nicolas and josh

During this time of decisions about surgery, playing way too much online Scrabble to take my mind off the aforementioned (when I am trying to fall asleep, strange words - which I am just learning about and which don't look or seem real but are - keep parading in front of my tired eyelids; faqir, sug, jo, zoa, qanat, aa and umiaqs, just to name a few) things like the following letter written about a pen pal at St. Mary Kevin's seem so grounding and so wonderful. This was written by Josh, whose friend in Uganda also happens to be the little boy I have grown especially fond of over the past two years.

"Nicolas is a boy from Uganda. In Uganda they have a lot of fighting and war, especially in Lira. His mom and dad were murdered. His mother was a teacher and his father was a shopkeeper. Now Nicolas lives at the St. Mary Kevin Orphanage with his sister Elisabeth. Nicolas loves his grandmother and when it’s school break he goes back to the village near Lira and stays with her, even though it is still dangerous there.

I know Nicolas from writing letters and sending pictures, which we both like to draw. Nicholas always draws me a picture in his letters. His favorite colors are black, yellow and red. The last letter he sent was of him in his school uniform. They wear green shorts and white collared shirts; green is my favorite color. In another letter Nicolas drew a map of the entire school and orphanage ~ even the dormitories where he sleeps and the grass where he likes to play 'football.' His favorite team is Manchester United and he drew a symbol of ManU in one letter. I don't think Nicolas has his own bicycle, but he likes to ride and loves swimming, too.

We want to meet each other and be more than 'best-friend pen pals' some day."