This Congolese Boy’s Life
I wrote a series in Slate last month about a Congolese teenager I hung out with in Goma for a year. Since it came out I’ve been getting emails from him. He says his parents have since died from being poisoned, and wants to know how my music composition is going. (We used to talk about how we both wanted to be singers.) Here is the latest email, the graphic of the boy below was embedded in the message:
English:
I already started to play at [iyole?]. My father died the 13th of January we did an autopsy and it was poisoning my mother also it was the 20th of May it was poisoning we have deemed that the poison was placed in the cooking pot. The people who killed my parents knew them. Thank you Emily may your life be agreeable and gentle making every day delectable and may all your dreams come true bringing you joy throughout your life. Thanks to the pop quiz you gave me I have found work in a garage as an assistant mechanic. I thank you for the pop quiz. At this moment I have been named the head of my family.
We kicked [my brother] Fiston out. He still lives in our old place. Sleep well when you go to bed. Good bye.
French:
jais déjà commence à jouer a iyole .mon pére était mort le 13/01/2010 on lui avais teste cette le poison ma mére oussi cette le/20/5/2010 elle cousis ces le poison on avais constate que ona mis le poison dans le casserole de l’anourriture. le gent quion tuer mes parents ces déjà le connaitre.merci emily que la vie de toi soient toujour agreable et douce rendant chaque journneé de l’ectable et que toutes réve deviennent realite pour t’apporte l’a joie toute la vie gràce au pop quiz je trouves le connaissance dans un garragé ces là ou je travail comme aide mecanicien.je vous remecie pour le pop quiz a ces momment on m’avais nome cmme chef de la famille ona chasse fiston il habite là ou nous étion .bonne dodo quand vous serez au lit good bay
