Not All The Way Home 3

Part 3

Growing up was a trap Kate concluded! Life was so much easier before. Now she had to fight for what she believed in, she had to stand up for what was right and unbelievably, demand in some way  to be respected where she was looked down on. Finally, she was glad to have Mrs. in her corner as it took less energy now. Mrs. was a handful to deal with if you were not in her good books. Kate was not there to make best friends but to work, however, a cordial environment would certainly help.

The office was definitely different since six colleagues were laid off, there were mixed feelings, there was anger, people were still not convinced that the true reason was given why so many were let go. The case was reported to the National Human Rights Commission by two of the people who were let go. The Commission wrote to make enquiries of the case but was given a flimsy, very well thought out response that paralysed the Commission from taking any action. Knowing that this was an international organisation in a host country, there were restrictions as this organisation was covered by diplomatic immunities and privileges, there was not much the Commission could do.

There were times Kate felt like her life was no longer hers. She lived in a bubble, she wanted to fit in but was fine not fitting in, as she wasn’t one to follow the crowd. Her social life revolved around nearly the same people, but that was something she could not control very much. She had no reason to complain really as she had a good life. One of the downsides of her life as an expat was that the people in the expat community changed frequently. For someone like her who didn’t try very much with friends, just when she would start to get close to someone, their posting would come to an end. It made it harder for her but at the end, it was the life she had chosen.

Kate had always loved to travel, she travelled even more now and didn’t have to back pack, except she chose to, because now she could afford to stay at nice hotels. These were some of the perks that came with her job but she also wondered if this was all there would be to her life. She only had fleeting relationships with the opposite sex as she hardly stayed long enough in a place to build one. She also was afraid of committing because it would be a limitation on her freedom. Having friends with benefits seemed to work fine for her so far. She had always been a third culture kid, her family had moved from country to country while she grew up, so this life was not new to her. However, there was a new feeling that she could not explain. A restlessness, a search for something deeper. Her contract got extended, she was supposed to be happy but…

Kate started to plan her future, she was unsure what to do next, not sure whether to remain in this country or go, but she was certain that as striking as it may sound, she didn’t want to return to or live in the country she currently worked for, not anytime soon...