because I thought Elizabeth became a prostitute after she dropped
out of school. Since they were both friends, it seemed plausible. Beverly
defended herself very highly. She gave me her home address and phone number and
told me, "If you ever come to America, here is my contact." They left. Later,
Elizabeth told me that she and Beverly where there because they were going to a
party hosted by a friend in the PeaceCorp, up the hills of Wvundanyi.
Ultimately, I made it to America. In 1990, I got a
visa to the United States. I did not know anybody and I did not even remember
that I had Beverly's address. After struggling in a camp in Ashlan Virginia, I
became very ill. The people over there didn't believe in medicine. They prayed
for me and I got worse. One day a friend that I had met at the camp told me
that she knew some girls from Kenya. She said that she would talk to them to
see if they would take me in. Thank God. They did not just accommodate me, but
they also financed my trip from Ashland, Virginia to Washington D.C. Those
women took me to the hospital where I was treated for bronchitis. I stayed with
them until I got a job and was ready to moved out on my own.
Eventually, I got a single room near Howard
University. By that time I was working in a second hand clothing store. It was
there that I met Rhahim. We started dating. He was a great help to me, but one
day he created a huge problem in the house. Rhahim fought with the housing
manager, so I was given 24 hours to vacate or immigration would be called. I
did not know what to do or whom to call. All I knew is that I did not want to
go back to Kenya.
I was over worked and could not think anymore. I
fell asleep on the coach. It was my day off work. When I woke up I was sweating
and breathing very hard. I jumped up off the couch, grabbed the bag I brought
from Kenya and began searching inside of it. I was not sure If I was dreaming,
but someone spoke to me. It is still a mystery to me today. I kept digging into
my bag, got out my address book I used back in Kenya, and opened it. The very
page I opened exposed Beverly's phone number. I stepped back for a minute. I
wondered if she would even remember me.
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Beverly. Más tarde
esa noche, nos reunimos en un club. Nos lo passamos muy bien excepto Beverly,
Su inglés era dificil de entender y la pedi que hablara el Suahili para
que nos pidieramos comunicar mejor. Me dijo que no sabla hablarlo. Entonces
pensé que estaba fingiendo o siulando ya que todo el mundo hablaba
Suahilie e inglés en Kenia. Después de hablar un largo rato.
Beverly me contó que no era de Kenia y que era de los Estados Unidos. Me
negue a creeria del todo y la dije que no se parecia a las estadounideses de
color. La acusé dce que posiblemente estuviese en el negocio de la
prostitución. Lo crela proque pensaba que Elizabeth se habia convertido
en prostituta cuando abandonó el instituto. Y me parecia plausible, ya
que eran amigas. Beverly se defendio con energia y me dio la direccion de su
casa y el número de teléfono y me dijo "Si alguna vez vas a
América, te puedes poner en contacto conmigo" Y luego se marcharon.
Despues, Elizabeth me contó que ella y Beverly se encontraban alli
porque iban a una fiesta que celebraba un amigo en el PeaceCorp, en la crima de
las colinas de Wvundanyi.
Al final, fui a
América. En 1990, consequi un visado para los Estados Unidos. No conocia
a nadie y tampoco recordaba que teia la dirección de Beverly.
Después de luchar por abrirme camino en el campamento en Ashland
Virginia, cai enferma. Las personas de aquel lugar no cerian en la mecdicina,
asi que rezaron por mi y me puse peor. Un dia una amiga que habi concido en el
campamento me contó que concia a algunas chicas de Kenia. Dijo que
hablaria con ellas para ver si me podian acoger. Gracias a Dios, no soló
me acomodcaron, sino también me pagaron el viaje desde Ashland, Virginia
hasta Washington D.C. Estas chicas me lievaron a un hospital donde me trataron
la bronquitis. Permaneci con ellas hasta que consequi un trabajo y estuve
preparada para mudarme a mi propia casa.
Finalmente, encontré
una habitación cerca de la Universidad Howard. Por aquel entonces estaba
trabajando en un almacén de ropa de segunda mano. Estaba alli cuando
conoci a Rhahim. Y empezamos a salir. Me era de gran ayuda, pero un dia me
creó un gran problema en la casa. Rhahim se peleó con el
dueño de la casa y me dieron 24 horas para dejar la habitación o
llamaria a immigración. No sabia que hacer ni a quien llamar. Todo lo
que sabia era que no podia regresar a Kenia.
Era mi dia libre y como no
tenia ytrabajo ya no podia pensar en nada. Asi que me quede dormida en el
autobus. Cuando me desperté estaba sudando y respiraba muy fuerte.
Bajé del autobus, agarré la bolsa que traje de Kenia y empece a
buscar algo dentro de ella. No estaba segura pero era como si estuviera
sonando, pero alguien me habló.
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