Fadi Sarkis came to the U.S. from Lebanon when he was 20 years old. Today, he lives in Concord with his wife and children and runs a gas station in East Concord. International Concord's Erin Woolf finds out more about him.
You just took over the ownership of the East Concord Mobil & Auto Repair. Congratulations! How's business?
Great! We are really happy to be here. The location is great.
Where are you from?
Originally Lebanon. But then I worked for many years in Mass. in the mechanic/auto repair field.
Do you miss Lebanon?
Sure, it's a beautiful place. But this is my home now. My wife and two kids and I have settled in the Concord area for a few years now. It's a good place. The people are good, kind. We really like it here!
What was your life like growing up there?
Of course it was very difficult. The civil war raged on for years and years. The constant shootings, bombings, (the)fighting was unimaginable, it was beyond description. Christians fighting Muslims, Muslims fighting Christians. Seeing whole villages wiped out. Thirty-five percent of the population at the time “disappeared” from the killings. It was horrible. Sadly, it was also all I knew as a child.
Were you able to attend school in Lebanon, despite the violence?
I was. I worked hard to attend school. Of course, there were many cancelled days of school when the violence was just too bad that day to let children go outside the home to attend class. But I still graduated.
You came to America alone?
Yes, I did. I came to Boston at age 20. I worked hard at different jobs, learning the skills of business management and car mechanics. I had only spoken Arabic and French in Lebanon, so I also learned English as my third language.
You now live in the Concord area with your wife and two small children. What do you like to do as a family when you are not working?
We like to go down to White Park. We spread out blankets on the grass and the kids can run around and play. It's beautiful. We have met so many lovely people here in Concord. It's a great place to call home.
