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Jimi looked through the window. After three months of struggling, he had finallyou fufilled his dreams of making it to America. He'd sold all he had back in Nigeria and saved up all his money just for this trip and after all the illegal journeys through the seas and deserts. He remembered how he had been thrown of ship, thankfully near a shore and had to swim for his life. He also remembered how he had been nearly traded for organs but had escaped through a miracle of some sort. But now, he felt all the suffering was worth it.
He was finally in the land flowing with milk and honey; where all dreams come through. It was the land of possibilities and hopes. As he breathed in American oxygen for the first time, he couldn't wait to see the whole of America. He longed to see manicured lawns and white picket fences, the statue of liberty he'd always heard about and seen on tv. How about the empire state building or the numerous bridges? He would love to go to Washington Dc and see the White House. Surely, there was a lot to see in this country.
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He remembered how he had been advised by people against traveling to America illegally. They had told him of the countless number of people who had encountered their death in Libya and other places on their way to Europe or America. At first, he had been scared to follow suit but some way or the other he had garnered courage to go on the trip and now that he was here, he hoped to never return to Nigeria again. After all, he had suffered a lot in Nigeria.
The Nigerian government was callous and selfish. They heartily swam in the sea of luxury and watched the masses whom they swore to protect and help as they wallowed in the abyss of poverty. But now he cared less about Nigeria or her citizens, he would now enjoy the rest of his life here in America regardless of what Nigeria did with herself. But just as the bus he was riding in stopped and he alighted, reality dawned on him and his dreams evapourated into thin air.
His stomach erupted like a volcano and he became aware of his hunger. He dipped his hand in his pocket and saw he had just two dollars on him. He began to wonder how he would get food to eat. As he yawned with his mouth wide open, it dawned on him that he had nowhere to sleep tonight. He knew absolutely no one in America and he knew nothing about this strange country. Where would he go from now? Who would he turn to for help? How would he get food to eat, water to drink or a place to rest his head? First things first, he decided to find himself something to eat and then worry about other necessities later.
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As he walked through the quiet and seemingly deserted road pulling his luggage behind him...but looking for a place to get something to eat, thoughts kept flowing through his mind. He'd given his all just to make it to his deemed utopia and now that he was here, he didn't know where to start from. He was stuck in the middle, not knowing what to do next and not being able to turn back anymore. He was so lost in thoughts that he didn't notice as three men walk up to him.
"Hey you" and "Where you going?", were the words that jolted him out of his deep thoughts.
He stared at them blankly, wondering what they wanted from him as he was unable to understand what they were saying due to their accents.
"Can't you talk?", the taller man said
"Seems like our lil' homie here is deaf and dumb." The other man smiled
Immediately, one of the men grabbed at his bag and opened it to begin ransacking it. Jimi jumped at him to get his bag but was immediately pushed back by the tall man. They pushed him to the ground and started kicking him.
'No money in here', the one who had snatched his bag called.
'Damn it!' The tall man said.
The tall man bent down, stuck his hands into Jimi's pocket and said 'Found two dollars'.
He stood up and as he walked off, the other boys followed him.
Jimi just lay there, sobbing on the ground and thinking. . .
So much for greener pastures.
