-“you’re falling straight in our hands”

I’ve always loved rainy weather. When I was a kid, hot weather would make my head throb and I would need to lie down. Rain would soothe this pain, and I would be able to be “human” again. In autumn of 2007, it was a different story, rain didn’t help me. I was supposed to leave Mexico for Sheffield, but the University used a middleman-like company in Mexico to work out all document work. I wasn’t keen, but the University insisted every Mexican student use it.

I sent everything in early June because I know Uni stuff can take time. The company messed up my stuff and placed the blame strictly on me, saying I never sent my documents in time, and tried to use an email I sent asking for an update as “evidence” that I didn’t contact them in time. I was livid, so after some email conversations with uni and some evidence sent, the company backtracked, saying that the place they operated in Sheffield had been affected by the recent floods. So, again, passing the buck.

The university offered to start late, which meant missing one course entirely, plus all the welcoming activities for international students. I deferred to 2008 and found myself without a plan, and a year to spare. Odd jobs again, and a stint at a friend’s company that was pretty lacklustre. It was a difficult time for a lot of us, and eventually, we stopped being friends.

That period of september and october of 2007 was tough. I couldn’t sleep well at night, managing to sleep around 1 am, but waking up again at 3 am, no longer being able to sleep properly. Several songs popped in my head, like earworms, no way to get rid of them. I tried walking alone at night, then driving. Nothing helped.

Red.Right.Return. brings me to those days, as it was one of the earworms. I eventually stopped wandering at night, then I finally managed to sleep once Uni of Sheffield put 2 and 2 together and realised I wasn’t fibbing. That company that they used as a middleman eventually went bankrupt, rightly so, and when they tried to “help” in 2008 for my application process, I wrote the university directly and told them I would do everything directly with them. The company even had the gall of sending an email to all Mexican students in September of 2008 to meet at The Banker’s Draft for food and drinks. Then the offer changed to “nibbles”. Then to “bring your own food”. Then the meeting offer was rescinded. I assumed I wasn’t the only person who had a quarrel with them.

-Sam J. Valdés López