Bolingo

A New Life

I've been told once, when I was just a little boy in the back of the classroom, that there was an uncalculable number of stars in the sky and even the most powerful machine couldn't count them.

    My name is Bolingo Mpungu, but my friends call me "Bo". My mother gave me birth twenty-seven years ago, in a tiny house made of mud with no windows and no doors. Few minutes before my birth, soldiers arrived in the village ; they wanted to kill everyone. A man screamed, a rifle ended it, and then my mother knew. She knew that she had to hide. She thought about me and how badly she wanted to see me grow. She hid under his bed and, with no scream, no tears, no painkillers, with the rifles in the background, she brought me to life. She told me that when I first breathed, I didn't cry, I didn't yell, as I knew I had to be quiet, as I was made to live. "Bolingo" means "love". Apparently that is what I told to my mother when the soldiers left. I don't know if I bielieve that but it's a good story.

    When I was twelve, my mother said "Gather your fanciest clothes, you're going to your uncle for a few days.". And so I did. I had never seen my uncle before but when I first saw him, I admit that I was a little scared. He was 2 meters for 95 kilos of muscles. When my mother brought me to him, she told him something that I never understood but my uncle stayed, without any movements, any emotions and any words. Then he took my bag then my hand and dragged us with his elephant strengh. I yelled goodbye to my mother, she said that she loved me. My uncle's name is Georges. Georges and I arrived in a room with large windows where what I thought were big iron birds, were landing. I stayed quiet, I was still scared of my uncle. I didn't say a word, but when we arrived in the plane I couldn't handle it. "When do we come back?" I said to Georges who was looking to the window. He looked at me, with his eyes full of tears, and he said "we don't".

    When I landed afer 14 hours in the sky, I discovered a land full of people who were talking a language I didn't understand. My uncle said that was english, and that we were in California. I knew California from a show that I used to watch in secret called Charmed. My mother was really scared of it. She bielieved that if we talk about witches, the Devil will come. I don't know if I bielieve this, I don't know if I bielieve in anything. "So... What do you think?" asked Georges in my language. I didn't answer, I wasn't really thinking, I wasn't undersanding anything. He didn't blame me for my silence, he understood what I was going through. With my bag in one hand and his in the other, he told me to follow him. He took me to this restaurant which I was amazed about. "In and Out" he said in a congolese english. He bought me a big burger, with a large portion of fries and an extra large Cola. I had never eaten this much. "What is it" I asked, showing the meat in the burger. "So you didn't let your voice in the plane" he said, smiling. I blushed and then he answered " It's a burger, it's american food, it isn't really healthy but it tastes really good. It's made with pig or cow". I was impressed but I also really wanted to go to the toilets because of the cola. Georges showed me where they were and then I got up when he said "You can go on your own right ?", I didn't answer so he laughed. As I arrived in the restroom, I discovered the cleanest toilets that I had ever seen. I did my buisness, washed my hands and I got out. But when I stepped outside, a man saw me and started to yell at me. I didn't get a thing but Georges arrived and began to reapeat "Sorry" and so the man started to yell at him. I didn't understand why he let this man yell, my uncle was bigger, stronger and hadn't done anything. The man pushed him and then he reached his seat. I looked at Georges' face which wasn't full of anger but full of shame. He turned his face to see me and he said "You'll get use to it...". "Sorry" I answered in english