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Twin Falls by Alexander Mikhaylov 2007-12-28 13:12:31 |
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Arrival We flew over to Twin Falls, Idaho on the Flag Day - An immigration worker who picked us up at the airport Seemed genuinely surprised when We mentioned the Flag Day to him ‘The Flag Day? Wow! Do you know about the Flag Day? I forgot all about it myself.’ It was our third day in the USA. We were political refugees Fresh from Hungarian Red Cross camp And we were tired Upon our arrival We received twenty bucks in cash at a local bank. On top of it Immigration authorities rented for us A shoebox of a house. It looked like a dusty old toy but It had everything: a living room, a bedroom, A bathroom and a walk-though kitchen - all real tiny But it was better than Common rooms with bunk-beds at the Red Cross camp. We unpacked our bags and waited for volunteers, Like those we’d read about in a small brochure called ‘Immigration to the USA’ Back in the camp, but they’ve never come. Perhaps the town’d run out of the volunteers, but we hardly minded. I only wished we had a bit more than 20 bucks. I was low on cigarettes and my wife needed tampons But a fridge was stacked with canned food and There was a plenty of soap and toilet paper in the bathroom, A fruit bowl, filled with bananas and apples, stood on the kitchen table And a jar of instant coffee was tucked onto a shelf, and a cute kitchen towel With a needlework caption ‘A home is where your heart is’ was hung above the sink. In short, we were OK. We hadn’t seen anyone except an immigration worker, then A couple weeks later. I spotted a group of men Approaching the house. It was the first time Strangers appeared at our doorsteps. I felt a bit uneasy, for These guys looked like hit men: dressed in black Well pressed trousers, white shirts and black ties, huge bellies hanging out like sacks of ammo -- Serious dudes. They turned out to be a delegation from the Mormon Church, The pillars of the society who Cared about salvation of our souls. Since then they went on pestering us day after day Talking about their beliefs. the evils of tobacco, caffeine, and booze; giving us Brochures. Books of Mormon and Bibles with the slightest provocation. Soon our tiny house got full of bibles And small porcelain figurines of baby Jesus. One day I collected them all, shoved them into a cardboard box And carried the box down to the basement. Two years later We decided to move to San Francisco. We packed our bags and drove off Leaving behind old clothes, a broken lamp and All those Bibles and figurines staked in the basement. I hope our landlord, who belonged to that church, Found them, so nothing was wasted.
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