Dedicate to my Wife Anobika , who supported me through Alberta job scams.
Pio Wilfred
A Journey to – Alberta
Narrator: Myself
Chapter 1: The Call
One fine evening, I checked my watch. 6:30 PM.
“It’s time,” I whispered to myself, then called out, “Jimmy, hurry up!”
I looked up at the sky. The weather was perfect—calm, cool, promising.
“Just the way I hoped,” I thought.
Then I picked up my phone and dialed the first number—Jama.
The first ring, no answer. I expected that. Back in November 2023, Jama had applied for a family visa—herself, her husband, and their two kids. Mervin agreed to help with a small payment. But after a year and a half, there was no job letter, no documents—nothing.
She demanded her money back. Mervin returned most of it. But trust was already lost, and with it, our friendship.
I dialed again. On the third ring, she answered.
“What?” she asked in a cold voice.
“Get ready, dear. At 10:30 PM, we’ll come and pick you up.”
“Pick me? Where?”
“Alberta,” I said—and hung up.
Seconds later, my phone vibrated.
“What are you talking about? Are you out of your mind?” she shouted.
“Trust me. Pack your things—your husband and kids, too. We’ll be at your door at 10:30 PM. I’ll explain then. Right now, we have work to do. Let’s go, Jimmy.”
One by one, I started dialing the others.
Chaos had begun.
Chapter 2: Journey Started
At exactly 10:30 PM, our mini bus pulled up near Jama’s house. Her door was shut, lights off, bags unpacked.
Me and Jimmy stepped out and knocked.
Jama opened the door, her eyes filled with doubt. Her husband stood behind her, tense.
“We don’t have time for this,” I said quickly. “Jimmy, wake the kids. You two—grab what you need and move fast.”
Jama frowned. “Are you people mad? What’s going on?”
“Trust me, Jama,” I said, firmly. “It’s happening. Like a dream. But real.”
After a long pause, they agreed. Jimmy carried the sleepy children while they threw together bags with essentials.
“Our next stop—Kalmunai. We’ll reach by 4:45 AM.”
As I started the engine, Jimmy handed Jama four flight tickets to Alberta.
She stared at the paper in silence. Her husband looked at her. Neither said a word.
The journey had begun.
Chapter 3: Kalmunai Clients
4:45 AM
We stopped near the Karaithivu residential area to pick up Mrs. Ragavan. She once worked with me in the radiology unit in 2023—a good nurse with a sharp tongue. Her husband worked in the police investigations department.
Mervin had convinced them to apply for immigration too, but when the plan failed, they demanded a refund and insulted both of us. Things got ugly.
Still, after my call last night, they seemed calm. Maybe hope outweighed old anger.
They weren’t packed. Jimmy and I grabbed the essentials, and we practically pushed the family and their child onto the bus.
Ten kilometers later, another familiar face waited on the roadside—Sujeewa and her daughter. She smiled brightly as we approached.
“Ha! Doctor, you came! I thought it was a prank call!”
“Then why are you so well prepared for a prank, Miss?” I asked, smiling.
She laughed, and Jimmy helped her board the bus.
Inside, they waved to the others, but no one introduced themselves. Silence still hung in the air—filled with questions, doubt, and wonder.
Chapter 4: Fun People
6:00 AM
We approached Santhosh’s home—one of my closest friends. He, too, had given his passport to Mervin, dreaming of Alberta. When things went south, he fell into a quiet depression.
Today, I was going to lift him out of it.
Jimmy was handing tickets to Sujeewa’s family when I saw Santhosh and his father waiting at the gate. His father—a proud, ever-supportive man.
We bumped fists as Santhosh got on the bus. No words needed.
Then we headed toward Valaichenai.
7:30 AM.
We arrived at Prathana’s house. Pradeepan and Menan were also ready—young, confident, excited. As soon as they boarded, the mood shifted. Laughter bubbled up. Santhosh joined in.
Finally, the silence had cracked.
“Our flight is at 11:00 AM—just three hours left!” I called out.
