– I don’t have Father.
– How about your mother?
– She don’t want.
It all started one afternoon, we had taken the girls’ to the park in our neighborhood. The boys from the boys’ home also came to hang out with us.
I ended up playing badminton with the most beautiful little Asian boy I had ever seen. He had the brightest smile, and the cutest personality. He spoke English, but it was jumbled unless you asked him to speak slowly. I asked him his name, but he would just look at me, smile, then turn away and start laughing.
The wind was blowing that day, so every time I served the birdie it would land about 5 feet to the right of him. Each time I would apologize saying; “sorry, sorry, sorry.” And each time he would just look at me and laugh. But after it happened about 10 times, he started mocking me! He would serve the birdie, and no matter where it went he would smile at me and say; “sorry, sorry, sorry.”
I think that’s the moment I fell in love with him. I later found out his name is Nigel, and he is 12 years old.
His story doesn’t end there…I taught English and math this month at the church’s school. One day I walked into class and saw Nigel’s beautiful face staring back at me. This meant he had been suspended from school, and had to come to the church for the day because there is no one to watch him at the boys’ home.
He was in my class for 2 days, and I decided that would be a good opportunity to talk to him. So each day when the rest of the class was working on their work, I sat down beside him and talked with him. The first day I only asked him a few questions about school, but the second day I decided to ask him about his family. I knew some of the children living at the homes had parents, but I wasn’t sure about him.
First I asked if he had any siblings. He told me no, and also told me he didn’t have a father. So next I asked him; “how about your mother?” He looked at me and all he said was; “she don’t want.”
My eyes began to fill with tears. What did he mean, she doesn’t want him? How could she not want him? He was beautiful and sweet. How could she not want him? Who wouldn’t want him?
I left class that day crying. Praying that God would help me figure out what I needed to do.
Love,
Caitlyn
