Article content

The sun dawns on the snowy peak that pokes above the clouds, dabbling light on Mount Everest’s Hillary Step, the last death-defying rock wall before the summit. Below the clouds, at ground level, a collection of coloured shapes — red, yellow, blue, green, orange — spreads out like flags signalling a colourful denial of death. They are the tarpaulins that have become home to the survivors of two devastating earthquakes that convulsed Nepal on April 25 and May 12 — symbols at once of the triumphant survival and inescapable fear of recurrence.This is the aftershock.

Approaching me in the park of tarpaulins and proud of the English she has learned in school, Palistha, 11, says carefully, “Where — are — you — from?”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Aftershock: Here's how Nepal is coping after two earthquakes left nearly 9,000 dead, 16,800 injured Back to video

I reply, “Canada,” and anticipate her next question will be, “Where is that?”

But I’m wrong. With wide eyes and a furrowed brow, the little girl asks, “Do you have earthquakes in Canada?”