Jimmy distributed the remaining tickets.
Everyone had their seat. The final stretch had begun.
Chapter 5: A Flight From Nowhere
The road near Valaichenai was silent. Eerily so.
Then, out of nowhere, Mrs. Ragavan broke the quiet.
“Doctor… what is the meaning of all this? We’re clueless.”
Jama joined in. “Yeah. What are you planning?”
I answered calmly, “We are all flying to Alberta.”
“Alberta? In this bus?” Prathana burst out laughing.
Santhosh chuckled too.
I brought the bus to a stop.
“Listen carefully,” I said. “Take your things. Don’t forget anything—especially your tickets.”
I stepped out of the driver's seat. Jimmy followed. The others hesitated, confused—but eventually followed us into the woods.
Ten minutes of walking. Then she came into view.
A small private aircraft, hidden away. Capable of carrying 30–50 people. Gleaming in the dawn light like something out of a dream.
Two ticket officers checked each passenger. One by one, they boarded—stunned, silent, still unsure if this was real.
Inside, they sat in assigned seats. The hum of disbelief filled the air.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” I spoke through the intercom, “our flight is delayed by 15 minutes. Our next stop—Kyrgyzstan. Then… Alberta.”
I paused.
“Oh, and by the way—I’m your pilot. And Jimmy’s your co-pilot.”
A wave of gasps. Silence.
The flight from nowhere had taken off.
Chapter 6
Our next port was Kyrgyzstan.
After 4 hours and 30 minutes, we landed in Bishkek, the capital—but not in any official airport. We touched down on an abandoned football ground, a place so isolated that no one could see us land—or take off again.
It was a brief stop, just enough time to refuel. The arrangements had already been made through Kulnar’s husband, a man who specialized in such discreet operations.
While the others were deeply engaged in conversation with Jimmy, Santhosh quietly approached me. With a mixture of curiosity and disbelief, he asked in a low voice,
"What’s all this? How did you manage to arrange it?"
After a long pause, I finally began to reveal everything to Santhosh.
"It all started back in 2023," I said, my voice low. "That’s when Mervin first approached me with talk about job vacancies in Canada. I trusted him—and worse, I introduced him to my clients. But it turned out we were all being fooled."
Santhosh listened intently as I continued.
"By mid-2024, I began to suspect something was off. I confronted him, warned him not to mess around with my people. As always, he gave me those fake promises, the kind that sound sweet but mean nothing. That’s when I knew—I had to take matters into my own hands."
I explained how I’d reached out to dozens of consultancies, only to find most of them were just like Mervin. The others? Clueless about how migration actually works.
"So I made a decision," I said firmly. "I’d take the clients with me. Do it myself. You already know I’ve always had a passion for flying—back in my student days in Kharkiv, I used to fly with aviation students all the time. That’s how I learned."
Santhosh's eyes widened as he looked at me, still processing it all.
"One of my old friends from Kharkiv—an ex-aviation student—helped me get this little lady airborne," I added, gently tapping the aircraft’s panel.
Santhosh was speechless.
Outside, the engines rumbled softly.
“She’s ready,” I said. “Next port.”
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Chapter 7
Adrian's brother was our next stop—he boarded in Romania.
He was my very first client, Dani. But when I first met him, I didn’t know he was Adrian’s brother. Adrian had been working in the HR department back then. Like many others, he too trusted Mervin. After all, Mervin had a talent for presenting himself as a top-tier businessman—confident, polished, and always in control. Everyone believed him.
But six months later, the truth began to surface. When Adrian discovered that Mervin hadn’t even applied for his brother’s visa, both of them were furious. They didn’t just confront Mervin—they confronted all of us. The anger was raw, and for the first time, we saw their trust shattered.
To calm them down, Mervin promised a full refund and sent me a bank deposit slip the following week. But it turned out to be fake. That only added fuel to the fire. Their rage escalated, and this time, they even cursed Mervin’s mother. The betrayal had reached a deeply personal level.
