14+Cows+for+America

14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy
 * News travels slowly to this corner of the country.
 * He smiles. He has been away a long time.
 * The children run to him with the speed and grace of cheetahs.
 * He greets them with a gentle touch on the head.
 * These are his people.
 * They shelter the young ones in their homes.
 * Supa. Hello
 * He sighs. He is home.
 * This is sweeter and sadder because he cannot stay.
 * He remembers September.
 * A child asks if he has brought any stories.
 * It has burnt a hole in his heart.
 * Later, the others gather under an acacia tree to hear the story.
 * There is a terrible stillness in the air as the tale unfolds.
 * With growing disbelief, men, women, and children listen.
 * He waits. He knows his people.
 * They are fierce when provoked, but easily moved to kindness when they hear of suffering or injustice.
 * What can we do for these poor people.
 * Nearby, a cow lows.
 * He asks for their blessing.
 * But they want to offer something more.
 * In response, the embassy sends a diplomat.
 * Clearly, this is no ordinary diplomatic visit.
 * This is a ceremony.
 * Young warriors dance, leaping into the air like fish from a stream.
 * Children fill their bellies with milk.
 * The only sound is the gentle chiming of cowbells.
 * Because there is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded nor a people so small they cannot offer mighty comfort.
 * I fed little nestlings in the bush and rescued drowning ants from water puddles.
 * He drinks milk from the cows and feels protected by the bull.
 * To heal the pain in someone's heart, they told me, you give them something that is close to your own heart.
 * When I was older, I won a scholarshiop to study in the United States.
 * What happened that day was devastating.
 * Many people were left without their mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters.
 * But some pains are too big for one chest to carry.
 * Although they did not understand the song, they stood along with the Americans and placed their hands across their chests.
 * A connection between the two cultures had been made.