Sunday, January 31, 2016

The orphan clause

This is an exerpt from my novel "The Longest Tweet: A Story of Sri Lanka." This short section explores the intense presence of so many children's homes in the East and contemplates the social settings that surround these orphanages.
It references one of the major liturgical sections of the Rosh ha Shana prayer book. It's sad to think about, so if you don't like sad, don't read. More excerpts from the novel are posted under the title "The Longest Tweet."

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The Orphan Clause 

More questions that you might not want to ask people personally: You might not want to think about them: you might wonder why a person would ask them: You might regret reading them:

Is it better to end up in an orphanage because your parents were shot or because they were drowned? Is it better to end up in an orphanage because your parents disappeared or because your parents were under suspicion? Is it better to have been brought to the orphanage by your parents or was it better to have been brought by their relatives? Was it better to be brought by villagers because your parents were gone or was it better to wander there yourself because everyone was gone? Was it better to be in the orphanage when you knew where your parents were or was it better to be there when you didn't know where they were? What about your brothers and sisters? Did you know your name when you came to the orphanage? You might add:

Did you and the other children talk about your lives before the orphanage when you were in the orphanage? Did you feel safe in the orphanage? Did you know what was outside the orphanage? Why would you want to ask that? 

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