How Beautiful We Were

by Imbolo Mbue

life gifts easy peace only to the very young and very old.

listening is far more enjoyable than fighting to be heard.

How could they be happy when we were dying for their sake? Why wouldn’t they ask their friends at Pexton to stop killing us? Was it possible they knew nothing of our plight? Was Pexton lying to them, just as they were lying to us?

But if I were to spend ten thousand years worrying about all that could happen to them, what difference would it make?

Worry is a wasted emotion .

We did not think we would have any tears left by the time we got to Jakani and Sakani’s coffin, but that day we learned that within us lies an ocean.

But we didn’t want to wait for kindly Americans. We doubted that their hatred for Pexton burned as fiercely as ours did.

How is it that their government, which is supposed to be their servant, is acting as their master?

I feel like this is the world that we currently live in. Our government hasn’t been our servant for far too long.