Land of my childhood (stories from South Asia)

The book is based on stories about people from India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, who reached turning points in their lives. Some of these stories are the following:

• Carapace.

  This story is about a young woman who chooses a husband leaving her childhood behind. She has to choose between two men. The first one is Vijay, her true love. He is older than her and works as a cook at the Beach Hut. He is always smiling and never eats. He'd rather see his food eaten by other people. He is very good at cooking prawns in front of the ocean. However, he is not able to commit to her. The second one is Anura Parera. He is from Australia.He earns a lot of money and has a house in Sydney. He is interested on her and he has serious marriage intentions. He can provide her with a good live with a modern house, a big car, designer clothes, expensive things and also his lifelong respect.

• The inspector of schools.

  This story is about a inspector who visits schools in dirty, smelly and distant villages and towns. Moreover every school has not enough books, local people do not care, lazy students and masters expect free meals and presents. The inspector wants to do his best making recommendations but they are refused by the Planning and Development Department which plan little and develop less. However, one day he visits one school set in the middle of a sugarcane field. Students are sitting on the ground and there are different levels. They have no rooms however. Local people don't want a school because they think children waste their time having fun when they have to help their fathers in the field or look after the cattle. Besides they are the best students he has found in three years on his job and it is worth providing them with a room, what can he do? He knows that his recommendation is going to be refused.

• The Kite-maker.

  It is about a man who wishes for peace in his village because of the war. For that reason, he makes a kite shaped like a dove with silver bells on it legs for “utraan”. It is a Hindu festival where kites are flown.

• The Stepmother.

  This story is about a boy who fights with his new stepmother. He hates her. He starts to do nasty things so that she punishes him and his father gets rid of her. Nevertheless somehow he begins to accept her.

• The Night Rain at Deoli.

  This story is about a young man who remembers a girl at a railway station. He meets her there when she tries to sell him a basket. But when he starts to show some interest on her, he has to get on the train because it is leaving. They meet twice. After that, he wants to find her to take her with him. However, she is not at the railway station any more.

• A Devoted Son.

  This story is about a parents who work very hard to give their son the best education and start in life. The son is pretty grateful and takes care of them making their last years comfortable and peaceful. Nevertheless, the end is not as peaceful as his father wants to.

• For a Horse Nail.

  This story is about a boy who needs money and sells his kidney to get it. However the person who receives it dies. He does not tell anybody he is ill.