We regret the passing, on April 11, 2024, of the distinguished Romanian author and critic Dan Cristea, who served as the editor in chief of the Luceafărul de Dimineață cultural monthly. In addition to being an alum of the 1985 Fall Residency, Cristea received his PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Iowa.
Hussein Abdi Noor
It was a Friday morning. The weather was calm. One could feel the humidity and mist of the day when my elder brother was preparing his journey to Nairobi where he works but was staying during his holidays (free days) to visit mother. At that time I was at the age of 19 years and learning in Std. 6. I was very happy to see my brother who normally brought me clothes and biscuits. He approached me as he was going to the bus stop and advised me work hard in school and later to work for the family. But for me the case was different. What I wanted was to go with him and see the capital city of Kenya, as I had never seen town apart from Mogadishu where we lived before we come to the refugee. The time of departure came, we waved to him as the bus left from the bus stop. From that time I didn’t sleep well, the whole night I was thinking of way out. It came into my thoughts that had 400 which I was given to buy books and pen when the school was open. Instead of buying books and pen I decided to board a bus that would take me to Nairobi where my brother was. The following I woke early while parents were asleep, I made my way out of the house unnoticeably and led to myself at the bus stop. But with the 400 it would only take me to GSA. I said to myself whatever the case I have to go where my brother is, those words were echoing in my ears. So it took the bus to reach GSA where my bus fare ended, and I had to leave the bus.
This story is to be continued.
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