My visit to Amsterdam was lovely and needed. I enjoyed the few days in this wonderful city very much. The Rasoul´s were in my thoughts, every day. Shamse made the acquaintance of another refugee at the BFA who had given her the address of an organization called "Wohndrehscheibe" that would help refugees to find an apartment. While I was in Amsterdam, I called the organization and asked for an appointment. The earliest appointment they were able to give me was December 23rd. I informed Shamse of the appointment and that was as much as I was able to do from where I was.
I was also in touch with Eva and Stephan. We would speak sometimes over the phone as well as write each other on Whatsapp. I just wanted to make sure that both parties were doing well and assured both, the Rasoul´s as well as Eva and Stephan that they could reach out to me if a problem should ever occur, however no problems ever occured.
We met at 04 pm in front of the building. My friend Agnes, the real estate agent who works for Schober Real and who had offered us the apartment, was there too. As Mo was not in Vienna, I had asked Nora, his friend, to join us on this day in order to translate. She was kind enough to pick up the Rasoul´s from Eva and Stephan´s place.
We walked upstairs and went to the owners apartment where we sat down at a large table and we were served coffee, tea and juices. It was a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
As another tenant in the building was from Egypt, the owners asked him to join us too. A translation back up. By now we were 9 people in total.
The owner explained everything in the contract patiently while Nora translated together with the Egyptian tenant. The owner even offered to add a shower head in the toilet as he was familiar with the sanitary standards of most middle eastern countries. As we all knew that the main issue here was that the apartment was a studio apartment and definitely too small on the long run for a family of five, he also accepted an earlier move out date whenever the Rasoul´s would find a more suitable apartment. He waived the security deposit, Schober Real and my friend Agnes the realtor, waived their usual fee. We went through the paper work while having tea and once everything was clear, we proceeded to the studio apartment.
It was a classic Viennese pre-war apartment with very high ceilings and big windows. It was small indeed. You would enter and stand in a small room that included a small kitchen as well as a shower. Pass this room was the main living/ sleeping room - large and spacious with wooden floors. The toilet was located outside of the apartment in the hallway. Not ideal for five people, but great for a start. The apartment was located in one of Vienna´s downtown district, close to the main shopping street and to public transportation. It was also only a 15 min walk away from my apartment. Schober Real and the owner did not ask for security deposit, first month and last month rent and the real estate agency also waived its usual finder´s fee. It was affordable and it could be their home.
Shamse and Abdelaziz looked around and decided to sleep over it. Even though it was a good offer and also our only option, i could comprehend the Rasoul´s decision. They had been moving around for probably two years if not more. They were tired and their only wish was to settle for good. Taking this apartment would include another move. But really, there was no other option so far besides the camps.
I could only recommend decisions and make sure that they were based on their very best interest. I was hoping they would decide to take the apartment. We all did.
I spoke to Eva who was eager to hear the news. She even offered to have them over for longer than a month but I was certain that overstretching kindness was in nobody´s interest. By honoring my word and picking them up within a month, Eva and Stephan would retain great memories and therefore also be more likely to promote housing refugees. As for the Rasoul´s : they were incredibly thankful to all of us for everything that we had done so far and they still are. Yet, they desperately needed their privacy and they needed to start their own lives.
Once home, Shamse contacted me saying that her e-card (the health insurance card) was rejected at the doctor´s office. I called the MA40 which is the institution who handles the minimum income and the health insurance of people who receive that income. As the MA40 was already closed, I decided to call the very next morning.
As Nora was pretty busy too, I decided to find a thrid translator. My brother´s fiancee who lives together with him in Cologne, Germany, is orginally from Iraq and also Kurdish. Her sister Suzi is fluent in Arabic. I got her phone number and called her right away. I mentioned that if it would be ok with her, I would call her if needed and make it a conference call by adding Shamse to it. Therfore we would be able to talk in real time. She agreed and her phone number was saved.
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