Somewhere in Europe

When I saw her, I almost started crying. I glanced at her from beyond the curtain. She doubtlessly had been a gorgeous young woman. If you had a closer look at her now, you could still see her beauty, although her harmonious even taint looked pale, and her face expressed nameless fear and anxiety.

For Mirem it had been an honor to come to Lalunia. This privilege was reserved for only one student of all universities in her home country. Meland had long been separated from the rest of Europe. The former conservative government had tried everything to keep the Melandian culture separated from foreign influences. The fact that Meland was an isolated island in the Atlantic Ocean made it easy for the regime to keep these restrictions up.

I gazed at her again. Her eyes were open; she was awake for the first time after she had lapsed into a coma. With huge effort she tried to smile at me, but it wouldn't work. Once again the pictures of the fateful evening passed my mind and made me shiver. It happened on my birthday. Olea, one of my friends, suggested going to Keku, a huge city with uncountable opportunities to enjoy life. My friends and I had been there often, but for Mirem it was a premiere, since she had arrived only recently.

The day I first met Mirem was sunny, in fact it was the only nice day we had had so far during this spring. When I walked around the corner of my apartment building I bumped into a young lady. Immediately I was fascinated. Her long bended eyelashes and her dark curly hair attracted me instantly: this was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. The coffee she was carrying in her left hand splashed all over her and me. I was so puzzled that I couldn't say a word, whereas she started laughing out loud. That made me even more confused. Who in the world would start giggling, when disgusting hot brown fluid was running over arms and belly down to the knees and destroy clothes irreversibly? I apologized, but she wouldn't stop chuckling. The sound of the tittering girl echoed along the street, and then I couldn't hold back anymore and joined in. We both fell about laughing, and passengers would shake their heads because of our childish behavior.

Mirem took my hand and looked at me questioningly. ”What happened after the huge guy had grabbed my arm and had thrown me on the floor?” “Are you sure you want to know? I think you should get some more sleep. I will tell you later,” I answered, expecting that the extent of what had happened might keep her from recovering soon.

It had been only half a year that the Melandian freedom fighters had taken over the government, and freed its citizens of all former restraints. From that moment on the country tried to open up towards the rest of the world, especially towards Europe. “The day the old government resigned, was a day I will never forget,” Mirem told me during a coffee after our accident on the street. We talked for three and a half hours, both of us missing our lectures in the morning. Her parents and most of her relatives had been fighting for almost thirteen years to receive more civic liberties. Finally one of their family members was allowed to visit the European continent.

However, Meland was far from popular in some circles in Lalunia. The Melandian ground held plenty of mineral resources, which made the unemployment rate decline to almost zero. Therefore, the government offered lucrative work permits to European citizens. The problem was that it was hard to get those permits, especially for Lalunians since many of them applied. Only a few chosen ones could leave for Meland and start a new life.

Mirem realized quickly that she wasn't always a welcomed guest. First she didn't know why, but gradually she understood that many people were jealous. Where does this envy come from, she asked herself. The answer didn't take long. Lalunians, who didn't get the opportunity to build up a new life in Meland, swore themselves that Melandians would not get a chance in Lalunia either, if they were ever allowed to leave their island. It was not hard for them to find out about Mirem's existence. A few days after her arrival, she was on every TV channel. The sensation was perfect: only a few people had ever seen a Melandian citizen. Mirem's darker skin and her conspicuous look made people notice her on the streets instantly.

The night we went out with my friends was the perfect opportunity to make Mirem familiar with the Lalunian night life. She was not used to the custom of going out at all, but she enjoyed it from the beginning. We were wondering what Melandians do instead of clubbing on a Saturday evening. Mirem only smiled, and promised to show us one day.

The trouble started later that night at one of my favorite clubs. A group of five drunk young men started to call her names and deliberately bumped into her. First we tried to ignore them, but they wouldn't stop. Far from it. The group got more and more aggressive, and so we decided to leave. Outside the club we saw some supporters of the newly founded Anti-Meland-Association. Olea called a taxi immediately. We got in, and were happy to get out of town safely. All of us assured Mirem how terribly sorry we were for what had happened that night.

What occurred next is so unreal that I can hardly believe it myself. We had to stop at an intersection. Suddenly everything came about at once: A car blocked our way, some hooded men opened Mirem's door, cut off her seat belt and pulled her out of the car. At least six young boys with stubborn, determined looks pushed her on the floor, kicked her and cursed Meland. The whole incidence was over in less than a minute. The group took off and left Mirem behind – helpless, unconscious and seriously injured.

I sat next to Mirem's bed for two hours. The doctor said that she will recover physically, although many scars will remind her of what had happened for the rest of her life. Thinking of this disgraceful incident I feel like a stranger – in my own country.