He had to wait to get those things without which a person simply couldn’t live in Canada : A work permit, a social insurance number, a health card, ...nd an actual J.O.B. In time, he earned himself these things. The moment he got a work permit, which he had to renew every year, he went looking for a job. Even though he had college degrees from the U.S. he couldn’t find work in his field because he wasn’t a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. And he wasn’t an American citizen. The large dining area was set with plates, tablespoons, forks, glasses of water, and a pile of napkins for those who wanted them. It was possible that Anabel's family ate their meals, "province style," without utensils, but we did not. It was our table and I assumed they would adjust if they needed to do so.I had not specified a suppertime to Anabel when she was with me. There was no need to do so. Prepaid cell phone with P30 loads are common and everyone texts all the time. The time for supper. Main samajh gayi thi ki kuch to gadbad hai. Maa ke rahte bhi pichle baar Amit bhaiya mere sath shararat kar rahe the. Par aaj maa kitchen mein itni door thi to bhi. Ek baat to main jaanti thi, mard jangli sher jayse hote hai, agar unka paet bhara ho to samne bakri ke bache ko bhi jate dekh kuch nahi karte.Par Amit bhaiya ka paet kayse bhara hua tha? Aakhir woh interview hi gaye the na, ya kahi aur?Ab mere dimaag mein keeda ghus chuka tha is baat ko pata lagane ki. Main ye sab soch baithi hui. The tall gates swung inward toward the lane, a silent and not altogether reassuring invitation for her to enter. Swallowing hard, having no other options, she picked up her small suitcase and sucked in a deep breath before forcing herself to walk past the silent threshold. No sooner had she entered then the gates swung closed again, shutting with another jarring clang, and accompanied by an unsettling, decisive sound that it was irrevocably locked behind her. Whatever awaited her, she knew that.