DANGEROUS ARRANGEMENTS

AMERICA, LAND OF THE FREE

It was now 1972 and with little opportunity for progress in India, my mother applied for an opportunity to travel with her fellow nursing peers to Europe or the United States. She was chosen and was offered gainful employment. 

The only thing standing in her way was the thought of being apart from my father. My parents both carefully considered their options and concluded that this would be a huge opportunity that they should not be pass up. 

It would also be a way for them to facilitate their dreams of having a new start and a chance to start a family like they had always dreamed about.

There were many success stories circulating from peers and other hospital staff who had successfully acquired work visas to the United States within the past year. Plus, it wasn't as though India could compete with the kind of wages that foreign countries were paying. 

With this confidence in mind, the sacrifice of temporary distance was made.

During this time, my mother found out that her cousin Sara and her husband Thomas had also departed to the U.S. nearly a year earlier. Although they were no longer on speaking terms, a mutual friend disclosed that they were both able to establish good-paying jobs and a home in the United States.

This was just the push that my mother needed to make a decision whether to stay in India or leave for a better life for her and my father. She was given a choice between Germany or the United States, and she chose the United States.

As the date approached for my mother's departure, my parents spent every waking moment they had together. There were many nights of silent tears being shed, even thoughts of reconsideration. 

But at the end of the day, they both knew that their love was strong enough to withstand anything even long distance. 

Through the experiences of some of the other nurses in the program, my mother discovered that there were sponsorship opportunities. This meant, if my mother got a sponsor, she might be able to bring my father to the US to join her. 

They both held onto this glimmering piece of hope.

In the days to follow, my mother's application had finally cleared the initial screening process and the next step was for her to complete an interview at the U.S. Embassy. 

Arriving promptly at 9 a.m., my father accompanied my mother to a line that held 300 other applicants. The heat was blazing and the energy was hopeful. After many long hours, it was finally my mother's turn. She was interviewed and approved on the spot for an employment visa in the United States.

The news was bittersweet. An incredible opportunity was now officially happening, but that also meant my parents had to face the reality of their long-distance separation. In two weeks, my mother would be making her way to the United States. 

At this time, communication was sparse. There were no cell phones and no opportunities to send text messages. Landlines were the best options, but even they were hard to come by and expensive to use. Letters and telegrams were the most commonly used methods of communication, often taking days to receive.