Did you say your name was Babaghanouj?

It's hard to not fall in love with some of these little kids at my primary school...me being someone who never spent much time with people that came up to my mid-thigh. Working with kids really is a treat.

Every Monday and Friday morning the kids line up outside the school for assembly and sing songs and recite prayers before classes begin. I always noticed this little one last year who would be at the head of the Grade R (Kindergarten) line, the learners being lined up from shortest to tallest. I remember lining up for all sorts of things in grade school and often found myself in front with one tiny tiny boy in front of me. Maybe that's why I have an affinity for the short cute ones.

Either way this little learner caught my eye and would appear everywhere in the village I happened to be. Running by my side barefoot as I sped through the village or popping out of odd corner to give me the thumbs up "sharp" sign and this big white toothy grin coming out, it seemed, just for me.

One day I leaned down and ask "wena mang?" Or what is your name? He mumbled back to me with his morning breakfast coming out of his mouth "Ba-Ba-gfnfhyewtg." What? I replied. "Did you say your name was Babaghanouj?!?!? Haha," laughing. "Nyaaaa Ma, Babalelo." I preferred Babaghanouj but I said, "ke itumetse go go itse Babalelo" or it's very nice to meet you Babalelo, which mean protector in Twsana.

So I was walking home today with lil Babaghanouj and he stuffed his mouth with his afternoon snack, Nik Naks. I said to him as the hot sun beat down on us, "A o jele Babaghanouj?" "Nyaaa nyaa." He said...and he threw his wrapper onto the ground with a hard throw and ...BAMB! He quickly pull out another one just like a cowboy would pull out from his chaps a silver pistol. He even had this sort of odd Elvis stare and lip action going on in his face haha..."Nyyaaa Ma, ke a ja!" He said as he ripped out his 2nd pouch of Nik Naks and continued to eat. How precious!

I thought how I'd miss this walk home with the school kids for the next few weeks as I'm on vacation. This place is sorta starting to feel like I'm "mo gae" or at home.

Picture: my lil man Babaghanouj :) muchin' away on his Nik-Naks (basically like American Cheetos) this afternoon