It's been some time now, and we're still traveling. We stayed in Milan, Italy, for a few months with a friend, and headed to Torino. My mom by now had found out that she was expecting again, this made baby #3. I can only imagine how frightening it must have been, to not know where you are going, how you'll provide for your family, and finding out that you have another mouth to feed. My mom was 27, that's how old I am now. I can't even begin to understand how they must of felt. All of the worries that I have today, seem so minor to what their worries were back then.
It was now winter, and close to Christmas. I had no clue back then what Christmas was. We were down to our last $400.00 USD, my parents we're trying to figure out how to finally get out and come to Canada. My dad went in to the place where you get your visa. To this day my dad says that the guy at the front that was approving the visas looked like Hitler, and just as mean. When my dad got to the front, he didn't even get a chance to explain to the guy our situation, he just got turned away with a decline.
Clearly, I don't have the right way of expressing his emotions after that. But you can imagine the fear, pain, anxiety, just to name a few. You're in a new country, barely able to speak the language, out of money, pregnant wife, two kids, no job, no hope and only 27!
My dad says that he was wondering the streets for hours just sobbing, not knowing where to go and what to do. What a heavy burden that must of been on him. It was Christmas eve, and snowing. He found himself in front of a huge Catholic church, with a larger than life gold cross on the outside. He walked his way to the front, where hundreds of candles were lit in front of him. He said " I looked up, and saw Jesus on the cross, and my heart just exploded and I cried and cried". " I started talking to Jesus and I just said, look, I know that you are not my God, but you are the God of these people and the God of this country. I need your help, and I promise you that if you help me, I will light 5 candles on the eve of your birth ever year to show you my appreciation." My dad said that as he stood up and started to walk, he looked up at this huge ceramic Jesus on the cross, and it smiled at him. He said every direction I went His eyes followed me.
So the next day, my dad went back to the same office, stood in front of the same guy, presented our passports, and just as the guy came to say no, again, the guy smiled and gave us our visas. It was amazing and truly a miracle. We ran to catch the trains, my mom, my sister and my self got on the train, and as my dad was standing outside to pay for our tickets, the train began to move. Before we knew it, we were screaming for my dad, and just like in the movies, my dad was running, like his life depended on it (literally) and he got on with the help from a few young men. I remember I was balling my face off, thinking that we had lost my daddy, and just as he came to hug me and to wipe my tears away, I punched him in the gut, and told him not to do that again. We still have a good chuckle about that one.
We made it to Canada, and my dad lit those candles every Christmas eve for 14 years.
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