Double C

Previously, it was commonplace to chat with others when we were on route traveling.

However, not any more.

What is commonplace nowadays is: people closing their eyes, wearing an earphone, eyes fixing on the smartphones, or just looking outside the window to distance from verbal communications with any passengers.

The following story is quite accidental, as I picked it up on the way to Ottawa…

Kass Avzali，25 years old and a limousine driver, is a medical science student from the University of Toronto.

It takes 6 hours’ drive from Toronto to Ottawa. I sat behind the driver’s seat, and talked with him in the 12 hour’s commute back and forth.

For you, a thousand times over

— — Kass Avzali

With Kass, we had only met once on the way to Ottawa. Other than that, we exchanged a few phone calls and emails.

I believe, if at the right time, people are more willing to talk with strangers rather than friends. Because we do not need to worry about who you are and who I am. Also, it may be something deep in our thinking: after the trip, no one cares what we are taking about.

Kass told me that he is Afghan-Canadian. I just followed, oh, I know a book, The Kite Runner and I love it. He said, that it is also his favorite author Khaled Hosseini, and he has already completed three books by Hosseini.

I felt a little surprised and looked at him. He may have noticed, and said: I have been living here for 11years, I love Canada.

For you, a thousand times over.

Hassan The Kite Runner

This is a story about Kass Avzali:

“I remember the day like it was yesterday”, Kass said.

Sept. 22nd 2005, when he was 14 years, Kass came to Canada with his family.

Like every young age newcomer, the first thing what Kass had to face is go to school without even knowing one English word. From parents’ perspective, we are always proud of our kids who can go through this tough situation. However, for children themselves, it always means frustration, confusion and anxiety.

Kass started elementary school just 5 minutes’ walk away from the place he used to live in. His older brother and father started working the first week to support the family, while Kass carried with school alone till about 4 months, when one day he found a poster on the electricity post that said “students wanted, make $300-$500 weekly part time”.

Kass ripped a number from the poster and called it. A lady with a heavy eastern European accent picked up the phone. She agreed to pick him up the next day. You cannot imagine how excited he was. It was not only a part time job for a newcomer, but always a new start and safe future.

Kass ran home and told his parents this good news. Nevertheless, after he told the story, not only his parents thought this was some sort of a joke, but he himself thought like that too.

“I wasn’t expecting anything”, Kass smiled, but, that’s how it started, that’s how it all started, as if this lady injected me with a dose of tranquilizer.

“There is a way to be good again.”

Rahim Khan《The Kite Runner》

“Till this day, I haven’t been without a job” Kass says with pride.

He has done a lot, from selling chocolate on the streets to newspapers using only his gestures and a few broken English words; after a few years he was hired at a coffee shop, grocery store, and bus boy at a restaurant; he has exported cars to different countries, moving furniture, even having his own moving company. Now he is a fleet manager for one of the biggest limousine companies in Ontario.

And, in the meanwhile Kass did go to school, he finished his high school, did 2 years follow-up with medical science at the University of Toronto. “I wanted to be a pharmacist” Kass said.

In the midst of all these a tragic accidents happened back at Kass home, he lost loved ones that put his family in a very tough situation. His focus on school drifted away and he continued to work, sometimes even up to 60 hours straight without a blink.

Kass wants to make sure his family is comfortable; he wants to make a better future for his younger siblings; he says he doesn’t want another him living under the same roof.

“I wanted them to have a childhood, to have a roof over their head and the basic needs for them to go to school and study” Kass said quietly, then he looked at me. Then I was really touched by what he said:

“I’m more than certain my parents would have provided more than that if they were able to, if they were capable of, but sadly my mother was in that same tragic accident that happened back home and she survived, my father got into an accident in Toronto and is unable to work”.

Actually, Kass is a very happy young man and quite upbeat. He laughs and smiles all the way. He said that he is pretty thankful for what he or his family has; he is thankful of his sibling’s progress as well.

“they’re either in college or university or will be going this year” Kass laughed, “seems the bright future is right there now”.

Kass told me that life doesn’t have to be gravy but there is simply food on the table at the end of the day, then he is thankful for that.

“I don’t intend to be rich, I would rather be comfortable with what I have and not have to worry and crave for more. I find relief by seeing my family smile and laugh over the dinner table and that is worth everything to me”.

Kass said he will go back to school one day when he reaches that comfortable level to finish what he had started.

At the end of our chats, I asked him to tell his own story to those Chinese youths in Canada. Kass smiled and said: you can write a story about my experience. I am not good at making speech in public.

I promised him I will do: two versions, one Chinese and one English.

Yes, that’s Kass Avzali, and he is Afghan-Canadian living in Toronto, Canada.