Orbiting

This is a short story about the daughter of an Italian immigrant named Rindy (her parents call her Renata throughout the story.). Her father "married down" and her mother "married up and that's the family story." This story is about her thanksgiving dinner with her family and new boyfriend Ro. Ro is from Afghanistan and was the son of a wealthy landlord in Afghanistan. Ro had been through a lot in Afghanistan, from getting arrested for passing out pro-American pamphlet, to being tortured in prison, and finally escaping Afghanistan by "orbiting" from one airport to another. The story primarily focuses on Rindy and her families lives and problems. Her sister Cindi has married a divorced middle aged man with a daughter named Franny. Her parents are drastically different her mother being from a lower class in Italy speaks plainly and is more open about her emotions, her father is more aloof and gets stressed easier. The most interesting part of the story is when Ro is telling his story about how he came to America. In that moment Rindy realizes how easy she has it in America and how much she respects and loves Ro for the hardships he has been through. She thinks comparing her father and step-brother to her boyfriend "They have their little scars, things they are proud of, football injuries and bowling elbows they brag about. Our scars are so innocent; they are invisible and come from rough-housing gone too far." Ro on the other hand had had to endure such childhood horrors as being attacked by dogs and beaten by crazy man with a burning stick. In short this story expresses the innocence of America compared to the Middle East. It also raises the question: is it better to fight for something as Ro fought for his freedom or just be handed it as we have been in America today?