Crossing Boundaries

2050 is a year with no racial discrimination and minimal social conflict. Society has evolved and
equality is present in all areas, but that has not always been the case. My name is Jack,
currently I am fifty years old, but I want to tell a story that occurred over the course of May 2017,
when I was seventeen years old in Toronto, Ontario.

~~~~

In early May, my family and I had immigrated to Canada from Syria to start a new life away from
the crisis in our homeland. Canada is a fresh start from overseas, overseas where there is
conflict, war and the inability to live in a safe environment.

It was even scary to wake up in the morning not knowing whether or not you would live to the
end of the day in Syria. Syria is a country that is currently undergoing a Civil War, where several
different groups (mostly ISIS) are trying to overtake the Syrian government. Luckily, my family,
my father Elias and my mother Yana could flee safely to Germany and successfully be allowed
into Canada as landed immigrants. After three attempts, our family was granted access into
Canada and we were finally allowed to live free.

May 10th, it was my first day of high school in Canada

Father, should I be scared to go to school?

Dont be stupid! All Canadians are nice! Elias said.

At 8:30 am in my downtown Toronto school, it became apparent to me that even in the most
diverse city in Canada, I already did not fit in. Throughout the day there was not one face I
recognized a second time; it was an onslaught of different people every second. None of who
bothered with a greeting; teachers didnt even take the time to introduce themselves because
the school is so large. I felt as if I was invisible - hidden in plain sight.

At the end of the day, I approached one athletic looking student.

I took a step closer to the student to hear his answer but slipped on spilled pop. Unfortunately,
someone filmed my fall, and posted it online. Of course the video went viral in just minutes. I
was so embarrassed.

Over the next couple of days, every step I took down the hallway I could hear everybody talking
about me, or the laughter from different cliques.By Thursdays fifth period chemistry, I finally
mustered the courage to have a social interaction with the teacher.
Mr. Munroe, can I ask you something? I said.
Of course, my job is to answer your questions.
What do I have to do to be socially accepted by my peers?
Jack, you just have to be yourself and let your personality do the talking. he said passionately.

I thought to myself that it was the worst advice I have ever received, but then again he is the
only one who has given me the time of day. My parents do not understand the position Im in -
the embarrassment Ive been feeling for the last several days. They just keep saying that I
should not let the fall interfere with making friends and being successful at school.

The next day, while sitting alone in the library during my lunch period, I flipped through a school
agenda that listed all of the extracurricular activities. Underground Pool Club (Billiards) School
Basement caught my eye.

After school I made my way to the bottom of the building to find a seemingly hidden room at the
end of the basement hallway. I knocked softly, praying I was not being set up for another
disappointment.

Hello? Is anybody here? I said.

I entered the room and see a boy and a girl standing around a pool table in a room that looks
like a unused, unfinished basement. The boy and the girl reflected the qualities of the setting,
beaten up, outcasts, not your typical high school students.

There was one thing that really stood out to me: it seemed I had found one spot that made me
feel comfortable.

Hi, Im Bella fifty percent of the UPC! What brings you down to this neck of the woods?
My name is Jack and I am looking to join a club. I said.
Jack, do you wanna play some pool?
Hey, how could it hurt!
The boy said, See you Bella grabbed his backpack and left.
It was very odd because he did not make an effort to interact with me, he did not even say his
name.

Bella and I played pool, ate ice cream and talked for hours about life and similarities between
us. Her life was almost the same as mine; we both had poor relationships with our parents,
struggled in social environments and felt like we had no safe space.
She had a genuine interest in my past and how I got to Canada. This was the first time that
someone had understood me, not only in Toronto but in my lifetime.

It was such a great time, but I realized it was late and said goodbye quickly because I had to get
home.

Jack wait up! Bella said loudly.

The moment I got home I read the note Bella had written me (because I do not have a cell
phone).
Jack, thank you so much for coming today.

My father came up behind me and snatched the note out of my fingertips and started to read
Bellas writing.

Jack, Who is this girl? She isnt Syrian. You are not to be wasting your time with distractions.
You must do well in school. What are you doing in this club with this girl. I forbid this; we came
to Canada for a better life not to be foolish.

Father, this is the only thing I have, and Im going to continue seeing her and going to the pool
club.

Grab your stuff and get out of my house. I do not want to see you ever again Jack.

For disobeying your parents best interests in the Syrian culture, it is similar to stabbing them in
the back. In my predicament, my parents do not care about me and this was their excuse to kick
me out of their home.

Suddenly I found myself homeless again - first from Syria and now from my family.

I was kicked out of my home and forced into the real world far too soon.I have no friends except
for Bella, and I really dont know her. Really - all I have to lean on is myself.

That night I snuck into the basement of the school through a half open window to keep warm
and sleep safely.

During school the next day, I did not let any of the night before get to me. All I could think about
was getting to my safe haven after school and shooting the eight ball. Even a week after my
viral embarrassment, every student seemed to eye my walk down every corridor and every thirty
seconds you could hear a Hey Klutz!. However, that is the reality of bullying and the creativity
of the adolescent brains I am surrounded by.
Bella and I spent hours that afternoon asking questions, playing pool and spending time with
each other. It was late and the school was empty except for a a couple teachers and the
caretakers.

Do you need a ride home? My grandmother can drive you. Bella said.
I think I should probably walk home
In reality I had nowhere to go but the basement of the school.
I do not think so; come on I will drive you home.
Bella, I have something to tell you. I said.
What is it?
I have no home.
Oh no! What do you mean you have no home?
My father and I have had a poor relationship ever since the day I was born. My whole life, I
have been growing up with unsupportive parents, and last night, I guess, I pushed him over the
top. I was so excited to read the note you gave me that as soon as I got home, I opened it, and
started to read the first line. My father came up to me and ripped it out of my hands. My father
forbade me from seeing you or being apart of the UPC. I fought him on it and I was told to leave
and never come back.
Where did you go?
I snuck into the school through the basement window in the boiler room.
What can I do to help? Please, we need to do something. Living in the basement of our school
is not feasible or legal. You are coming home with me Jack, end of discussion

I cant go home with you.

You can stay with me temporarily, until everything works itself out. You have only been in
Canada for less than two weeks time and you have been through more than the rest of us have
in a lifetime. Let us take care of you and welcome you into our safe home

I ended up giving into Bellas demand and stayed the night with her at her grandmothers
apartment in their extra bedroom.

Are you sure? It is tough ask to take someone into your home that you barely know. Its not
really fair to your grandmother.

This is what I want Jack.

The next morning, Bellas grandmother felt sorry for me and allowed me to stay for the rest of
the school year.

At school, everything improved: my academic marks were very high, and I started to make
friends. I became a much happier person.
After everything I experienced, I decided to reflect on what happened in a journal about my
experiences.

It is amazing what Bella has done for me; she is the the only reason that I am not living on the
street or in a juvenile detention center. I never believed in love until she became a part of my life
and now I believe that love at first sight is a reality. Relationships with others are the centerpiece
of success and are important for they allow you to cope in the unfair world we live in.

Living with Bella for the rest of the school year, I realized that developing strong relationships
with others is needed to be happy, especially during high school because you need that extra
shoulder to pull you up when you are down. When I first arrived at school, I kept to myself and
did not really try to make friends. I am lucky because I found that support system that provided
me with significant opportunities.