My Friend Darien

Darien is a twelve-year-old boy in my English class, one of my best students, and an all-around good kid. I met his family at the hospital a few weeks back and they said I should visit their house sometime. I'd been wanting to get a closer look at life in Impfondo, so I told Darien to meet me on Sunday after church so he could give me a tour of his home.

Darien met me at the hospital and we walked to his neighborhood in Impfondo. As we walked up to the cluster of mud-brick buildings that belong to his family, people kept asking Darien about his "mundella" friend. "Mundella" means "white," and it's a word I hear about 100 times when I ride my bike down the street. 

Darien led me between a few short buildings to a clump of people sitting around a teeny-tiny courtyard. He introduced me to his uncle and his mother and some of his sisters. He had twin sisters named Peya and Comu. I knew of another set of twins at the hospital with the same names, and Darien explained to me that all the twins in the Congo have the same names, Peya and Comu. I'm probably spelling "Comu" wrong, by the way.

Here we are heading back to Darien's house.

Darien insisted that I pose for a picture with his mother. Can you see the resemblance? Between Darien and his mother, I mean.

Here is the inside of Darien's house. A nice place, clean and cool.

Notice the picture of the president above the refrigerator. His face is everywhere in town: tee-shirts, poster-boards, ladies' dresses with his photo as a pattern.

Darien is a very good student, and below is evidence of his study habits.

Every Sunday I see Darien in church, worshipping with the saints and listening to the sermon. I also see him in my English classes on Thursdays and Fridays. I feel like I have a better feeling for how Impfondo families live their everyday lives.

I miss you all. I am doing well and look forward to seeing you soon.