The story of a refugee- a short story by Maria-Elena Heed

 

I was born in  Chile,  lived  in the UK for over 40 years, but seven years ago we moved to Spain.

In September 1973 Salvador Allende was overthrown by the Chilean militaries financed and  supported by the USA. Consequently  mum, my two siblings and I fled to Argentina leaving all our belongings behind in search of our father who crossed the Andes by foot.  My father was on the military's hit list for being Allende's supporter, he would've been killed if found as it was the fate of many people.

 My middle sibling and I weren't safe either. We lived clandestinely staying  in different safe houses while our mum was finding the safest way for us to travel to Argentina.

We lived in San Juan, Argentina for a year or so  until my mother came to the knowledge that some Chileans were seeking refuge and being accepted under the protection of the UN in the capital, Buenos Aires. So we went there as many other families did and applied to become refugees with the UN and we were accepted. 

I met my first husband in Buenos Aires who was also a refugee and in 1976 my beautiful daughter and my best friend was born. We weren't aware of the UN regulations that when you marry, you form part of a different family nucleus. This  meant that  any applications made before we were married to go to a particular country with our parents and siblings sadly,  were no longer applicable and the family was split.  So  my mother, father and younger sister were accepted in Belgium. My middle sister went to Canada with her new husband; and my first husband received a grant from  the World University Service (WUS), so we embarked our journey to the UK, to our new life, he as a student and I as a young mother of an 8 months old baby missing mum so much.  

In March 1977 we landed at Heathrow airport. I cannot express  the feeling of freedom and happines, and without living with the fear we had in Chile and Argentina of being arrested. In March 1976 while in Argentina we lived a second  coup. This regime was as bad as the Chilean regime. Refuge places were constantly under siege and we came to the knowledge later that the militaries had a pact with the Chilean militaries to return people who were on their hit list.

 I always remember this particular case of this brave  young man who lived in the same refuge place where my first husband lived. This place  was raided on a regular basis and the people living there were interrogated as if they were criminals. This particular day this young man  said to the officer in charge that they couldn't touch us as we were under the protection of the UN and they had to answer to them. This officer swore at him, turned the young man  round and pinned the blue card on his back and said to him the card didn't have any value and took him away. We never knew of his destiny. 

So, yes I was happy and relieved to leave all that aggression, abuse of power and uncertainty behind us. 

Life throws us some challenges on our way and make us what we are today!