It was a frosty day in late November, and a storm was brewing on Chariot Street, where, more than three decades ago, the Russian government purchased land to build its state-of-the-art Diplomatic Mission. Normally, Chariot Street was quiet, but on that fateful day, dozens of men and women gathered before the Russian Diplomatic Mission to protest the actions of the oligarchic Russian government against the persecuted Chechen Muslim minority. One of the protesters definitely stood out...
"What the fuck are you looking at, rent-a-cop?" Xava Kadyrov said angrily to the towering uniformed security guard standing between her fellow protesters and the Russian Diplomatic Mission, located not far from downtown Ottawa. The security guard sighed deeply, and then repeated his request for her not to cross the yellow line separating the not-so peaceful protesters from the vaunted Mission grounds.
"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to stay behind the line, please and thank you," the security guard replied, his voice polite but firm. Xava looked at him, this rather tall, dark-skinned young man in the dark blue security uniform, and wondered how much his Russian masters were paying him to oppose her and her righteous cause. Probably doesn't care as long as he gets paid, Xava thought darkly.
"We're here to protest because three young Chechen Muslim men were attacked by radicals in Moscow, and the Russian government hasn't gone after their attackers, this is a hate crime, and we won't stand for it," Xava said vehemently, and the guard, whose name tag read Camara, actually sighed. Why do I always end up dealing with hotheads? Camara wondered silently.
"Sister, what happened to those Muslim brothers in Moscow was terrible, but I still cannot allow you on Mission grounds, so please stay behind the line," Camara said softly. Before Xava could reply, she noticed that several security guards were making their way to the front of the line. They were converging on where she and Camara stood, apparently bantering.
"I'm not your sister, Camara," Xava said haughtily, before walking away. She returned to the throng of protesters, some thirty to forty deep, and grabbed the microphone from her friend Paul, from the University of Ottawa. Turning her back to the security team guarding the Russian Diplomatic Mission, Xava faced her fellow protesters, most of whom weren't even Chechen but well-meaning Canadians who were passionate about the cause of human rights.
"A threat to any religious or ethnic minority is a threat to all human rights, Russian prejudice will not be tolerated," Xava screamed into the microphone, and the crowd erupted in agreement, cheering loudly. Xava pumped her fist into the air and shouted defiantly, before turning to face the Russian Diplomatic Mission grounds. Russia will feel the might of the Chechen diaspora, Xava silently vowed to herself.
Abbas Camara stood at the picket line, sincerely wishing that he were elsewhere. It was cold, and the blazer that he had on over his security uniform did nothing to protect him from the frosty Canadian weather. The only thing colder than the fierce wind which bit into the young man's bones was the coldness he'd seen in the blue eyes of a certain young female protester...
Four months ago, after obtaining his permanent residency card in the mail, Abbas had been thrilled because it meant he could finally have a life in Canada. Abbas first came to the City of Ottawa, Ontario, from his hometown of Dakar, Senegal, as an international student, majoring in Criminology at the University of Ottawa. Paying international fees sucked, and Abbas had been praying for relief from such a burden when the Canadian immigration authorities granted him his request.
Abbas got himself a job as a security guard at the Russian Diplomatic Mission, a gig which paid seventeen dollars an hour, but also came with some severe drawbacks. Out of a team of twenty security guards who worked the daytime, evening, overnight and weekend shifts, Abbas was the only black person. Everyone else was middle-aged, and white. There were three female guards on the crew, and they were all small-town and country types, not his kind of people.
"We're expecting a lot of protesters today, people, so be careful," said the security team boss, an old Quebecer named Durocher. Along with every other security guard working at the Russian Diplomatic Mission, Abbas was in the cafeteria slash meeting room, listening to the Chief speak. They had protesters to deal with, something that the Ottawa police really ought to be handling, but nope, it fell to the security team to take care of that.
"Duly noted," Abbas grumbled to himself, and then he left the room along with the other guards. He sincerely hoped that Canadian protesters didn't throw rocks, broken bottles and other projectiles like those in his homeland of Senegal. This was his first time dealing with protesters as part of his job. Why didn't I call in sick today? Abbas thought to himself.
"Hell no, we won't go, Russia will pay for what it did to our Chechen brothers," Xava shouted, her shrill voice rising into the frigid air. Thirty meters from her, Abbas Camara wrapped his blazer around himself and checked his watch. It was eleven seventeen in the morning, and he'd be getting a break soon. He'd forgotten to wear his gloves, and rubbed his hands together, trying to stay warm.
"Hey rookie, forgot your gloves?" came a familiar, raspy male voice, full of mockery, and Abbas closed his eyes, hard. Chief Durocher came by, smiling his cold smile. The old Quebecer stood closer to Abbas than the younger man felt comfortable with, and in spite of the Russian Diplomatic Mission having a non-smoking policy, he was smoking one of his Menthol cigarettes.
"I'll be alright," Abbas replied, trying to keep his cool. Durocher never liked the idea of hiring him, but the security company that had the contract with the Russian Diplomatic Mission did send him to the site for training, and that was that. Abbas knew that if Durocher had his way, no minorities would be working at the Russian Diplomatic Mission. Bozo's been trying to get rid of me for a while, Abbas thought bitterly.
"Hey, rookie, when you speak to me, you will address me as sir," Durocher said, and he jabbed his index finger into Abbas's chest. Abbas, a burly young black man who stands six-foot-three and weighs two hundred and fifty pounds, has often been told that he's a gentle soul. The brother from Senegal is always polite and respectful, and a pleasure to have around. This was the one time he lost his cool...