streets

Sitting on the floor
with people dancing and eating all around us
i met Modise
he is an 11 year old African Boy.
He loves to play,
loves to wrestle
loves sweets...
He is very small for his age--
im sure due to malnutrition
He had a hole down the middle of his pants
his collar boes were sticking out.
he ravenously ate the chips and fruit on his plate.
he chatted with me as best as he could
(english is not his first language)
but mostly just smiled at me and nodded his head.
i put my arm around him and enjoyed the joyous scene around us.
He pulled a few worn candies out of his pocket and offered me one.
then he gave his friend sitting next to him the other.

Modise has no parent or guardian living in his home.
his 14 year old sister Ermy looks after him.
His uncle will check in on him once in a while.
he is an orphan.
he is Beautiful.

Walking down a busy street
in the heart of Cape Town
8pm on friday night
a boney child
in tattered clothes and no shoes
approaches us
in broken, almost unrecognizable english
asks us for ---
anything we can give.
we sigh,
and are so torn,
we know he really is hungry,
but know giving him money is not the answer.
he finds us again later and says
"no money, I -- food"
so we go into the local market and buy him bread and meat.
it is hard to look into his face
knowing that this will only satify for tonite,
and tomorrow he will be hungry again.
he is very greatful,
sweeter than most.
i realize as i am trying to sleep later that night
that i didnt even ask his name.
i begin to see the coping skills that have
unintentionally
become part of my life
since being here.
it is easier not know his name...
i won't see him again
i can't do more for him
he lives an hour from us,
and we dont frequent his street.
THIS
is reality everyday here in South Africa
every street corner
every parking lot
and we have learned to cope...
tried to not become hard...
tried to not cry too much...

somehow
as we get ready to leave this home
these difficult choices
that we are faced with everyday
will be missed...

their faces will never dissapear from our hearts.