Anyway, I would like to tell you another story. Once again, this I’m writing with my french/english dictionnary and my poor english, sorry ^^” But i will do my best.

It’s the morning. It’s about ten o clock, and I must walk faster if I don’t want to be late.

Toulouse, my town, is a strange city. The night, everything seems to happen like waves of event, but when the sun is in the sky, and when peoples are working, it’s really different.

If you walk in the town in the morning, you will always find a market. Every little place seems to have one, with flowers, bookstall, and african sculpture. Of course, customers of those flea market are usually retired person, because most of the others people work on the morning - but I’m actually looking for a job, so I have some time to spend.

Today, I’ve got a important meeting with the assedic - it’s the organism who give money to people who look for a job ; my dictionnary give me “unemployment benefits”, is that correct ? Well, in fact this meeting is not that important, as I will probably not have any money, because I resign from my last job. But I need to meet them to have the french national health insurance (another word from my dictionnary, by the way).

The assedic’s office isn’t really near from my home - i’ve got to walk from about half an hour to be there. But I like to walk, so it’s not a problem. The real problem is that i’m lost. So, I’m looking for someone to help me.

People usually don’t like to speak to me. It’s not a big deal for me, and I know why they don’t like : I really like to sing, so I sing even when I walk - and people usually think that I’m crazy. But, in fact, I don’t really care. So I ask to an old man - he seemed to be a bit affraid at first, but I smiled to him and ask politely, of course, so he smile back and help me.

Five minutes later, I was in front of the office. I come inside. There a strange atmosphere here. It’s a long room, with about ten seat. In the middle, a little stand, with a little and smiling woman. She look dynamic, and she’s trying to help a fat women who have a lot of questions about the internet.

Seated on the seat, there are two women. One of them wear an Islamic veil, the other one is black. They seems to be really sad - they are probably looking for a job since a long time. I feel really sorry for them… I’m white, and I know that I will probably find a job a lot faster than them. This thought make me feel bad. Laws and talk protect the equality, but there is a long way to make them real…

When she have finished to help the other woman, the employee come back to me. I quickly explain that I have an appointment, and she give me a paper that I must fill and tell me that I must watch a movie about the assedic. Then someone will come.

Meetings start at 10 AM, in the assedic, so I was one of the first people here. But while I was speaking, two more people come in, and a third was is opening the door. I move to the room she told me, at start filling the paper, waiting for the movie to begin.

One after one, there is more and more people coming in. About 20 persons are inside now - including me. I’ve finished to fill the form, and I don’t really care about the movie, so I look around. Seated at my right, there is a black women ; she’s beautifull, even if she’s about 40 (I will be 21 the next week). In front of me, a black men. He’s about 40, too, and his eyes are smiling. He’s filling the same paper than me - it’s probably his first meeting here, too.

There is a long line of persons waiting for the employee now. Most of them are black or North African ; there is only one white woman. Once again, I feel sad thinking that the equality is a dream, not a reallity. Some of them are talking, some are just waiting.

The one who is speaking to the employee now is a tall black men - he is probably between six and seven feet. He’s bald, and seems very angry - he’s yelling to the poor employee. Something about his payment, who had a problem this month - and the previous one. And the more the employee try to calm him down, the more he get worked up.

Quickly, to other woman came from a near office, worried about the yells. I stand up, and the man in front of me stand up too. Where ready to go and to help them - but suddenly, the man yell “Ok, so it’s like that ?” and stormed out. I feel really worry now - I know that he will come back, and that there will be a problem.

The man in front of me seems to think the same thing. He take his cellphone out - but he can’t call the police now. Nothing happened… even if we both know, I think, that something awfull will happen quickly.

I sat back - but not for a long time. About five minutes later, the angry man came back - and now, he got something in his hands. It’s probably not a gun - guns aren’t allowed in France, so it’s hard to find them, especially after five minutes ; and it don’t have the shape of a gun. It’s black, and long - a club, or a knife.

He run to the employee, who no longer smile and start screaming. He don’t hit her, but force her to go to an other office, where two others employee are, screaming to. I quickly stand up, and the man stand up to. We walk to the office, trying to see what happened.

Two of the women are now in front of the wall, screaming, threatened by the man. The third one isn’t there - I can see her on the other office, calling the police. I’ve probably see clearly the arm, but - I don’t know why - I can’t remember what it was. Anyway, I start to try to calm him - “You know, if you kill them, they won’t be able to give you your money”. He seems to listen to me one or two minutes, then he turn his arm to me.

I go back. I just hope he hear what I said. He’s using his arm like an amateur, but he got the arm and I’m everything but a martial artist. If I had a sword, I would probably be able to disarm him - I’m in a sword club - but I don’t go with my saber to government offices. So I just leave the place, with an bitter-tasting in the mouth.

Fifteen minutes after, the police was there. It’s really long… But fortunately, he don’t hurt anyone. The office closed after they come in. I’ve wait about 30 minutes in front of the locked door, then I leave.

When I try to think about thoses moments, I feel strange, now. It’s the second time of my life that I could have die - the first time, 30 people die. I should probably feel stun or something, but I just feel sad.

This men was a black men. He said that he was looking for a job since more than a year. He probably had a wife and some childrens - he was talking about his “family”. We have a lot of tax to pay every month. And the only help that he should have was refused - I check on the assedic’s website, he talk about the problem : it’s because the employee haven’t properly fill the form with him. Since two month, they just don’t have the time to fill a case in a form with this man. He was about 30. And now he’s in jail, so he will probably never find any job.

In the other hand… The employee in the assedic. Two women. They were white - really, really white, in fact, when he was threatening them. I’ve noticed a wedding ring on the hand of one of them. None of them was responsible of this men - they were just innocent. They were at the bad place, at the bad moment. Now, they’re probably stuned and they will need to meet a doctor every week. I just hope they will be able to work again at the same place.

Violence is never the answer. It’s just the most stupid thing to do, whatever can be the situation. But… What could have been the answer ? I don’t know. I can’t imagine a perfect world… But I know that all my prayer tonight will be for them - the women, and the man.