Baaskaa had stayed in the country for a long time, particularly long, when you are 19 years old. He graduated in May 2010 and went back to Byambaa to help out for the summer. But then fall came and they had to winterize the farm. And then the winter came and there was no point to go anywhere, since the job he wants is seasonal. By spring he was antsy to leave and become truly independent. He never complained, but I could sense his desire and restlessness in his letters.
While still in New York I had asked Selenge, my trusted friend and Baaskaa’s other surrogate mother, if she would know of any job opening. By the time I arrived in Mongolia she had lined up two interviews. I don’t know how she did it, she must have the magic touch or talent, because everyone else is complaining that they can’t find work!
Baaskaa interviewed with the director, Mr. Tugsbayar, a young entrepreneur, who built this private road construction company. Mongolia has lived under the Russian mandate for so long, that private companies were very rare until five minutes ago, when the mining industry exploded. Mr. Tugsbayar is a compassionate man, who loves to help. His first concern was safety, which sounded like sweet music to me, the worried (long distance) mother.
But I had to pinch Baaskaa so he’d tell Mr. Tugsbayar about his experience in road construction at the tender age of 12.
When he was 11, he found a family who gave him shelter and food and in exchange he had to tend their animals. Very quickly it became clear that he was doing all the work, while the couple sat around, drank vodka and ate the food they denied Baaskaa. After a year Baaskaa gave up and run away. He found a job as kitchen aid in a road construction company. The boss liked him and showed him how to operate heavy machines. Within a short period of time Baaskaa worked his way up to become an excavator driver. When the winter came, he and the boss parted and Baaskaa went back to UB.
I believe this experience motivated him to choose excavator as his main subject when he enrolled into vocational school.
Mr. Tugsbayar was impressed and mapped out a timeline for Baaskaa to move up from general ‘helper’ to machine operator. Listening to the director’s plan, Selenge eyes started to water and she was unable to talk. She told me later that she kept thinking of our first encounter with Baaskaa, in the manhole, and now we were sitting in an office, discussing his future. Of course by the time she had translated all that, everyone had moved on and I had no time to share my emotions.
We agreed that Baaskaa would start the following Monday, which gave him four more days to complete his educational evaluation.
Little that I knew ………….
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