I didn’t want to lose the friendship I had with Adrian. Quietly, I started paying him back, just as I had done for Jama and Mrs. Ragavan. It was slow, but it was something.
All of these people had built dreams—dreams of living in Alberta, surrounded by one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, building new lives with dignity and comfort. But Mervin drowned those hopes. And he used me as the vessel to carry out his deception.
"I was a tool for his sin," I told myself the day I fully realized the extent of the damage.
We landed just outside Romania’s capital, near a barren piece of land not far from Budapest. That’s where Dani had been instructed to wait. Jimmy had ensured he would arrive on time.
Thanks to our stealth coating—applied by our skilled aviator back in Kharkiv—our little aircraft remained invisible to radars. The operation continued, silent and unseen.
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Chapter 8
An Interview at 30,000 Feet
Once we picked up Dani, our course was set. Ten more hours to Toronto.
Most of the passengers were asleep, lulled by the hum of the engines and the rhythm of the skies. I leaned toward Jimmy and whispered about the next step.
Menan and Santhosh, already in sync with us, moved through the cabin, helping out like experienced air stewards—offering water, checking seat belts, keeping the calm.
Jimmy gave a quick nod. “Everyone to their seats,” he said. “Turn on the screens.”
Minutes later, the interview began.
The screen flickered, and then the face of Michael Rodator James appeared. Yes—the very same person Mervin used to name-drop as "the sponsor" who was supposedly issuing job letters for our candidates. Back then, we had only heard his name. But now, here he was, live, speaking directly to us.
He didn’t waste any time. With sharp precision, he introduced himself and began speaking to each candidate one by one, asking about their experience, skills, and past roles. There was no unnecessary small talk—only purpose.
“I’ll send the job offers shortly,” he concluded. “Jimmy, get the fax ready.”
Within the hour, the job offer letters arrived—followed by the landing permits.
We descended smoothly into Toronto.
At the immigration desk, everything was in order. Papers, approvals, landing authorizations—it all checked out. The officers simply nodded us through.
Outside, waiting by the terminal, were assistants sent by Sir Michael Rodator James himself. Polished, punctual, professional. They welcomed us and ushered everyone with care.
We had done it.
No radar had caught our flight. No one had expected us. But here we were—on the ground, in Canada, with real job offers in hand. The first chapter of a new life was about to begin.
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Chapter 9
The Ones Who Believed
Toronto's early morning light spilled across the tarmac as we stepped out, carrying not just bags, but hope.
Most of the passengers were quiet—stunned, perhaps, that this was really happening. After all the lies, betrayal, and uncertainty, we had landed in the very place they once only dreamed of. What Mervin had promised in falsehood, we had delivered in silence.
Sir Michael Rodator James’s assistants guided each client into waiting vans. The ride to the temporary accommodation was smooth, almost surreal. For the first time in a long while, no one was talking about refunds, lost documents, or fake job offers. They were asking about neighborhoods, weather, and what kind of work they would be starting.
Later that day, we were invited to Sir Michael’s office—an understated space in a modest Toronto business district. No gold-plated signs or velvet chairs, just clean lines, tidy files, and a man who believed in second chances.
He greeted us warmly. “You’ve done something bold,” he said, looking straight at me. “Most would’ve walked away. You carried them here.”
I said nothing. What could I say? I wasn’t sure if what we’d done was brave—or desperate. Maybe both.
Santhosh sat quietly beside me. Menan had already stepped out to help Dani settle into his housing. Jimmy, ever calm, leaned back, eyes scanning every corner of the room, as if anticipating the next challenge.
Sir Michael laid down a folder. “These are the placements. Real jobs. Registered. Health insurance, minimum wage, all sorted. But you’ll need to coach them for the first few months. Help them adjust.”
“We will,” I said. “They believed in us when everything was falling apart.”
He nodded.
That night, we returned to the quiet base house arranged for us. The heater hummed gently. Snow flurried against the windows. Inside, everyone was asleep again—but this time, not from exhaustion.
They slept in peace.
Tomorrow, a new life would begin. For them, and maybe… for me too.
