It had been over a week and I hadn't heard anything from the college about my new three letters. The new company asked me to go in and ask them why they hadn't pushed the button yet.
So I went in to my evening classes early one day and stopped by HR to ask what was going on with the transfer. The bald guy told me that they had changed their minds about transferring me. They said that they were not going to transfer me unless I paid them SR 30,000 (just shy of $8,000). I laughed at first. I thought the bald guy was teasing me. But when he didn't laugh back, I realized he was serious. I asked why, he told me he didn't know, he was just told not to do anything unless I paid the 30,000.
Since the number was the same as the number Suleiman had thrown out back when I was arguing with him about getting the transfer, I knew who was behind it. He must have found out that I was transferring from someone at the college, and he must have told them he would not let me be transferred. I should have known that it was too good to be true.
I went back to the publishing company and told them what happened. They agreed that it was blackmail, and told me they were going to speak with some lawyers and find out what could be done and not to worry. Of course, when someone tells you not to worry, it basically requires you to start worrying.
I decided to call Suleiman. There was a chance he would be reasonable and do the right thing and let me transfer, but there was also a chance that my calling him would make it worse. He had been so nice to me in the beginning, and if even half of what he had said to me about the charity of Muslims, or helping people in need, or not caring about money was true, then he should be able to listen to reason. I had given the college a fair chance. Our teaching styles weren't compatible, and now, he should let me go. After all, he hadn't upheld his end of the bargain since I most definitely didn't get my iqama within a week, and whether I went home, or went to another company, what did it matter to the college? Either way, they wouldn't have a teacher. And transferring me would cost them nothing, while sending me home meant they would have to pay for my plane ticket. I was fairly sure that as a business man, Suleiman would see the logic in these arguments, so I called him up.
We exchanged the usual pleasantries. I asked him about the money, and he played dumb. He said he didn't know what was going on. So I explained the situation. I told him that I wasn't happy at the college, and they weren't happy with me. I told him that they had agreed to transfer me, even given me the three letters, and then suddenly changed their minds. He feigned surprise and offered to call the college.
He called me back about 10 minutes later, which isn't very long, so I suspect he didn't even call anyone. He told me that they would transfer me, I just had to pay 30,000 riyals. I asked him why, and he told me that that is what it costs to transfer someone. I told him that was funny, because on the Ministry of Labor website, the fee is clearly only 2,000 riyals, and in addition, I had already paid the college 3,650 in fees and visa costs that had been accrued by my first company for not issuing the iqama on time and letting my visa expire. He said that didn't matter, and that I still had to pay 30,000. I asked him to explain what it was for. He said it was for the hotel I stayed in when I first came to Riyadh and for the time he spent getting my situation with the first company resolved. I told him that my second company is responsible for that money, and I had emails from Gemma confirming they would continue to pay for my accommodation until I was able to leave the country, and since I couldn't leave the country until an iqama was issued, what he did or who he bribed to get me an iqama was something he did for the second company anyway so they should pay him for his time. He didn't really respond to this but instead started in about how ungrateful I was. I told him I was very grateful, but that I had given it a try, and it didn't work out.
Then he punched me in the gut. He said he wouldn't have helped me if he had known I was a bad teacher, and since they took my classes from me and fired me from the other place I must have been bad. I asked him if I was such a bad teacher why they spent days trying to convince me to stay and offering to send me to Jeddah instead, and why students kept finding me in the hallways and telling me they missed me and wished I was still their teacher. I told him to ask his daughter (who had been in my class) what she thought of my teaching. I told him to ask his other daughter and two sons whom I had tutored before (and for which he never paid me) what they thought of my teaching.
He told me that didn't matter and that we had a deal, and he told me before he wouldn't let me transfer. I pointed out that he had also told me that I should transfer to the college and ask them if they would let me transfer, which they agreed to, so it was really only him that was standing in the way. I asked him if it was really about the 30,000 or if it was just that he wanted to make life difficult for me. He told me that he really spent 30,000 riyals to get me free from the old company. I said ok, on what? Who did you pay it to, what for? If you can make me an itemized list of what the costs are, I might be able to get my new company to pay it. He told me no. I asked why not? He said he could not. I told him it was okay if he didn't have official receipts, he could just write down what he spent and why, that would be enough. He told me he would not. I asked him why again, is it because what you did was illegal or because you didn't actually spend anywhere close to 30,000?
At this he became irate. He started yelling things about ungrateful Americans, and went on for ten minutes yelling about how America was terrible, and about some guy he met like ten years ago who was American and screwed him on a business deal, he yelled about so many unrelated and sometime incomprehensible things, that I honestly had no idea what he was talking about.
Finally he paused for breath. I told him that I couldn't pay him any money without a bill, so as soon as he produced an itemized bill in writing, I would be happy to try to work out some sort of payment plan or deal.
He hung up the phone. Merry Christmas to you too.
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