Unique children | “Mercy lived out” according to Fr. Piumatti

From the diaries of Fr. Piumatti, fd of Pinerolo and missionary in North Kivu for 50 years. Telling Africa and giving it back its word is a gesture of mercy toward it

Yesterday at the parents’ shirika were also Elena and Mimmo, our hosts: Mimmo did not ask why they have so many children here, but he asked another good question, “what do you people think when we say we only have one child?” As usual there was a nice exchange of thoughts.

Then, Paulina told us, “Children sometimes upset us; the other day I went through the carton where my Maserò keeps his T-shirts; I know he has three or four, there was only one left.
I asked him for an explanation.
“At Mass, I heard that if I have two shirts I have to give one.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Mother, don’t you know that what the right hand does, the left hand doesn’t have to know!”
Maserò is 10 years old. And he knows how much a T-shirt costs him.

And then Paulina continued, “every night when he finishes eating, Maserò takes a handful of bugali, the cassava porridge, and leaves the house to take it to his friend Isaki.”
“But if you’re with him all day, what are you still going there for?”
“This is my good night, so tomorrow morning he tells me he slept well.”

Imagine

• Sister Joan Chemeli Langat

Source

• Father Piumatti, Fiori selvaggi… profumo d’Africa, pp. 42-43