“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.”
The parents’ mode of living safeguards Brierly from cultural shocks, considering that Brierly is Indian. They are figures of maturity for they restrain from forcing Brierly to fit in. Although he is not eloquent in English, they show him affection which could not be affirmed by words. Their actions and affection demonstrate to Brierly that he is loved and wanted in the family; hence he does not feel like an outsider.
“But my experiences have undoubtedly shaped who I am today, providing me with an unshakable faith in the importance of family - however it is formed- and a belief in the goodness of people and the importance of grasping opportunities as they are presented. I wouldn’t wish to erase any of that. It’s true, too, that my Indian family has received opportunities they would not have had otherwise had none of this taken place. I feel strongly that there is an element of destiny in these events, intertwining my two families, with me as the linchpin.”
Brierly underscores the implication of family in an individual's existence. Although his adopted family offers a high-class and fulfilling life, he does not overlook his roots. He has two families which he cherishes equally. He is lucky that he recovers his blood family after many years. Obviously, if he had not been lost as a child, he would not have been privileged to have two families. Destiny contributes to the realization of twin families. His getting lost is not absolutely in vain despite taking some years in which he would have been with his biological siblings.
