National Adult Literacy Database

March 27, 2006

This week, we have a story written by Anastasia, from Brampton, Ontario. Anastasia is a Learner at The Peel Literacy Guild in Brampton. She has been meeting with her tutor, for 3 ½ years. During this time her reading and writing has taken off, though she continues to be very hard on herself. She is happy that now she can share her thoughts through writing.

Anastasia's Story

by Anastasia

When I was eighteen years old I immigrated to Canada. I was very young and very innocent. I was born in Greece. I immigrated to Canada because I was in love with my husband. We didn’t have any relatives in Canada. Thank God we were renting a room from Greek people.

We became friends and they were our attendants on our wedding day. We had three guests. We had to borrow the rings from our friends for our wedding. I was thinking about my Mother, my Father, my Grandmother and the whole family. I missed them very much. Every day I was looking for the postman as I was hoping to have a letter from my parents.

In those years at the village we had only one telephone. It was very hard to call. After two weeks I started to work in the factory sewing tents. I had to walk every morning for twenty minutes. It was very cold as it was in January. I was working with different nationalities all day and I didn’t have any conversation. After awhile I got sick and I quit. My doctor told me to go back home to my parents.

After awhile I was feeling much better and some Greek people told us the Government would pay me to go to school. I made an appointment and I gave in my application. They called me after five months but I was pregnant. I went one day to school and they told me after I have the baby I can go back to school.

I had my son and I was very happy. I changed so much and I stopped feeling homesick. Some Greek people sent their babies back home so they could go to work. My husband and I decided to send our son back home. He was five months old and God knows how much I suffered. It was very difficult for us.

We decided to move to New York City. We visited New York but we decided to come back to Canada. I started working sewing fur coats on Spadina. I was working with Greeks so I was happy to work and I was making good money.

I was pregnant again and my husband went back home to bring back our son. He stayed nine months in Greece. I stayed home with my children until they were fifteen. As long as I live I will never forgive myself for sending my son away from me.

The time when my children were small was the best time of my life. I would get up in the morning to have everything ready for my husband and my children.