Episode #11: Inconvenient Refugees 11: Sara and Brahim

Apr,25 2025

I woke up filled with hope. I would be a father, but I also woke up filled with doubt.

Here is the thing, Amanda, is organized, I am, not I tend to let my enthusiasm get the best of me, and I think that this occurred again.

So, while it's still early, I decide to leave my house, and go gently knock on Sara's door. To my surprise, she answered right away, and I asked if we could talk.

"Outside", she says, as we walk toward the nearest picnic table.

"It's quite early, am I am trouble?", she says.

"No, but I might be"

"How can I help?"

"During your interview, you put as a condition that you would run a daycare for your three kids. I said you would need to take more, and you agreed"

"I did"

"But then, we met again, and I was impressed by how you took charge over the operations when people came, and I assigned you to assist Stew, which you seem to like"

"I do"

"But I promised you could run a daycare"

"You did. Could I run a daycare if I wanted to?"

"You could"

"Then, you didn't break your promise. Dave, do you know how valued I was?"

"I know you are valued now"

"I am. But before I met you, my worth, was only as a mother. Of course, I didn't want to leave my kids behind, handled by another woman. The only value I offered to society, was before I gave birth three times"

"You are worth a lot more to us"

"I know that now. And I met the women as your daycare, and the kids. And the other parents. If you think I stayed idle, you don't know me"

"Oh, I know you more than enough to know that"

"Good. So, I got to ask, do I want a daycare at home to save my value as a mother, or because I want to?"

"And you don't want to?"

"I am tired of just being a mother, Dave. Do you know how ungrateful it makes me sound? Like I don't want to be one"

"You can be one, and still work"

"Not in my family. But my mother wouldn't have lived here. Wouldn't have survived the boat. I did. And I think I want more from life. Not more things, more responsibilities"

"Good"

"The factory will do for now, but I am not sure if it's what I want"

"Good because I have another role for you"

"Oh, really?", she says, intrigued.

"As my executive assistant"

She laughs. "Of course. I am married, you know?"

"Hey, I am too. This isn't anything sexual"

"I know, I was kidding. I met Cathy"

"You did?"

"I do my research. Don't you have Amanda already?"

"It's complicated"

"Enlighten me"

"She is my paperwork person. I need a process person"

"Process?"

"Yeah, like, if I need to get the farms better organized, I need to be able to drop someone in there and who will take charge and will not stop until the situation is resolved. Meanwhile, I can handle the rest of the issues"

She laughs.

"Ok, so what's my first project then?"

"You know what it is"

"I have no idea, Dave. Tell me"

"The factory! You keep working with Stew, the difference, is that now, your goal isn't to replace him, but to organize the factory well enough so that when he does retire, anyone can take his position, not just a detail - oriented obsessive compulsive maniac like him"

"Wow", she says. "You really know him well"

"I do. It's a problem. He has a firm grasp on the production, which is great for the numbers, but the few times he is sick, people get disorganized. I need you to keep a tight lid, and foster independence"

"I noticed it too. They all look up to him. They all have these weird theories of how he lost his leg, and it could be so easily dispelled if he told them the truth"

"I know, Sekkura asked me, I corrected her on a few crazy stories"

"So... he was fighting slavers, carrying two orphans, shot at by guards, lost his leg on the tracks, while smuggling amnesty papers and burning with fever—all at the same time?", said Sara

"No, not at the same time. All distinct stories, combined into one"

"Makes more sense."

"Ok, I'll actually go see your husband"

"He is doing great. I was worried about that chef lady, Lucy, but she is gay?"

"She is"

"I didn't know any gay people"

"I doubt that"

"Huh?"

"It's possible you knew some on the boat or back home, but the Muslim world isn't renowned for its acceptance of LGBTQ people"

"I guess I rest my case"

"I don't even know what those letters mean", she says.

"Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans or Queer people. You learned good English and not those letters?"

"Most of us perfected our English on the boat. Those that wanted at least"

"Ah, that's why do many of you speak English"

"The rumor was that either American or Australia might accept us"

I laughed. Both are notoriously anti-refugees now.

She continued. "I know, we went to see both and got turned away. England too, Canada, New Zealand, everyone."

"There are too many climate refugee boats, and accepting one means the other will redirect to that country. Someone will need to do something"

"You did"

"Yeah, but it's a drop in the ocean"

I soon left.

Brahim

When I arrived, Brahim was in his section of the kitchen, working hard on some sort of sauce. I went to see Lucy, who was cleaning up an oven.

"So, he is doing well?"

"Well? He is fricking spectacular. Funny, calm, great cook, amazing recipes. Talent the size of a whale, energy of a cheetah, but ego the size of a mouse. We'll do great"

"I am happy to hear that. Just be careful, they don't know LGBTQ people"

"Dave, what did I tell you? I am not a militant. I am a chef, but at night, I go home to my wife. They don't care, I don't care. We connect as chefs"

"Good. If you need help, give me a sign and I will do something"

"Dave, if I need help, I'll get my wife to help. With all due respect, what do you know of LGBTQ issues?"

