Message from Kinshasa, Part III — The Park
The rising sun, which burned brightly from its position just above the horizon in the eastern sky, already had lit up the landscape of forest, water, and grass and, further to the west, the...
Category: Life & Culture
Message from Kinshasa, Part II — The Bakery
The bathroom in Sylvere’s suite at Hotel Rastelli was, like the main room itself, modern but not overtly luxurious. The fixtures seemed new. Entering the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a shower,...
Message from Kinshasa, Part I
Outside the wall of gray fog approached, rolling down the mountain, rushing through the village, blotting out the sun. Inside Ronald sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea in one hand and...
Big City, Small World
On the third floor, Sylvere found himself in a wide, unexpected space similar to the one on the second floor. The difference was the collection of small circular tables surrounded by chairs and other...
The Woman on the 3rd Floor
“What is happening?” Sylvere said in Kikongo, closing the tall wooden door and discovering he had entered a narrow, high-ceilinged space on the ground floor of a musty building. It reminded him of a...
The Dog Outside the Hotel
Esby and Julienne skirted the periphery of Piazza della Rovere toward the entrance of the Hotel Rovere. A lone dog with a short, black coat sat on the sidewalk. The dog was completely motionless,...
From Congo to France
He never would be able to escape the burden of the past, a heavy weight of poverty and oppression originating in Congo but always close at hand in France as well.
Esby in Rome
The sun’s rays blinded him while its heat radiated from the black asphalt under his feet and burned him. Esby walked, and as Julienne walked beside him, they turned the next corner and entered...
Julienne in Rome
“You are one lucky man,” the street vendor said. He leered. Esby, looking closely at the man, didn’t feel lucky. He didn’t know what he felt. Maybe he still felt the effects of a...
On the Way to the French Capital
The stone houses painted white or gray or brown with small yards attached to them gave way to fields of tall grass as the 10:35 RER D train from Combs-la-Villa-Quincy station sped toward the...