Every day I check our mailbox. Actually, what I do is check the mailbox to make sure it is empty. There are only bad news coming in the mail in this time. Usually you owe someone money or somebody want something from you. Good news travel electronically. If there are any envelopes in the mailbox, I check them quickly and leave them to the Frau.

But the other day there was this mysterious envelope coming from the employment office. I left the other bills in the mailbox and took only that one. I tore the top of the envelope and learned that the employment office wants to meet with me.

When the Frau came from work, I handed her the letter very proudly. I have two degrees from universities in New York, I am fluent in two languages and I have a document showing that I passed my German course successfully. And I have a permanent visa to stay. Surely, they were about to offer me a job I can’t refuse.

In the morning of the meeting I made sure that I’d be dressed properly. I tucked my T-shirt in my jeans and trimmed my facial hair. I took a leather bag and stuffed it with papers. I always think that people walking around with leather bags filled with papers are very serious people.

My number was called. I stepped inside thinking that once I shut the door closed there will be no going back–I will become German. From now on I will have to read the manual handbook A to Z before I will use a new gadget. From now on, when I am driving, I have a license to run over pedestrians passing the road in the wrong place. Ja.

“Mr. Avrahami, what I want to tell you is that we will not have a job to offer for you. We also will not look for a job for you. But we want to inform you that you can’t leaved the country, just in case there will be a job for you”.

“Can you repeat that?” I asked politely.

He repeated.

If you think that Kafka is dead, you should have been together with me in this room.

“So, you are not going to look for a job for me, but I am not allowed to leave Germany just in case you will find a job for me even though you are not looking for a job for me?” I got a little dizzy saying that.

“Exactly”, he answered.

On the way home I bought myself a Donner and ate it while walking on the street and inside the U-Bahn. I crossed the street despite the red light, I entered the house, opened the computer and booked myself a vacation.