pals speak twi

Pictured from left to right, top row: Cristiana, Harry Potter, Shimonica, Fransisca
Front row: Buzz Lightyear, Tia, Mr. Flexible, Gretchen, Kiki, Esmerelda

Some time ago, I was walking up to my room and I passed a young girl in the hall. We exchanged smiles. About ten minutes later I'm sitting in my room, and there is a knock at my door. The same girl stood there and told me frankly, "I would like to be your friend." Being in the market for friends, I accepted the offer.

Cristiana stops by almost every day. Her mom is a cleaning lady in our building. Sometimes she brings her sister Fransisca. At 9 and 13, they remind me a great deal of me and Jo.  They don't speak a ton of English, but we can usually understand each other. Sometimes we sing songs or they play with my make-up, but I've really been running out of ways to entertain them. Until yesterday. When I remembered the ten little people hiding at the bottom of my suitcase. The pals! The pals had not really settled in yet to our new home and I knew this would be the perfect opportunity.

And so, I introduced the girls to Shimonica (their favorite) and Tia (her mom). I explained how Harry liked Shimonica but she was creeped out because he was always casting spells. I showed them Kiki and Esmerelda; sisters just like them. I explained that Buzz Lightyear was the chaperone for the trip but really just a big goofball. They liked Mr. Flexible and I explained how my old basketball teammates cut off his arms on the way to a tournament. I told them about Arabella who had always wanted to come to Africa but got lost at a sorority formal. I'm not sure how much of the backstories translated, but I think they got the gist.

I had some reading to finish before class, so I let them sit in silence for awhile, worried they weren't catching on. But it wasn't long before they started murmuring at a familiar level as they the pals began to chat. I must admit it caught me a bit off guard to hear Thumbelina speaking a language I didn't know she knew. The sisters bent over the pals intently, lining them up just like I used to.  It is beautiful to know that the pals can transcend cultural and language barriers. I'm glad they could bring another pair of sisters joy. And it's good for the pals too; Stitch really needed to get out of his comfort zone and Shrek's realizing how much he takes for granted in the comfort of Flower Hill. They send their love and a request for Jo to send more pals in the mail.