A land of my childhood

LAND OF MY CHILDHOOD
This book contains nine stories. They are told by characters from India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Some of these stories have something in common, they refer to turning points in their lives. In addition to this, all of them tell experiences of their childhood.
In the first story “ Carapace” a girl has to choose between two men. Anura Perera is a wealthy Australian man, and he is the person chosen by his mother. He represents safety, luxury, journeys and in short, all what a woman needs to be happy. However, she falls in love with a cook who works in a Beach Hut. This boy, Vijay, doesn’t want any commitments, just spending time in the best possible way. She would have liked for him to have marriage intentions, but he didn’t. At the end, she probably decided for Anura.
In the story “ The Inspector of schools” is expressed the bad conditions of schools at that time. The inspector was impressed by finding out a school in the middle of a sugarcane field, without a roof to protect from weather conditions. In spite of this, he finds a good master and a group of children eager to learn and help to have a place where they could study. He was saddened when he realized he couldn’t do anything to get a decent school.
“The intelligence of wild things” is a story in which a woman remembers his brother as a child. At that time, in India, there were a lot of troubles. Owing to this, her mother decided her children had to go to the States. The daughter married an Indian man and lived in California. On the other hand, the son was a shy boy, very attached to his mother. He didn’t want to go abroad because he thought India wasn’t so dangerous for him as her mum believed. However, his mother persuaded him and finally he left. He went to a college in the American east. It was very difficult to adapt to his new life. His sister knew that, but she couldn’t help him because of her husband. Some years later he lost contact with his mother and her sister went to see him and they remembered their childhood and so they could make up for lost time.
The next story “ The kite-maker” refers as to how wars can divide families. It’s about a couple whose son had disappeared. The man, Ahmed Bassoal, started to make a wonderful kite, shaped like a dove with bells in its wings, to keep on hope in life. On the other hand, the woman was pretty disappointed and depressive. When he was trying the kite, the wind became very strong, and the kite flew away. Some days later, somebody knocked at the door and turned up their loving son. All was thanks to the fact they’d recognized the broken kite. Finally the divided family was together again.
A boy didn’t accept his father married again. This story is related in “ The stepmother”. He didn’t even give her an opportunity. He was always annoying and bothering her in order that she may punish him. Then he would have a good reason to tell his father she wasn’t a good mother for him. On the other hand, she didn`t react as he expected and looked for a suitable solution, neither unfair nor rough. Eventually, he noticed she was not such a bloody person as he thought.
In the following story an eighteen-year-old boy met a girl at Deoli station, on the way to his grandma’s. He only saw her twice, and they hardly spoke some words; but he never forgot her. He tried to find out who she was or if something happened to her. However, nobody could tell him anything about her.
“A devoted son” is the story of Rakesh . He is a great doctor who comes from a humble background. Apart from being famous and wealthy, he was a good son. He even agreed to marry a girl who his mother had chosen for him. He took care of his father until the end. He always behaved like people expected him to do.
“Missiya, the wild one” tells the life of a bold, beautiful girl who lived in a little village in Sri Lanka. The child who tells the story had a close relationship with her. She devoted her life to the world’s oldest profession. So, all women in the village hated and cursed her. However, men watched her lovely body and good looks. However when she got pregnant and her baby was born , she had to kill her own child, because a fatherless boy would never be accepted in that society. She kept her boldness all the time , even when the policemen carried her away.
The last story” For a horseshoe nail” tells how poverty can make people to do incredible things. In the village of the character most people sell their kidneys to get money. This is what this Indian man did to help his family.
Isabel Agudo