MWIZERO

Dearest OMA
Indeed I am writing to thank you, there is no adequate word to express my deep gratitude, really thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
As you know, it is not easy to leave your routine, your family, your friends, your country from one day to the next ; all this while being forced to do so because staying was suicidal. I saw so much hatred and violence, so much sadness in the eyes of some. The despair in the eyes of the mothers seeing their sons fall one after the other like flies. The fathers trying to reassure their families but you could feel the fear eating away at them like a cancer. Before, when I walked down the street, I walked upright, proud of myself, proud of my identity, proud of my slim height. But then, when I walked, I tried to make myself small to not be noticed.
but in vain my six-foot height wouldn't let me. So when I felt that someone was looking at me, I had a few drops of sweat. I remember that the joy of life that had rocked my childhood had given way to the horrible stench of fear.
The day my older brother was arrested on his way out of college was a nightmare. With so many people disappearing and never resurfacing, we thought, "Now it's our turn. But the good GOD answered our prayers and returned him safely. My father gathered us all together and said: it's time you got away from here. This time God smiled on us, but who knows what will happen next? Let's not tempt the devil. That night my mother couldn't stop crying.
When we arrived in Rwanda, it was a relief. It took me a month to be able to sleep like I used to, sometimes I would wake up terrified, and my twin who was sleeping next to me would get up and turn on the light and say “do you know where we are?” He would show me the map above the bed, and point to where we were, “we're too far away from them now try to sleep instead’. This little ritual went on for quite some time. After, we started to look for small jobs , because life in Rwanada is more expensive than in Burundi.
During all this time I kept thinking about my studies that I had left and the fact that maybe I would never do them again. But I consoled myself by telling myself that the main thing was that I was alive. The rest would come or not, I didn't care.
And that's when you appeared in my life like a being of light coming to enlighten me in the darkness. At first it was the English classes. I couldn't believe that someone would give me such a gift. I went there with such joy, I met other young Burundians like me, companions of misfortune. We told each other about our miseries, we sympathised and sometimes we laughed about it. It warmed our hearts.
The day I was told that I would be able to continue my studies in Lyon, it was amazing. I couldn't believe it because it seemed too good to be true.
Days went by and the dream became reality, bit by bit.
The day I met you, I was so impressed! I looked at you and thought, this is an angel. I got closer and saw that you were breathing like the rest of us. You were glowing, the smile that never left your lips, the kindness… it did me a lot of good