The day was finally here. Today I was traveling to the United States of America. . Earlier this month I lost my house and my job. That was the main reason for me living this country. I was born in 1902, in a state called Hungary in Europe. My parents died when I was 3 years old, so I never got to know them.

Now I stood in line waiting to get in the ship, which was bringing me to my dreams. As I stood in the line a man walked towards me and shouted:

”Hey you, what are you doing here, you are limping they will never let you trough”.

Although I knew that I was limping I answered: “What I’m limping, are you completely blind”.

When we got in the ship, I saw 3 different classes; I was in the steerage class. In first class I saw many wealthy men; one of them was carrying a golden ring on his finger. “He looks like a very rich man, why the hell is he here” I thought to myself. In the second class I saw many average people; they were not to rich or not to poor. 

The class I stood in consisted basely poor people. Suddenly a man from the first row came towards me and said, “why america”? I want to fulfill “the American dream”! I answered rapidly. He laughed at me while he said:” there is No American dream, it is just a fraud”. I obviously could see that this man had been drinking, so I did not care. In the horizon I caught a glimpse of “the statue of liberty”. A warm and a pleased feeling rushed trough my stomach. It was beautiful, I cold see the fire burning inside the paw of the statue. I felt like a child on Christmas day.

It was evening when our ship arrived the harbor of New York. It did not dock but stayed out in the cold blue water. I had spent the entire night on the top floor watching the stars that surrounded this attractive city. I wanted to go to bed, but I just cold not sleep, I was to excited to go to bed.

I could not afford the boat journey across the ocean and that’s why I had signed a work contract with a very rich and wealthy man called Al Capone. He said that he would pay for the ticket if I did some work for him later. And I couldn’t say No to a so good offer. He also said that he would be waiting for me in New York. Suddenly the boat stopped and two examiners entered the boat. The examiners were wearing a long white cape, in the cape they had many different gear and tools. The examiners went directly to first and second class. The steerage class was brought to small ferries which drove then to Ellis Island. At first I didn’t realized that they were taking us to Ellis Island. But when I saw the huge structure I almost pied in my pants. We were brought to a hall where we saw the medical examiners. I had a limping problem. I was hoping that the guard wouldn’t notice it. As I stood in the line a shiver went to my whole body. The suet on my body was becoming more and more visible.

I thought about my father and my mother who got sent back from exactly this place. I couldn’t let that happen to me.

“Well, step up” said the examiner, it was a steer I’ve had to climb, to reach the examiner I did everything to hide my limping. Suddenly the examiner said: “stop”, I stopped and looked at the examiner.

“can you please come with me” said the other examiner.

I went down the steers and into a little room.

“So, what’s you’re name”? The examiner asked me

“My name, sir”? My name is Fazal Ishaq.

“Could you please walk this distance”.

He pointed to a little “mountain” that they had sat up to test the immigrants.

“Of curse” I responded. I went to the “mountain”.

As I was walking towards the mountain the examiner said to me.” I know you have a limping problem, you don’t have to hide it”

I turned around in completely rage and said:” I don’t have a limping problem”. The tears were dashing down my cheek. I didn’t know what to do. The examiner pointed at the ferry that was departing back to Hungary.

“It’s just temporarily, it will soon vanish, I promise, I promise”

Know the guard pointed at the waiting room and said “well if it just temporarily I suppose you can wait in the room next to this one”

He led me into a room they called “the waiting room”.

“Ok, yes, I will wait there”. Than you, god bless you”

One week later the same examiner came into the waiting room and told me to stand up.

I stood up and looked him in the eyes. He wanted me to go the same distance as I went last time. The limping was getting better, but it wasn’t 100%. But I gave it shot, because I could not stand one more night in the “waiting room”. This time I made to the mountain,

“Well, go on, why are you stopping”?

just as I was going to climb the mountain, I limped, but the examiner did not saw it. I continued, and suddenly I limped again. But this time the examiner saw me. He walked towards me with gigantic steps.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you pass “

He wrote a big L on my jacket, and sent me back.

The end