"My brother is gay"

She looks at me.

"I didn't know"

"Well, he was a jerk. I don't often talk about him. Much older than me, he was a sort of bully, trying to push everyone around"

"Before he came out?"

"Yeah, I know, probably a defense mechanism"

"Doesn't excuse it. ", says Lucy

"No, it doesn't"

"You can talk to Brahim if you want, but while he cooks, he is a man of few words"

"Have you met his wife?"

She laughs. "Right, she is the motor mouth in that relationship"

"She'll me my executive assistant"

"May God have mercy on our souls!", she says, laughing.

"Really?"

"Dave, we have a more relaxed ambiance in here. Sure, we all work hard while working. From my little talks with Brahim, she is rather a workaholic"

"Well, we could use more productivity. Maybe not your kitchen, but at our factory. The more money we bring in, the better is gets for everyone"

"True. He just let his sauce simmer. It's a good time"

I thanked her and get to Brahim.

"How are you settling?"

"This kitchen is perfect. You should have seen people at lunch"

"I should have. Maybe I could bring my wife Cathy over for an early supper"

"Well, I am making a succulent Beef Bourguignon. I couldn't use wine in Algeria, but you have a selection of French wines for cooking which are just perfect for this"

"We do. I think some are denatured cooking wines? So we get them cheaper?"

"Bah, that just means some salt is added so it tasted horrible, but I just put less salt in the sauce recipe and it balances out"

"Ok, good. We'll be there. When do you finish?"

"Oh, I might already be gone. We prepare the base of the evening meals in the afternoon, and the evening cooks finish the recipes"

"At long as it's your meal, I will be there"

He smiles.

"Just one question, there is no alcohol left after cooking, right? We don't drink", this is especially true for Cathy who is pregnant.

"No, not a drop. I do a slow cooking, which makes all the alcohol evaporate."

"Good, So no regrets about coming here?"

"No. We will be happy here. Sara, I am not so sure"

"Well, I just gave her a new job. I'll let her tell you herself"

"Oh good. Thank you, Dave"

I smiled, and left the restaurant.

Fatima

I saw Fatima walking around, and I waved at her.

She looked puzzled, but approached me when she saw I was walking toward her.

"Need anything from me?"

"No, I wanted to thank you for your warm efforts with the refugees, Fatima. You've been a wonderful ally."

"My pleasure, Dave, This is what I had in mind when I joined your community."

"I remember, you wanted to help"

"No, that's not that I said, Dave. I wanted to serve"

"Right. out of a religious calling?"

"Indeed. But I don't think you understood it then"

"No, I definitely didn't"

"You know about nuns and monasteries, right?"

"I do!"

"Well, when a Christian woman finds a calling to serving God, she can move into a monastery, and serve him in subtle ways. Maybe teaching kids, taking care of the sick. It doesn't matter. It's her devotion which does. Putting service before even her womanhood"

"Sure. I mean, I am a believer in personal freedom, it's why I let people change jobs"

"And we love you for it. Well, I got that calling, when I was young. Not to be a loud missionary to spread Islam, one to just serve my community, cloistered or isolated from it, so I can focus on my own devotion."

"I can certainly respect that."

"The problem, is that the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, discouraged monasticism. The Arabic equivalent is rahbaniyya. To live withdraw from society to religious devotion"

"I didn't know that"

"Well, in Sufism there are ascetics, but I am not into it"

"I don't know what that is"

"It's not relevant today anyway. But it's where Faqirs and Faqira come from. They inspired me. Not the pain rituals, but their devotion to poverty, to rejecting materialism. And many live their lives nude. I wanted to be cloistered, to be forced into this life, so I joined here."

"I see"

"But for my own internal piety. Not to convert anyone. I made a vow of poverty, of chastity, of service"

"Ok, I respect that. What do you think of new Muslims coming over?"

"None of them are very devoted, which is a relief to me. They are Berbers, most of whom already had a weak link to the Islamic faith, like how you are barely Christian, and the life on the boat, well, either gave them a stronger faith"

"And then we didn't recruit them"

"Exactly, or weakened it."

"I get that. Mine sure was in the troubles of the last decade, when plenty of people turned to religion"

She nodded.

"Well, thank you nonetheless"

"No, thank you, Dave, for not forcing me to do one job. To letting me serve where I am needed the most"

"Speaking of which, where were you going? Not that I want to control you, just to know"

"One of the new refugee farmers is about to plant on the 5th levels. I want to make sure he knows what he is doing"

"Good. I'll let you to it then"

She smiled, and I went to the hospital. I normally do my rounds there every day, but with the refugees? I didn't have the time.

I just stopped at the house to leave a note to Cathy about the restaurant.