Two Faces

As we drive by, kids always have one of two looks on their faces. The first is pure joy. They seem to love waving at the full bus of azungus driving on the bumpy, muddy road. They run from every corner of the village when they hear the rumble of the approaching car, standing, waiting, on the side of the road for the chance to wave and give a huge thumbs up. Their smiles reach from corner to corner as they lose their balance waving their arms trying to grab our attention.

The second look is complete concern; concern that their wave will go unanswered; concern that they will go unnoticed in the sea of kids; concern that we won’t return the next day for one final wave. Eyes widen as mouths turn downward to form frowns and all concentration is poured into ensuring the azungus notice their frantic waves.