(981) In a Free state by V.S.Naipaul

Apart from Jonathan Living Seagull, this is probably the second book I read that was written by a Nobel Prize winner.

This book is made up of five sections. My favorite is One Out of Many. It basically is the story of an Indian man who accompanied his boss to work in Washington DC. He left the boss' employment one day and went to work in a restaurant. Thus he became an illegal worker. Quite some time later he married an American citizen and became a Permanent Resident. What was unsaid was what happened to his family in the rural village in India. Did he just forget them? Did he continue to send money to look after them?

I too, had my chance of becoming an American. After my first degree, I was given six month's work permit which was renewable for another half a year. I worked for one summer and decided to return to my home country. It sounded very stupid to most people at that time. I was given a full scholarship if I decide to pursue my second degree in the University of Texas. At the very least I could have worked for another three to nine months before returning. But at that time I just accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. I wanted very much to be obedient to God. He showed it clearly that I should return as soon as possible.

It took almost thirty years for me to see that I am having a better future here than if I had chosen to stay on in the States. In the first place, I was being courted by a nice young man who happened to be a Navy Pilot there. Had I stayed on, most probably I would have married him. Subsequent to that US went through many wars: Kuwait, Afganistan and Iraq. Who was to say if I had not became a war widow with a few young children to raise on my own?

Comparing the economic situation of USA to my country now, it seems that I am much better off in Asia at this period of time. But of course I could not see all that so many years ago as a young college graduate. It took God who knows about the future to tell me to return. He has good plans for me; in listening to him: I chose to embrace those plans


Note:
Contents: Prologue, from a Journal: The Tramp at Piraeus 1
               One out of Many 15
               Tell me who to kill 54
               In a Free State 99
               Epilogue, from a Journal: The Circus at Luxor 240