I was still hesitant to let myself let go, because I still believed in the fragility of happiness.

ONE OF THE UNSETTLING THINGS about my journey, mentally, physically, and emotionally, was that I wasn’t sure when or where it was going to end.

As a kid in Africa, you were so connected to nature itself because you went farming, watched the moon out at night, observed how the sky was different, and how the birds chanted different songs in the evening and the morning.

My childhood had gone by without my knowing, and it seemed as if my heart had frozen.

This is one of the consequences of the civil war. People stop trusting each other, and every stranger becomes an enemy.

My teeth became sour as I listened to his story. It was then that I understood why he was quiet all the time.

How many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?" he asked. He waited a few minutes, but the three of us didn't say anything. He continued: "Every time people come at us with the intention of killing us, I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies. Very soon I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you. It will be quieter than I am.