Series: Tales of cities
NEW YORK, SUMMER 2005
New York, New York… here I am! New York…
Jonathan had arrived in Newark, New Jersey. Passing through border control was so easy this time. What a difference since he had acquired Canadian nationality! Could it be that Americans love their northern neighbours? He still clearly remembered the lukewarm welcome the Yankees used to give him when he was travelling on a French passport. This time, he was only asked about his destination: just one question, if you please! He even detected a hint of a smile. No stamp, no interview, no fingerprint, no photo, no suspicion, no condescension, no expiry date. He could stay as long as he chose to in this El Dorado. Would the Bush regime be more welcoming than the Clinton administration, he wondered?
It was 6pm and David, his brother, was waiting to welcome him outside the terminal. They greeted each other with a brief hug. They’d never been especially close. Jon asked about his mother, why was she not there? He was rather surprised to learn she was attending a vernissage in Rome, so their reunion would be delayed. “Quite extravagant”, he thought to himself.
Once in the parking lot, they put the two suitcases in the big 4X4 boot and got into the car. Next to the steering wheel stood a large, half empty Starbucks cardboard cup. En route they were slowed down by heavy traffic. After two hours they finally reached Hoboken, only about ten miles from the airport. Nevertheless, the long ride allowed them to catch up after all these years of mutual silence. David was new to this city too; he had moved from California in 2004 and since that day had been going through a rough time. His wife had been depressed since they moved to New Jersey and his company was in the process of laying off a third of their staff.
“And how is my niece doing?” Jonathan inquired. David hadn’t yet mentioned his 18-month-old toddler. “Yeah, she’s adorable, a little hyperactive though. To be honest, we would have preferred a childless life. But hey you know, pressure of the forties… biological clock ticking…” David revealed how his wife couldn’t bear the huge responsibility of motherhood. David was doing everything in his power to make her life easier. They were sending their daughter to an upscale crèche that cost them $1,500 a month and Dave regularly called on the Australian babysitter who lived a block away from them. Thanks to the staff at the crèche, their daughter could understand a little Spanish in addition to English and French. Yet nothing David did could lift his wife’s spirits. The thought of the next two decades in which she’d have to put her daughter’s life before her own depressed her. She felt as if she’d been condemned to 20 years in jail.
However, when Jon met Jackie in the beautiful 4-room apartment overlooking the Hudson River and Manhattan’s West Side, she looked great – happy and enthusiastic. She was carrying her daughter in her arms and greeted him with a big American smile and a touch of sarcasm: “How are you honey? Welcome to New Jersey”. As soon as she was put down, little Rachel toddled in all directions, making the travel weary Jon feel dizzy. David and Jackie’s dog, a small Cocker spaniel, started barking which added further to the cacophony and feeling of disorder.
Never mind, Jon was in New York and this was what mattered. It was a dream come true. His return ticket was scheduled for September but he didn’t give this a single thought. Champagne flowed that first evening and the hot and humid air of July combined with the panoramic view of the lights of Manhattan were magical. The whole thing exuded joy, intensifying his passion for life, desire for success and infectious thirst for fun.
***
He spent his first few days exploring the city and looking for a suitable gym. He found one near Port Authority on 42nd Street. For nothing in the world would he neglect his body, knowing appearance matters a great deal in the Big Apple. Not only do you have to be good looking but you also need to be physically impressive in order to survive. Competition is high and ruthless.
Jonathan was utterly enchanted by the city: its vertiginous architecture, its hectic energy, its extroverted people with their mental alertness and inexhaustible greed. Each day, he discovered a new neighbourhood on the island. He felt completely at home, in osmosis with New York. He had a deep conviction that his life would take a decisive turn right here.
***
Greenwich Village
One Saturday afternoon, he entered a cosy café in Greenwich Village, ordered an Americano, sat down and took his notebook and a pen out of his bag. Elbows on the table, he was hoping for inspiration. Jon had already written a novel but failed to get published. Out of thirteen submissions, his manuscript had passed through eight house reading committees, resulting in four rejection letters, the most beautifully written ones. So in the end, his dream of being a writer hadn’t come true. He had taken the hint and decided to move on from his Canadian chapter. He was disappointed by Canada and the US would certainly be more auspicious.
