The Pen Pal I once had
In elementary school, we had pen pals from Kenya, but my exchange with my pen pal actually continued into high school.
One day my elementary school was able to track us down after moving and had called my dad about letters for me. My pen pals address had always been a school and mine which was once the schools address eventually became my house address.
I wrote her back after receiving a letter after so many years, it began again.
But eventually we stopped writing again. I don’t know who stopped writing or responding. If she graduated and no longer had a physical address to send mail through or receive, but that was that.
Fast forward years later and it’s late 2017... there is this magical thing now of social media and the internet to connect us. So I google her name, B- (I’m leaving her name out) ... I come across a photo I thought might be her and message the twitter account. No response. And then I come another news article with a photo of a woman I think also might be B- her and found that B- has 3 children children now between the ages of 11 - 1.5 years. But this news article read that all three had wandered away from home and went missing! My heart sank, I didn’t know how to even get in touch with B- and I didn’t even know if 100% if she was my B- and if she was... what on earth could I ever say to her now besides giving her my condolences? Every time and again I google if her kids had been found, but I have not found any good news. I learned that it’s very common for kids to run away in Kenya, because they feel they can be treated better elsewhere. B-‘s kids just walked out of their complex and though being spotted by a number of neighbors, they did nothing to keep the children close to home or stop them from wandering off.
I share this story because people live different lives, in different situations, in different parts of the world. Be attentive and caring. If you see a neighbors young child/children wandering the street, keep an eye out or mind that they are safe.
My heart sinks a little every time I think of her, I get a little teary eyed thinking of her heartache. Regardless if she’s my B- or not.
I wrote her back after receiving a letter after so many years, it began again.
But eventually we stopped writing again. I don’t know who stopped writing or responding. If she graduated and no longer had a physical address to send mail through or receive, but that was that.
Fast forward years later and it’s late 2017... there is this magical thing now of social media and the internet to connect us. So I google her name, B- (I’m leaving her name out) ... I come across a photo I thought might be her and message the twitter account. No response. And then I come another news article with a photo of a woman I think also might be B- her and found that B- has 3 children children now between the ages of 11 - 1.5 years. But this news article read that all three had wandered away from home and went missing! My heart sank, I didn’t know how to even get in touch with B- and I didn’t even know if 100% if she was my B- and if she was... what on earth could I ever say to her now besides giving her my condolences? Every time and again I google if her kids had been found, but I have not found any good news. I learned that it’s very common for kids to run away in Kenya, because they feel they can be treated better elsewhere. B-‘s kids just walked out of their complex and though being spotted by a number of neighbors, they did nothing to keep the children close to home or stop them from wandering off.
I share this story because people live different lives, in different situations, in different parts of the world. Be attentive and caring. If you see a neighbors young child/children wandering the street, keep an eye out or mind that they are safe.
My heart sinks a little every time I think of her, I get a little teary eyed thinking of her heartache. Regardless if she’s my B- or not.
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