Chapters:

Chapter 1

PROLOGUE

September 25th 2019 – 6:05 p.m.

Silence. You could hear a pin drop. They had all come together in Sandra’s living room, all of them. Every family on the street. The Johnsons, the Starks, the Itos, the Seales. Even the Joneses with their new baby. There were at least 20 people sitting and standing together in the modest space, shoulder to shoulder and drinks in hand, but no-one spoke. Even Baby Jones sensed the somberness of the moment and refused to cry.  Because absolutely no-one expected to hear what they had just heard. A lone voice boomed from the TV set as they all watched in quiet disbelief.

“Once again, the International Council for Peace has just announced that all immigrants, worldwide, are to return to their country of origin by the year 2021. As you know, this decision has come after years of conventions, protests and unrest in all major cities. The world leaders have signed the Order and are in the process of making final arrangements in their respective countries for the influx – and outflow- of many people. But, you know Jim, this is for the best, isn’t it? I mean, what do you think?”

Jim, the co-anchor, looked uncomfortable. He looked sad and he looked angry. But only for the briefest moment. If you blinked, you would have missed it, because as quickly as they were there, those emotions evaporated and were replaced by the almost tangible resolve to get through the piece.  “Definitely, Joan!” he exclaimed cheerfully, “I know me and my family can’t wait to go back to Antigua and out of the cold!”

“Antigua! Is that in Africa?”

“No, Jan” he chuckled. “The beautiful, Caribbean, you should come vis-…” Their banter was cut short as Sandra turned off the set. Once again, the room was filled with a suffocating silence, but this time, they all new what the other was thinking. Sandra was the one to burst the bubble.

“So, I guess that’s that…” she said with a forced cheerfulness, reminiscent of Jim’s resignation just a moment before.  Her neighbor Emma, on the other hand was not having it.

“No, Sandra, that is not that! THAT is outrageous! How can they do this to you? Why should you have to leave the US just because you’re black? This is shitty. This is wrong. We can’t just stand by and…”

“Stand by and what, Emma?” Samuel Ito from across the street piped up. “Stand by and let this happen? That’s all we’ve been doing for the last 5 years! And this is the result. We have no one to blame but ourselves, Emma. No one but ourselves” The last line was a whisper as the weight of the announcement seemed to crush him and he fell to his knees. His wife, Tayo quickly crouched next to him and cradled him to her bosom. As they crumpled to the floor and began to sob, one by one the other neighbors, those who would not be forced out of their homes,  those who once again seemed to hide behind that imaginary wall called “White privilege”, silently filed out of the living room and  into the night.