He considered what might appeal to readers… Perhaps he could write a sort of urban and erotic Harry Potter in order to attract female readers? He was convinced that women read more than men. One only needed to secretly observe people in the underground to notice that it was the women who read novels. Men had less patience and preferred reading newspapers when they weren’t checking out the talent.
But that afternoon, it was Jonathan who got checked out. A man two tables away was staring at him. He too must have been writing since he had a notebook with tattered corners beside the cup on his table. Was he looking for inspiration by observing Jonathan’s face? Jonathan couldn’t help smiling. Fifteen minutes later, Jonathan arose and asked this total stranger if he could keep an eye on his belongings while he went to the bathroom. The man smiled briefly yet warmly and nodded. When Jonathan returned, the stranger began to question him:
– Where do you come from?
– Just from the restroom, Jon replied with a wink.
– “Restroom” … I don’t know that country.
– How do you know I am not from here?
– A New Yorker would never leave his stuff unattended nor ask a complete stranger to look after it.
– But you’re not a complete stranger.
– Oh really?
– Are you not my guardian angel?
– You are quite the comedian. Let me introduce myself: Gabriel Lopez Dixon. But feel free to call me Angel Gabriel. He said it with a mischievous smile, revealing a perfect set of beautiful white teeth.
– Jonathan Rosen, but please call me Jon.
– Are you a writer, Jon?
– Like you are, I believe. May I join you?
They talked for hours. They realized they had much in common and even shared some passions: a similar spiritual quest, belief in positive thinking, writing, a yearning for success, love for New York City and a keen interest in languages. Both were trilingual. Jon spoke fluent Spanish which surprised his Puerto Rican acquaintance – despite his fair complexion Gabriel was from Puerto Rico but had moved to New York a long time ago. Like so many of the New York elite, Gabriel was a Francophile; he spoke enough French to get by and was able to read it fluently. This came in handy at work where he had to deal with many French clients.
– You know Jon, in my company we are looking for someone who has exactly the same profile as yours, a native French person, sociable, entrepreneurial, charming, convincing, imaginative, creative and trilingual in French, English and Spanish. Until today I’d thought it impossible to find this rare gem in New York.
– Really? There are a ton of them in Quebec. You should recruit in Montreal. Trilingual Canadian of French origin like me, you’ll hire them in spades.
– Canadian? Are you really Canadian? Wow, that’s interesting…. This might seem a little sudden to you, but would you be interested in my proposal by any chance? To work for my company?
A huge smile lit up Jonathan’s face. His ecstatic appearance gave away his answer despite the hesitation in his reply.
– It requires some thought… Are you really my angel?
– Destiny has put you in my path.
– That goes without saying. I’ll think about it. Your offer is very tempting.
– Do you like New York City?
– Yes, I do. It feels like the new Rome of the 21st century, don’t you think?
– Would you agree to meet Angela, my boss, she’s an amazing woman. You will love her. I’m sure.
– Why not? There’s no harm in meeting her.
– Fantastic! I’ll call her straight away.
Gabriel pulled out his cell phone from his jacket pocket and dialled Angela’s number, but there was no answer.
– Oh no, I completely forgot. She’s away for a few days in London. She’ll be back in a few days.
– No worries. What’s the vacancy you’d like me to fill?
– What are your plans for tomorrow? Do you have any?
– Nothing special. Why are you asking?
– OK then, let’s meet up tomorrow. Meet me outside the subway entrance on 28th Street at 3 pm and I’ll tell you all about the company.
They chatted non-stop all the way to Penn Station and were both surprised to find they had arrived at their destination. There, they exchanged numbers, hugged briefly and went their separate ways.
“Life is beautiful! Life becomes magical when you think positively”. “Wherever I go, I get lucky. I always bounce back.” Jonathan was saying to himself while walking along Broadway. Just then, his cell phone began to ring; it was his sister-in-law, her voice panicky and trembling. She begged him to come home as soon as possible.
