A lost girl in the city…

My first appointment with the lawyers was in Melbourne CBD. I have to tell you using public transport was unfamiliar to me…I was living far from the city. First, a bus, a train to the city and finally a 15-20 minutes walk to the office. I needed to charge a myki card to travel in a very unfamiliar place. But I had to…

I wasn’t sure of which train station to get off from…so I had two choices: guessing or asking someone. Instead of stepping out at North Melbourne, I was advised to continue to Flinders Station, Australia’s iconic first steam railway line opened in 1854.

Everyone worked faster…everyone looked busier than everything I was used to. I used my maps and found the place easily. My heart was bouncing… I was meeting a lawyer to discuss my case and I did not know what it involved.

The Christmas tree that welcomed me in the lobby at Sabelberg Morcos made me feel calm…My first Christmas away from home felt so weird…but I was ready for whatever it was bringing to me.

I met Miss M. She talked me through what was the process. First I needed to go to the Red Cross to get some assistance from the migration support. I think I jumped on a tram from Elisabeth Street and got a bit lost…decided to walk and finally got on Villiers street.

My caseworker at the Red Cross was lovely. She talked so kindly as if she truly understood how I felt (worried, lost). I looked into her eyes and wondered how many women she had met before in the same situation. Suddenly I felt so much admiration for the work she was doing. Did she even get to know how grateful I was to be received and helped by her? If she reads this one day maybe in case I didn’t say thank you enough. She helped me explain the bank account requirements, and got me some immediate support…$ 150. I needed to collect it from any Commonwealth bank.

I felt relieved because I did not expect to be supported in any way. My mind shifted after that. It started dreaming about what I would use the money for. It was the first money I received since I had been in Australia…

I needed to buy a thank you card and maybe some chocolate for the family that had given me a home for my first 30 days in Australia. Which I happily did. I went to a Woolworth and added a bottle of Jacob’s Creek white wine on top of it. I felt so grateful for having had an opportunity to live in a family for those first difficult days.

Even now, I smile thinking about how kind they were to me: Thank you. To you who take on strangers and welcome them by letting compassion wins over fear.