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I Will Be Back With a Pen
By
Deepali Shrestha
Project statement
The fresh scent of wet ground after summer rain takes me back to my hometown, Dharan. There, I see my home, and inside it, I find my Aji resting in her armchair in a corner of her room. I sit beside her, on the floor, close enough to catch the scent of olive oil from her thinning white hair.
She is recounting stories from her memories—stories I’ve heard many times before. In between, I zone out, but when she starts talking about her father, my Aja, and the pen, I listen carefully. I close my eyes. When it ends, I notice her wistful smile.
Now, I can no longer smell Aji’s hair oil or hear her voice, but I keep thinking about the story of my Aja, his disappearance, and the pen he promised his daughter, my Aji.
It isn't about the answers, but the questions... It isn't about facts, but feelings.
Aja has become a story, a fading memory for some. But he is intertwined with the history of my hometown. He is disguised in things that slipped away with time.
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