Uncle, Uncle, you’ve told me a million times not to give anything to other children because I’ll regret it! I didn’t believe you. Anyway, how can you know better than me how to deal with children of my age? Now I believe you. And here’s why...

The moment I wake up I immediately fly down to the school yard next door. A lot of children gather there and I like to hang out with them. Seeing that they were so poorly dressed, I was looking for a way to cheer them up a bit more. And I remembered the balloons which I had brought with me in great numbers. When I started to give away the balloons, suddenly more and more children began to appear from all directions. There were hundreds around me and I got a little bit scared. Uncle noticed the crowd, ran towards me, and chased away all the kids. He saved me! I realized why he told me those things and I realized he was right. But I didn’t want to give up my intention to empty the bag I had filled with different toys in Bosnia.

Yesterday, fra Matija and I went to inspect the teachers’ houses that had been built by benefactors from Germany. I secretly gave away the balloons again, but the children didn’t run after me like the day before. They were probably afraid of fra Matija! It was nice to see them smile again. I thought they would most likely wish to fly in the air on the balloons they had gotten and immediately inflated.

I was surprised to see how people in the villages around Kivumu live in houses that are a little bit wider than two meters. But they don’t complain, and they keep smiling. I find it super!

It seems that my uncle’s teachers are “big guys” in the village. We visited one of them. His house is on the top of a hill, and it’s the biggest house in the whole area. He even has a pig and a cow!

I thought my Bosnia was mountainous, but it’s nothing compared to Rwanda. We keep going up-down-up-down and around noon my legs feel like they’re going to fall off. After fra Matija and I returned to my uncle’s, I immediately fell asleep… without supper.

In the morning we were woken up by the friary doorbell. I opened the door, and in front of me there was a pack of children asking for more balloons! Uncle showed up too and chased them away at once. I didn’t tell him why they’d showed up. I grinned. Uncle was right – we shouldn’t give them anything, because they just keep asking for more and more...

(to be continued)

Translated by: fra Branimir Mlakić
Edited by: Valerie K. Ken