TEXT II

“Of course, when I first arrived in Australia, the emphasis was on the future, not the past. I was being introduced to a new life in a very different world from the one I´d been born into, and my new mum and dad were putting a lot of effort into facing the challenges that experience brought. Mum didn´t worry too much about my learning English immediately, since she knew it would come through day-to-day use. Rather than trying to rush me into it, she thought it was far more important at the outset to comfort and care for me, and gain my trust. You don´t need words for that. She also knew an Indian couple in the neighborhood, Saleen and Jacob, and we would visit them regularly to eat Indian food together. They would speak with me in my own language, Hindi, asking simple questions and translating instructions and things Mum and Dad wanted me to know about how we´d live our life together. Being so young when I got lost and coming from a very basic background, I didn´t speak much Hindi, either, but being understood by someone was a huge help in becoming comfortable about my new surroundings. Anything my new parents weren´t able to communicate through gestures and smiles, we knew Saleen and Jacob could help us with, so we were never stuck.

[…]

My transition to life in another country and culture wasn´t as difficult as one might expect, most likely because, compared to what I´d gone through in India, it was obvious that I was better off in Australia. Of course, more than anything, I wanted to find my mother again, but once I´d realized that was impossible, I knew I had to take whatever opportunity came my way to survive. Mum and Dad were very affectionate, right from the start, always giving me lots of cuddles and making me feel safe, secure, loved, and, above all, wanted.

[…]

I had often heard music emanating from other people´s radios. Seeing or hearing babies cry also affected me strongly, probably because of memories of my little sister, Shekila. The most emotional thing was seeing other families with lots of children. I suppose that, even in my good fortune, they reminded me of what I´d lost.” (BRIRLEY, 2016 p. 7 - 10)

(Source: BRIERLEY, Saroo. Lion. Penguin: Canada, 2019)