Chapter 11
Alberta
As we stepped out of the train station, the cool breeze of Alberta kissed our faces. Jimmy stretched his arms and looked around as if waking up from a long, exhausting dream. “Finally,” he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.
Alberta was not just beautiful—it was majestic. The kind of beauty that doesn’t scream for attention, but humbly exists, waiting for you to notice. As our train rolled into the province, the landscape shifted like a living painting. Towering mountain ranges stood proud against the horizon, their peaks dusted with snow even in the warmth of late spring.
The air was different here—crisp, clean, almost healing. The vast blue skies stretched endlessly above us, occasionally brushed with soft cotton clouds that moved lazily across the sun. Pine forests stood tall like an ancient army, whispering stories to the wind as we passed by.
In the distance, the Rockies rose like ancient kings carved out of stone. Between the slopes, clear glacial rivers flowed with a gentle roar, wrapping around valleys like silver threads. Nature had crafted Alberta with a patient hand—rugged yet graceful.
When we arrived at the edges of Edmonton, the city greeted us with a mix of modern energy and natural calm. Parks melted into neighborhoods, and city life hummed quietly beside the North Saskatchewan River. At every turn, there was a view to admire—a walking trail, a meadow of wildflowers, a calm lake reflecting the clouds like a mirror.
Meanwhile, Calgary’s direction offered a more dramatic beauty. Nestled closer to the mountains, it danced between the pulse of city life and the serenity of nearby Banff and Lake Louise. The turquoise lakes, formed by glacial silt, looked too surreal to be real. You'd swear they were edited by the skies themselves.
“This place... it doesn’t just look peaceful,” I said to Jimmy as we stood on a hill overlooking a stretch of evergreen forest, “it feels peaceful.”
He didn’t say anything at first. He just breathed in deep, eyes closed. Then he smiled. “This is what we’ve been looking for.”
For the first time in years, I agreed without hesitation.
The assistants handed us a small welcome kit with maps, schedules, and contact details for the local coordinators. Everything was well-organized—Sir James and his team had truly taken care of every detail.
We boarded a van that took us along the scenic route toward Edmonton. The snow-capped Rockies stood like silent guardians in the distance, and the Bow River shimmered like melted glass under the morning sun. I couldn't help but say, “This is where peace begins, Jimmy. Not in words, but in landscapes like this.”
As we passed the town limits, our group began to split. Half went toward Calgary, smiling and waving goodbye with eyes full of gratitude and disbelief. The rest, including Jimmy and me, stayed in Edmonton.
We were assigned temporary housing, simple but warm and welcoming. For the first time in months, I lay down on a bed that didn’t feel like a burden. No phone calls, no Mervin with his sugar-coated lies, no more sleepless nights worrying about the next visa delay or broken promise. It felt surreal.
“I think we made it,” Jimmy said later that night as we stood on the balcony watching the snowfall.
“We did,” I replied, “But we’re not just survivors, Jimmy—we’re builders now. Let’s make this count.”
He nodded, eyes tired but filled with purpose.
Little did we know, Alberta was not just a place of escape—it was the beginning of something far greater.
Acknowledgements
Synopsis:
Dreams of Alberta is a compelling fictional narrative rooted in real events that expose the dark underbelly of overseas job scams in Sri Lanka. The story follows a group of hopeful individuals lured by the promise of high-paying jobs and permanent settlement in Alberta, Canada. Manipulated by cunning local agents, they sell their possessions, take out loans, and trust in a dream that slowly turns into a nightmare.
While the names and journey are fictionalized, every other element in the story is drawn from true events. Through emotionally charged scenes and powerful character arcs, the narrative uncovers how these agents exploit desperation, using forged documents, fake offer letters, and false assurances to trap innocent people in webs of debt and despair.
As the truth unravels, the story becomes a voice for the voiceless—a stark warning to others and a call for justice. Dreams of Alberta isn’t just a story of betrayal; it’s also a tribute to resilience, awakening, and the fight to reclaim dignity.
The original incidents documented in the book, the 11th client.
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