Eight - Video

[pakisunotpaku]

[The camera clicks on to show Pakistan in one of the tea rooms. She has set out some food she's made--just some curry and naan, really--and there is a small flag standing with the food. The camera pans over the spread, then Pakistan sets it down on the table and crouches down so to be at "eye level" with it.]Today is International Mother Language

Comments

[Voice]

[helena_campbell]

What are you reading?

[Voice]

[pakisunotpaku]

It's poems by some of my sister's people. It's a little hard for me to read though.

[Voice]

[helena_campbell]

Your sister? Another country, right?

[Voice]

[pakisunotpaku]

Yes. Humans call her Bangladesh. I call her Bengal, but she used to be East Pakistan, and she lived in my house.

[Voice]

[helena_campbell]

You two must have been really close, if you're still reading her books up to now.

[Voice]

[pakisunotpaku]

Well, she didn't want to live at my house. She said that I didn't take care of her and that I put my own interests ahead of hers, and so there was a liberation war and she left.

[Voice]

[helena_campbell]

Oh! Uhh. That's too bad.

[Voice]

[pakisunotpaku]

I guess Bengal is happier now. So it's okay.

[...]

But that doesn't mean I didn't take care of her!

[Voice]

[helena_campbell]

Uhh, speaking of which... I'm sorry I shouted at you the other day. I was a bit upset.

Why did she say you didn't take care of her?

[Voice]

[pakisunotpaku]

Oh...it's okay. Don't worry about it.

Because her house isn't very close to mine, so I had to focus on Punjabi and Pashtun problems over Bengali problems.