Discrimination

Mir Mahboob Ali

Gladys Sanchez was smuggled into the United States of America from El Salvador, and Feroz Alibhoy, a memon, came from Bangladesh, the farthest country from the United States of America. Thousands of people come from El Salvador to the States in search of better lives, every year. Opportunities are far less, compared to the Latin American countries, to come to the States even legally from Bangladesh. In the eighties, Bangladeshis came from Germany in scores, threatened with expulsion from there. They mainly came to Florida via the sea. Many died drowned in the sea. Many were robbed and thrown into the sea to be devoured by sharks. Yet, risking the hazard people come to the States, the greatest democracy on earth, in the hope of better lives from all over the world. Very surprisingly, people staunchly anti-USA come to the States given the first opportunity. Most of the Latin Americans are professedly anti-USA, but the greatest number of people come every year from those countries and settle down in the USA. The El Salvadorian Gladys was one who always liked USA and from her childhood, she dreamt of coming to the States.

She came in her adolescence to the country of her love. Life was not as easy as she thought it would be. Nevertheless, at least, she immediately got a job, and all the other members of her group had been employed, though, illegally. Her parents stayed back in El Salvador. They would not move for they did not feel comfortable anywhere else. Vast majorities of illegal immigrants work without work permits, some are exploited like slaves, but the number is comparatively negligible. Anyway, Gladys married a local to be able to apply for resident-ship. A contract marriage it is called. The man after some time started blackmailing her, threatening to go to the immigration authorities and exposing her. She in her innocence paid much more money to the man than was contracted. Nevertheless, she crossed the hurdle of immigration and got a green card- a ticket to heaven!

Gladys was supposed to be happy, on the contrary, Alibhoy found her in a gloomy mood. He thought, “She must be remembering her parents, specially, her mother back home.” On being questioned, Gladys burst into tears. Alibhoy felt embarrassed and did not pursue the matter any further. He did not know Gonzales was the cause, who was introduced to him earlier as just a friend. He liked her a lot and enjoyed gossiping with her at tea breaks between works at the pharmaceutical factory they worked in. Gladys seemed to enjoy his company, as well.

Cassius King occasionally joined them at tea, a Caribbean, legally settled in America, a very funny, carefree character, ever smiling, as if he had no sadness ever to blemish his happiness. A kind-hearted, good-natured philanderer, he disliked working in the factory, because, it is hard labour and fetched him barely enough money to maintain his car. He would say, “I drive eighty miles e’ery day, forty to and forty from my work, and after the long day’s work I’m so depleted of energy that I can’t respond to my girlfriends’ alluring nocturnal invitations on weekdays. I’ve to wait until the weekends to have my share of fun. It’s better not to work and live on social security. The nights are mine, and I don’t have to work in the days or spend so much money on gas (fuel). In that way, I save both money and much needed energy to satisfy my girls!” Everybody else covered almost the same distance to come to the factory, because, it was at the outskirts of the city. Even with the salary barely above the minimum, illegal immigrants saved money and the Americans found it difficult to meet both ends. Their standard of living is high.

In spite of the fact that their friendship was confined in the factory premises beyond which none showed any interest in each other’s lives, colleagues in the factory started whispering about Alibhoy and Gladys’ closeness. Once, perhaps, to fathom Alibhoy’s feelings for her, Gladys playfully, mentioned that she was married, as if stating a known fact. Alibhoy’s enthusiasm was dampened but he did not show any emotion. Only after the revelation, Alibhoy realized that he liked Gladys much more than a friend. After the initial shock had been absorbed, the stiffness in their relationship disappeared and Gladys became much more intimate with Alibhoy as a friend and Alibhoy always kept a distance in their relationship. Alibhoy in his heart never accepted Gladys as a married woman, but he never raised the matter with her. Somehow, he knew she was not married.

