The Black Man and his Visa

4. How could I raise 700 000 francs (1400 dollars) to buy my ticket?

29 4 4 How could I raise 700 000 francs (1400 dollars) to buy my ticket? s I had the visa in hand, I called one of my little sisters and some of my relatives and informed them I had the visa. They did not take it lightly. There was great joy. I went home to await my cousin with whom I had stayed all along in Douala during the visa process. When she returned home, I told her the surprise news: “Visa in hand.” It was wonderful. She said an “X” visa was not the easy type to have. “X” means it is a student visa for an indefinite stay as compared to an “F” (business) visa or an “L” (tourist) visa. We rejoiced in this miracle. I also informed Mr. Thomson that I had the visa already, and he expressed great joy and promised he would send my flight ticket. From Douala, I returned to my hometown in Santa in north-western Cameroon. I stayed home. I patiently waited for my flight ticket. If by any chance Mr. Thomson did not send it as promised, I had to be hoping for other avenues. While waiting for divine grace to do its work, I thought it was time for me to do some charity work. Therefore, I went back to the school in my village where I had been teaching for two years for almost nothing as a salary. They had given me 12 000 FCFA ($24) a month. I decided to continue the charity work there in January and February, leaving the $24 a month to my parents. Things were not easy. There were many obstacles. The days wore by, and I never had means to buy the flight ticket. December passed, and I did not have this money. January A 30 came and went, no ticket; February came and went, no money. March 2005 came, and I did not have this ticket. Everything was so silent about my ticket. Nothing was working for me. It was as if the gods too had forgotten about me. My visa indicated, “Enter before March 22nd 2005.” It was already early March. What could I do to enter China before March 22? I was confused. It was urgent and necessary that I enter China. My misery was unbearable. I did all the prayers and meditations a human being could do when facing a situation. I did novenas after novenas to the saints. I called on the angels, the saints and my ancestors and put my problem to them. I had been launching these prayers since January, and by March I started having ecstatic dreams and visions. In the dreams and visions, I was already in China, and it was a wonderful life. I felt the bliss only to realize later it was a dream. I dreamt that all difficulties were already resolved and I was right there in China. These dreams were happening frequently until I told myself that these dreams meant my spirit was already in China, and if the spirit was there, it meant I was there. I told myself that if my spirit was already there, it meant that something would eventually happen to move my body to join its spirit counterpart in China. I strongly believed it like this, and that eventually happened. I had written to my uncle in the United States of America in January and told him I had my visa to China and needed help to buy the ticket. I had not heard the reply, so I wrote again in February reminding – imploring – him to assist me for my flight ticket. It was already early March, and I had not yet heard anything. Around the 10th of March – just ten days before the invalidity of my visa –, I almost gave up. With just ten days remaining, what could happen? In life one never 31 knows. A surprise happened on March 15. My cousin in Douala gave me a phone call. She said my uncle in the United States sent 450 000 FCFA ($900) to help me buy my flight to China. When I heard this news, I could not express my feelings in words. I was extremely happy. I felt a kind of bliss I had never felt. I felt as if something had lifted me from the ground and I was floating. I felt so light, almost like a feather...