Stories of Ethiopia in Serena's words. - (in America for 9 months)

At Jaco’s (Serena’s uncle) house, me and Kudus (Jaco’s son) play kick ball, soccer ball, everything. Kudus (a bit younger than Serena), had birthday, all the kids come and play and we have fun there and all that. We have pop and cookies. (When I asked if she had a birthday, she said no.)
I sleep with my mom – Etenesh at Jaco’s house in the kitchen. One day we got really bad thing. Me and her sleep and the door lock and she said help me help me, and Jaco’s came and help her.
I was at my gramma’s house when my mom have a baby. Someone else tell me, it’s a boy brother , I say yeah, I want to go there. I never saw my brother Gabe. I tell my Gramma, I want to go see my brother, and my mom, and my Gramma said okay, and someone take me. When we were in the car, I cry because someone else scary me in the car, and then my mom call me and said why are you crying, you are coming to see me, don’t be sad, I said okay mom. I go see her in Jaco’s house and see the baby. After I was at Jaco’s (Jacos is Etenesh’s brother) house, I went to Debre Zeit orphanage, and the people say, we got new sister, she can play with us!
Flashback: When I was at my gramma’s house, I go to school, and there were sheep on the mountain and the sheep knocked a rock down the hill, and it hit me in the back, and I cry. Everybody didn’t see me, and I said, help me, help me, I hurt, and I screamed and people came and helped me. One day there was my friend at school and my teacher and the teacher said raise your hand and she not listening and she said you come here and she took her hand and slapped her hand and took a whip and took her pants off and whipped her bottom and everybody laughed and laughed and she cry. I didn’t laugh.
My gramma made me lunch and she went to work, and my “brother” (uncle? – Gramma’s boy) come and he eat my lunch. My gramma come home and said where’s your lunch, honey, and I said it’s all gone – he eat my lunch. I make myself lunch and I hide it in my bedroom so he couldn’t eat it.
My big “brother” hit me because we never find sheep. I bring out everything – cow, sheep, and it hard for me watch everything, and he hit me because the sheep that have baby in her, and she got lost, and the brother kicked me and slapped my face. My gramma cried and said don’t do it, don’t do it, I don’t have any money for her. My “brother” said you not get in this house anymore – you stay outside – my gramma said what are you doing that to her – you are so mean. She didn’t do anything. I go to ladies house and I eat popcorn. One day my “brother” did it to me, I bring all the cows, and he said where all the cows go? He didn’t see a cow because it was dark, and behind the tree, and I said, I bring all the cows, and he see then cow behind the tree, and said, sorry, I won’t hurt you – I see the cow.
My gramma make injura, beets. I helped my gramma make food – I make one day, soup, she got little bit tomatos and I got soup for her. My gramma got hurt her back, when I was there. Then she can’t bathroom, or anything like that. Or she can’t go church. She can walk with a stick. My friend gramma have no teeth – (laughter!) We not have a toilet, we went to a big hole in the ground and everybody went to the bathroom and there was poop all around the hole. (more laughter!) My “brother” got sticks and made a spot to go to the bathroom behind our house, with rock and sticks. One day, I always get for cows to eat, we have a box for it, and my brother said thank you, thank you.
Back to visiting uncle Jaco’s: my mom and Jaco’s wife, she buy a dress for me for picture. I put pretty clothes on and Jaco’s take my picture and then take me to the orphanage.
At the orphanage, after lunch we go to bed. If you were bad you stand on your hands with your feet up on the wall behind you and you wait and wait. The ladies at the orphanage were good, except one lady she bad, she said you sit down.
I like Kassahun (the CWA social worker) and he like me. He come for me and take me to his house. He hug me when he come in from work. I was happy at Kassahun’s house. (CWA home).