My Best Shunem Friend

D. Radhika is eight years old and loves English class in school; all other subjects are “not coming” as she would say. Her favorite color was pink, but became purple when she found out that purple is my favorite color. She is super goofy and is always making me laugh. She makes funny faces all the time, not necessarily on purpose, and loves changing her voice around in all kinds of silly ways.

Every Sunday morning she comes and wakes us up. When I hear the creak of the outside door I’m always a little bit annoyed but once she calls out “Akka” in her cute little voice I have to roll out of bed and invite her in for a nice morning snuggle.

She and some of the other 2nd and 3rd class girls like to come in and play dress up with me.  I let them put on my clothes and wear my scarves as sarees, I even let them wear my real sarees once, they looked so cute!

Every couple of days Radhika tells me “your country my come,” which means that she wants me to take her home with me.  Every time I tell her that I wish I could, but her mommy and daddy will miss her too much.  She then tells me that once I leave she’ll just take a bus to my country and come to my home.  So cute.  Each time that she asks it gets harder and harder to tell her no.