Dieu-donné

 

I saw him from across the room and I had to get to know him.  Dieu-donné, the little boy in the green chair holding his shoestrings. He looked a little lost, as did a lot of the little ones on the first day of school. But he didn't cry. He just watched all that was happening. 

After a few minutes, he noticed me, too, and we began exchanging smiles. While he pushed the toy cars around, I watched. Occasionally he glanced my way and smiled at me. I applauded his car's speed. Eventually, by the end of the morning, he had come near enough to me that I could talk to him. I began by asking his name. I pointed to my self and said my name and then asked his. He didn't answer. After asking the question twice that way, I began pointing to him and just saying a name:  "Georges? Jean? Robert?" He chuckled, but still stayed silent. It was a few weeks before I learned his name, "Dieu-donné" or given by God. 

I don't know exactly how it happened, but we became good buddies. In the early part of the school year, Donné would sit on my lap. Now that he is a few months older, that happens rarely. However, he will come stand by me, hold my hand, and lean against me.

Early in December, a young woman came to class. Everybody except me recognized her as one of the mothers. She spoke to Tata for a few minutes, and then brought me this bag of peanuts. The teacher explained that the lady was Dieu-donné's mother. She said that he was constantly talking about "Miss Chris" at home and that he always wanted to come to school so that he would see me. I was very touched, both by the fact that he would talk about me and that his mother wanted to give me a present because of that.

That is not to say that our relationship has been constant joy. Earlier this year, I went out to my car only to discover that it had been "keyed." 

I knew it had to be one of the kindergartners. No one owned up to it that day, but the next day it came out that Donné was the culprit. It was a Tuesday, so I was in Lomé and didn't witness his confession. The next morning, though, after being urged on by Tata, he came and knelt at my chair and said something. The teacher told me that he was the one who had scratched my car. I asked him, "why?" but of course he had no answer. I told him that I was very hurt, but that I forgave him for two reasons. First, I love Jesus, and He wants me to forgive people and second, because I love Dieu-donné. He was a little standoffish for the rest of the day, but it didn't take too long to resume our normal relationship.

There are times when I ask myself if I will come back here. When I think about Dieu-donné, the answer is always "Yes!" I may not stay as long as I am this trip, but I have to check in periodically to see him grow!

 

One thing I have always loved about children is the way they use their whole body to do things. In the photo on the left, Donné is helping another student with a work sheet. I love how he has planted his feet and is bending over the table.