when Mr. Pizarda
Montāžas Teksta
- Boston, August of 1971
- Avenue
- This story took place in the autumn of 1971, in the Boston suburbs. A botanist, Mr. Pizarda, born in Dacca, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was given a grant to study the foliage of New England. Despite the situation his country was going through (Bangladesh Liberation War), a time of national concern and fear, he flee to the US, leaving his wife and 7 daughters back in Pakistan for 1 year.
- With the purpose of reconnecting with their Indian roots and in a quest for compatriots, Lilia's parents scrolled through the columns of the local university press, eventually founding him and inviting him for dinner at their home. This became almost like a routine, where Mr. Pizarda would come to have dinner and watch the news about the war going on in his country; this really made him anxious, especially when thinking about his family.
- To Lilia's surprise, no one at school seemed to know about the war, let alone give it the attention it deserved according to her; instead, they focused on the American Revolution. Lilia, for instance, recalled one occasion where she was reading a book about Pakistan in the school library when her teacher, Mrs. Kenyon, scolded her because this text was not related to the report Lilia was assigned to write.
- Thank you, Lilia!
- As some days passed by, Lilia started noticing how the war had worsened compared to when it just begun; everything felt so tense. At the same time, Mr. Pizarda made it a habit to give Lilia candy for each evening he got to their house. She treasured them very deeply and stored them in a box that used to belong to her grandmother. Eventually, she decided to eat a piece of candy and pray for Mr. Pizarda's family before going to bed.
- On Halloween, Mr. Pizarda seemed concerned about Lilia and Dora going trick-or-treating by themselves, unlike her parents who saw it as a very normal thing. Lilia figured that Mr. Pizarda's worries stemed from him not knowing where his own daughters were at. In the end, Lirrlia and Dora went by themselves. When she returned home, she found the pumpkin smashed, the television turned off, and Mr. Pirzada with his head in his hands. For the first time, Mr. Pirzada spent the night at Lilia's house.
- With the arrival of January, and with a declining war, Mr. Pirzada returned back to his house and family in Dacca. A couple of months later, Lilia's family got a card from Mr. Pirzada describing his reunion with his family and offering his most genuine thanks for everything they did for him while he was in the US. Lilia's family couldn't help but celebrate the good news; despite this, Lilia herself was sad, knowing now from personal experience, what it is like to miss someone so far away.
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