Story 4: Jay

Aikam from Jane and Finch

What a night I lived yesterday. A night that I will probably never get out of my head because of what took place and who I met. Let me just explain my day and where I come from because it is necessary to know when trying to fathom what is going in my life. I live in Jane and Finch, where my great grandparents immigrated here in the 2000s. There is a reputation for Jane being a "lower income" neighbourhood, so all people could talk about is the violence, the struggling people within the community, how we have less access to the newer technologies.... and yes this is all true. But this has always been home to me, this has always been my reality. I do not know the lavish lifestyle that people are living in the skyscrapers and neighbourhoods across Toronto. My parents have always dreamt of moving out of here, but they said that inflation and economic disparity has caused things to go completely south for people on the low end. What I am discovering everyday is that its getting harder and harder to get out of Jane. That is why throughout my life, I have studied extremely hard at math and science. I would take extra classes, extra tutoring and go to the library to find extra books to help my learning. I want to become a renowned engineer and get myself and my family out of here and living lavish like the people in the upper side.

I have gotten so good at math and physics, that I started to go to the landfill secretly and mesh together old electronics to help the community out. I could tell that my neighbours would really appreciate me doing this because they could only afford second hand things from the black markets that the Night Scholars host. Speaking of the Night Scholars, those ladies are genuine superheros for our communities. They are undercover but once they saw that I was continuously remaking these electronic devices, they started secretly helping me and my family with food, access to the things we need from the black market and even better doctors than the ones that only take us in Jane. Yesterday a girl named Zena and her two friends came over to my side. I was really focused on Zena. She was beautiful, looked extremely expensive, but still gave me the reason to feel as is she was this caring wonderful girl. They are from the upper side of Toronto, so I can tell her friends were a bit out of touch. But as I showed them around, Zena was vibing with my hood, Westview Centennial Secondary School, and the whole vibe it's got going on. Arts are the norm here, a wild concept for her. The school's garden is like a green oasis, a 180 from Zena's tech-driven world. Walking them around, I could tell Zena was grappling with the differences. Our tight-knit community is light years away from her skyscraper lifestyle. She started getting it—the value of growing your own grub, connecting with the Earth, and your neighbours. Her take on things got me thinking about my own journey. My family's hustling in the shadows, surviving each day. It's a far cry from the corporate gigs Zena's parents are chasing, which she explained. The difference hit me deep. Now, thinking about heading back to Jane and Finch, Zena's feeling this connection, this shared understanding. She thinks I could fit into her world, but I see it as a chance to mix up our experiences, for better or worse. It's a real head-scratcher, but maybe it's time to shake things up in my life. I really, really like this girl.... but will this be any good for me?