Working here on the old camel trails, we commonly encounter a Rasheed, an Ahmed or an Akbar.
And there is always a story.
This particular little ’Afghan’ is 15 months old, a cherub with round cheeks and light brown curls.
When you see a face like this you cannot stop yourself from smiling.
A child with a face like this finds himself in a world where every adult smiles at him. He likes this world that seems to love him so.
Sarah, his mum, has the same ripe-fruit cheeks.
What is the cherub’s story?
Sarah explains: “Akbar’s great grandfather was a cameleer. His great grandmother was Aboriginal. Here – you can read about it in this book.” Sarah hands me a heavy paperback, titled “Linden Girl”, by Pamela Rajkowski. The subtitle reads: a story of outlawed lives.
There is always a story, and that is the cherub’s story. It is the story of a couple and their encounters with Law. The Law forbade this cherub to exist.
howardgoldenberg 