“Bamboo Wedding”
By Sujatha Fernandes | Asterix Journal
It was a quiet day at the admissions office at NYU. Somwattie and Devika stood at the front desk, speaking to a female administrator about Devika’s acceptance to the MFA studio art program.
“You’re not eligible to apply for financial aid. You’re illegal,” the administrator told Devika. Devika might well have had a flashing neon “I” printed on her forehead.
“What are the fees for one year’s tuition?” asked Somwattie.
The officer ran her finger down a column on her paperwork. “Forty-one thousand and forty-four dollars. Then there are supplies and living expenses too.”
Somwattie may have been semi-literate but she was sharp when it came to numbers, due to all her small business schemes back home in Guyana. With the total of five hundred and fifty dollars she brought home each week from six cleaning jobs, it would take her years to even earn that amount. All of her savings had gone toward putting Devika through Queens College.
“There must be some scholarship, or some way you can help us.”
Read the rest of the short story at Asterix Journal.