One day Gladys came to work in a pensive mood almost in tears. Normally, she used to be very jolly and boisterous filling the factory with her infectious loud laughter, at small things, for which she had been mildly rebuked several times. Senior executives, if not on the spot, ignored her sweet lapse. They admonished her because they had to remind others that senior executives are senior executives, they are not of their own kind. Everybody liked to hear her laugh and felt good, as, it infused variety in the otherwise monotonous working atmosphere of the factory. Much more than the others, Alibhoy, felt concerned at her being not herself. At the earliest opportunity, he approached Gladys and asked about the cause. Gladys suddenly started crying, loudly. The small factory came to standstill. Everybody came running to the capsulation room where Gladys worked. They found Alibhoy standing beside Gladys dumfounded. Everybody’s wrath fell on Alibhoy. Poor Alibhoy, everybody started scolding him for causing Gladys to cry, and all showered their sympathy on Gladys. Before Gladys could cool down and say anything, Alibhoy was taken to the manager’s room, reprimanded severely, and almost lost his job for pestering a female colleague but for the intercession of Gladys. Gladys was not sure why Alibhoy was taken, virtually dragged, to the Manager’s room. Collecting herself quickly, she ran to the manager’s room and came to know of Alibhoy’s plight, she began to laugh which quickly caught with everybody else around, the factory roared with laughter. When they stopped, everybody began to feel stupid for nobody knew the cause of her laughter. The Manager became very agitated and demanded an explanation. Gladys said, “I could not hold laughing because poor Alibhoy was being scolded on my account and he is not even remotely the cause of my pains. I was miserable because my boyfriend, that SOB cheated on me.” Management on everybody’s request took a lenient view of the matter and forgave her for that time.

Alibhoy was relieved but was mad at Gladys for lying to him about being married. It was Gladys’ turn to pacify Alibhoy. She said, “I am sorry Alibhoy. I lied to you. I was just being playful and did not know you would be so socked. I even did not know you liked me so much. But, anyway, I am not married, so what, I have a boyfriend, and that is almost as good as being married. I was serious in my relationship.” Then in a lighter vein added, “If I had met you, earlier, I sure would have fallen for you. Please darling; don’t feel bad, it all is destiny.” Alibhoy was not sure if she meant all that she just said. She continued, “I was having problems in my relationship with Gonzales. We came together to America and thought I loved him enough to have a steady relationship. I was wrong. That son of a bitch betrayed me.” Alibhoy was too emotional, and could only say, “Never mind, I still am your friend.” Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold, Alibhoy despite his ascetic outward appearance, in the deepest corner of his heart he could not but secretly nurse a longing for beautiful Gladys. Alibhoy had been without the regular company of a woman since long.

“You know what Alibhoy”, said Gladys, “Gonzales told me he was working on the weekends but, he went with this bitch, Claudia, and stayed in motels. D’you know these motels? There, rooms can be rented for few hours only. People go there for whoring. That Gonzales is a whore’s son. He went with Claudia, that harlot, to those heathen hells behind my back.” She was sad and gloomy, not because, she was still in love with Gonzales for she was not, but because of her pride was deflated at being deceived by Claudia. Claudia used to fight with Gonzales in Gladys’ presence, pretending she could not stand him at all. Not even for a moment! Gladys fell in the trap and never bothered about Claudia, as she was watchful of others. She disliked her from long ago. Gladys continued, “I thought, he is earning extra so that we could settle down soon.” She started sobbing uncontrollably. “Hush … don’t cry … Tell me what do you plan to do now?” said Alibhoy with a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes. He did not seem to be overtly saddened by the turn of events. Without replying directly, Gladys said, “You know what… I called that girl and asked her, ‘what do you want’? You want this, (pointing to a particular part of her body) okay, I cut this, and give you this… happy, now go to hell….” Alibhoy said, “Then, what would you do with a castrated bull?” Both began to laugh heartily.

Relieved of the tense atmosphere, they started discussing about their lives in America, their dreams, hopes and aspirations. Alibhoy buoyed by the happy mood began praising America. Little, did he know that he was not destined to live in America for long! He was really in love with America. Everything in America, the bridges, the highways, the tunnels, impressed him so much that he had no words to express. Alibhoy was pouring in eulogy par excellence. He was saying, “They only deal in superlatives, whatever you lay your eyes on, are the biggest, the tallest, the widest, the longest and the deepest in the world. You know America is a country without any discrimination: racial, communal or otherwise … a super country…” At that point, entered King, even with earphones plugged in his ears he overheard Alibhoy praising American ‘equality’. He retorted, “You know Alibhoy, even the American Blacks think, they are much better blacks than the Blacks!”