La Madre de Perú

20 6 9

by WeirdestArrow

by WeirdestArrow

Prompt: Peru. Important to mention they are speaking Quechua in this oneshot.

"Mamay?" Peru asked his adoptive mother one evening as they made pachamanca together.

"Yes, churi?" She asked, looking up at him with kind and ancient eyes. Quechua did not know how old she was, and no one had been able to figure it out. She simply was, in a way that few others were.

"Why did you choose to adopt me? My government has caused you a lot of pain. I would...it wouldn't hurt if you never wanted anything to do with me and just...never spoke to me," Peru asked, looking down in shame.

"You are not your government. You know that," Quechua said simply, sitting down and looking up at Peru with a small tilt of her head.

"But I...I supported...some of the awful things they did to you," Peru said.

"I know, but you have felt regret for those actions, and I know you are trying to make up for it. And I...I can see that you are lonely," Quechua said.

"Lonely?" Peru asked. He didn't...he didn't feel lonely...did he?

"You call the others primos, but you are distant because you are all countries, unable to be close. You have human friends, but you cannot be close because you are a country. I know loneliness very well. I have lost much before you came along before the Europeans came along. It is not all you. And...many of my people are yours. If I can help prevent you from being as lonely as I have been, give you family and stability, then I will," Quechua said, "And you have always been family, even distant."

"I...thank you," Peru said, turning back to the pachamanca, thinking over his mother's words. He...she was right. He liked having family, someone who was always there for him.

It was nice.