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第1页共4页UNIT1ThePermitIthinkthebuildingmusthavebeenusedasafarmer’swinterstoreforIfoundpilesofforgottendriedchestnutsandgraininrottenbarrels.Itriedthechestnutsbuttheytastedsour,Paulosaidhewouldbringmefood,butthatwasthreedaysago.Yesterday,Iheardacarenginegettingcloser,andclimbeduptohideinthebeamsofthepatchedroof.Butthemenjustlookedinquicklythroughtheworn-outwindowsandbrokendoorsbeforetheyleft.Iclungtothedustywoodenbeam,feelingitwouldbendundermyweight,andtriedtomakenonoise.Myarmsandlegsgrewnumb,andthenbegantotremble.Ilongedtomove,butIwaiteduntilIheardthepolicemendriveoff.Iknowthattheywillreturn.Whenwebeganthefinalpartofourjourney,wewerewarnedthatthepolicepatrolledthelandaroundhereregularly.Theyarealwayssearchingforus,orotherslikeus;thecoastofMoroccoandthepresidioofCeutaareonlytenmilesawayacrosstheStraits.ThatishowIgothere:squeezedinwithfifteenothermeninashallowboatmeantforeight,withthecoldwavesreachingoverthesidesandthenightdeepandblackasatomb.Ihadneverbeenmorescared.Iprayedallthewayacross,andthoughtaboutmyfamily.Itoldmyself,overandover,thatIwasdoingitforthem.Thattriptookalmostallofmymoney.AllofthemoneyIhadsavedinEcuador.Theboatmenleftusonabeachinthemiddleofthenight.Welostsightofthembutwecouldstillheartheirsmallengineacrossthewaves.Sixofusstartedwalkinginlandbuttheotherswaitedforthecontacts,thefriendsoftheboatmen,astheyhadbeentold.Wewerelucky:wemetPaulo.Wefoundthetownandwaiteduntilthefirstbaropened;Iwentinalonewhiletheothershidintheorchardnearby.WhenIaskedforacupofcoffee,theyoungbarmanlookedatmeandnodded.Hemadethecoffee,andthendisappearedintothebackroom.Coldandwithoutstrength,Iwrappedmyhandsaroundthewarmcup,notcaringwhetherthebarmanhadcalledthepolice,notcaringaboutthenextmoment,justaboutthepresent.ButthemanhadcalledPaulo,whocameandhelpedus.Paulowasalwayssmiling,alwayshappy.HewasfromSeville,abusycityofmanypeople,andheknewmanypeople.Paulofoundworkforus.Imadegoodmoneyonthefarms.Ipickedcabbages,beans,cucumbersandpeas.Ipickedgreatroundyellowsquashesthatsmelledofrichperfumewhenyoubrokethem.Thefarmershiredusbytheday,andwerecontent.Thelocalpeoplewouldneverworkforthewageswewerepaid.Butthereweremanyfarms,andmanycropstobepicked.Wewerewelcomed.Isharedasmallcleanhouseinthetownwithsevenotherworkers.WehadjourneyedfromEcuador,Colombia,Venezuela,evenArgentina.Paulofoundthehouseforus—heknewthelandlordandarrangedagoodprice.Welivedwell,withenoughfoodandsometimeswine.IearnedmoreinaweekthanIcouldinthreemonthsbackhomeiftherehadbeenworktodothere.Isentmostofthemoneythatwaslefttomywifeandparents,andwrotemanyletterstothem.Thenthegovernmentchangedtherulessothatweneededworkpermits.Iqueuedwithhundredsofotherworkers,waitingfortheapplicationforms.Wesatonthestonebenchesbeneaththetreesandreadtheforms.Someoftheotherworkerswerefromsmallvillagesandtowns,andcannotreadaswellasIcan,soIexplainedtothemthatthegovernmentwantedourbirthcertificates,drivinglicenses,passportsandmanyotherdocuments.Manyoftheworkershadperhapsoneortwoofthesedocuments,butmosthadnone.Ihelpedtheothers第2页共4页completetheformsandwegavethemtotheclerk.Helookedatourdocuments,stampedtheformsmanytimesandtoldusthattheywouldbesenttoMadrid,andourpermitswouldbereturnedintwoorthreemonthsiftheformswereapproved.Wehadtowait.EvenPauloandhisfriendscouldnothelpus.Thefirstmonthwasnottoobadasmostofthefarmerscontinuedtouseus;theircropswererich,waitingtobepicked.ThensomemenfromMadridvisitedallofthefarms,andmaybehalfofthefarmersstoppedusingus.Thefarmerstoldusthattheyweresorry,andweunderstoodthem.Sothesecondmonthwasworse:onlyafewofthefarmerswoulduseus,andthosethatdidpayverypoorwages.Wesharedwhatwehad,andateonceaday:rice,porridge,bread,cheapfoodthatwouldfillourstomachs.Webegantostareateachother,andwonderwhichofuswouldfindwork.Therewerefightsinthemorning,betweendifferentgroupsofworkers,whenthefarms’supervisorscametochoosewhowouldworkthatday.Butstillwehadsomehope.Welostthehouseinthethirdmonth,aswehadnomoneyforrent.Wewereabletogetsomefoodfromthecharitykitchensaroundthetown,andthechurch,butwefoundalwaysalongqueueandverylittlefood.Wetookourbagsandblanketsandsleptinthefields.Thentheweatherbecamecoldandwesleptwherewecould,huddletogether,inoldforgottenbuildingsandalleys.SometimesIdreamedofmyfamily,andwhenIawoke,Iwishedthedreamcouldcontinue.Thepeopleofthetownstaredatusfromthesidesoftheireyesastheypassedus.Theyclenchedtheirhandsandmuttered,andsomeofthemspatonthepavement.Afewofuswereattackedandbeateninthedark,anddrivenfromtheparksandstreets.Allofthetime,thepolicetoldustomoveon,moveon.Itistheendofthethirdmonthwhenithappened.Thefarmershiredcoachesandsentthemintothetown.Fromfouro’clockinthemorningwewaitedinagitatingsilence,handspusheddeepintopockets,ourhatspulleddowntightagainstthecoldandthewatchingpolicemen.Bythetimethecoachesarrived,therewerehundredsofworkerswaitinginthedarkness.Wepressedforwardasthedoorsopened.Thesupervisorsstoodonthebottomstepsofthecoachesandasked,“Whohasthepermit?”Themenwithpermitsheldthemupandwereallowedontothecoaches.SomeoftheworkerswerefromthecountriesinEuropeanddidnotneedpermits,sotheywereallowedo