“I trust the system. We’re in a democratic country that respects rules. We should, too. Maybe he is not deserving,” Father said.

“How can you say that? You know nothing about this man!” Mother exclaimed.

“How can you defend someone you don’t even know?” Father countered.

“Ah Loy, believe me, this man deserves to stay in Canada,” Auntie Miriam asserted. “The system doesn’t always work in our favour. Look at my own family. My grandfather was toiling on the Pacific Railway while my grandmother was stuck in China with three children. All because of the law. My father, his only son, was the lucky one to come here, but only after paying the hefty price of the head tax. How can you think that Canada will always come through for us?”

“That was in the past, Miriam,” Father said.

“Well, the present is no different. If we don’t take care of our own, who will?” Mother asked.

“Ah Loy, when your father left China and came to Brunei, don’t you think he was deserving of refuge there?” Auntie Miriam asked. “Don’t you think the law in Brunei was unjust and cruel? This is the same, isn’t it?”

“It’s not the same. My father was forced to leave to save his life.”

“Alfred’s life depends on staying, too.”

“No, he chose to leave. He chose to thwart the law in China, as well as the law in Canada.”

“Ah Loy, do you think I deserve to be a citizen of Canada?” Auntie Miriam asked.

“Of course. You were born here,” Father replied.

“Would your opinion change if you knew my mother was only able to come to Canada using another Canadian woman’s birth certificate? That I was only born here because my mother took this risk to get here?” Auntie Miriam asked.

Father was silent for some time. “What your mother did wasn’t right, but I understand why she did it.”

“Miriam is helping family. I don’t understand why you can’t see that,” Mother said.

“Yes, yes, Miriam is helping family. But that doesn’t obligate us—obligate Canada—to allow Alfred to cut in line. I waited patiently while my application was processed at the High Commission.”

“You’re different. You weren’t waiting to see if someone would take your life,” Mother said.

“Swee Hua, how can you say that? My life was in limbo every day I was living in Brunei. At any time, someone could decide to kick me out, to take everything away from me. My life was not as secure as you make it out to be.”

“Ah Loy, we’re not talking about you here,” Auntie Miriam said. “I understand why you’re skeptical. I was too when I first met Alfred. But he is genuinely in danger. My brother-in-law translated his writing for me. He did not ask for this. We take for granted that we can say and write anything we want in Canada. Alfred naively thought he had the same freedoms.”

“Instead of criticizing, maybe you should talk to him,” Mother suggested. She touched Alfred’s arm and spoke to him in Mandarin.