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David Song
Yes!! Like how I had to deal with this drunk dude on the bus late last night who was shouting every slur he could come up with.
Anushka Menon
Or like how my classmates for my criminal law module for ‘some’ reason decided to slow down their speech when talking to me. Even though to get into this university you need to be able to speak and write English?? Like, I get it?? No need to dumb yourself down even more, Brian. Not for my sake, please.
David Song
Oof. I had to have a rousing discussion with this girl who kept telling me she had a lot of Black friends, so she understood the Black experience.
Ben Stone
Ahh, the constant struggles.
Anushka Menon
My thumbs hover over the keyboard, unsure and nervous.
The Tragedies’ encounters with the LSDCATS are harsh, awful and completely terrible. If I recount what Henry said to me, The Tragedies will probably be horrified. Until they realize who I am. My profile picture for this account is a photo of the back of my head – not my face. The Tragedies don’t know what I look like, but if they find out, they’ll know I don’t look obviously Pakistani. And then they won’t be horrified by Henry’s response; they’ll be baffled.
That’s when they’ll come to the same conclusion that I’m starting to arrive at: the LSDCATS didn’t reject me because of my Pakistani heritage, or because of my appearance. They rejected me because I just wasn’t good enough.
Horror crystallizes in my veins in response to that singular thought. I wish I could unthink it. But I can’t. I also can’t leave this chat in silence. So I type out a reply that says nothing at all, ignoring the growing balloon in my chest.
Now that I’m sure you guys aren’t serial killers, hi! I’m Farah. I’m a first-year history student looking to start my acting career, and I got rejected by LSDCATS today when I auditioned for Balthasar.
Farah Sheikh
Farah!! What a pretty name!!
Anushka Menon
A hint of a blush tinges my cheeks at the compliment, and I’m relieved they don’t question my experience. The panic recedes, even as that thought of being not good enough sediments itself in the back of my mind. I’ll never know the truth. Not without asking Henry, and that’ll never happen.
Thanks!! It means ‘happiness’. Totally not a weighty name.
Farah Sheikh
Wow. I don’t think Ben means anything.
Ben Stone
Ben and Jerry’s.
David Song
I … I don’t think that’s why my parents named me Ben.
Ben Stone
Excuse David’s dry humour. It’s past his bedtime.
Anushka Menon
A YEAR, ANUSHKA. TWELVE MONTHS.
David Song
