The boys didn’t look me in the eye when they answered my question. They stared at the ground and spoke in monotone. This is Ronald’s story.
Ronald is one of the 791 boys in Lira who are abused each year. Assistant inspector of police, Joseph, had a list of their names hanging on the wall in his office. If I had a list of those names hanging on the wall in my office, I might not be able to sleep at night.
In Ronald’s case, the abuse he survived took a rather unusual and horrifying turn.
Ronald, like Solomon, was born to parents who were not married. For unknown reasons, his dad chased his mom away soon after he was born. If you listen to the few facts I know of Ronald’s life and try to imagine the details, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that Ronald’s dad was a violent man. I wonder if his father ever beat his mother? I wonder if Ronald ever saw him do it? I wonder if Ronald’s father ever beat him?
What I do know is that for several years, living with his father, Ronald got to attend school. Until P5 (American fourth grade), that is. Somewhere in the midst of that year, Ronald’s life erupted, and the chaos began. It started with his mother’s death. Then his father killed his grandfather. Ronald didn’t telling me why.
After the murder, his dad abandoned the family. Ronald and his younger brothers went to live with his oldest brother, who had married. But this new wife must not have been happy to have so many mouths to feed. So, she poisoned one of Ronald’s little brothers. The boy died.
Ronald left. He went to live on the street because at least there he didn’t have to worry about someone putting poison in his food.
Today, Ronald is in his third year of living on the street.
He dreams of being a mechanic. At night when he goes to sleep, he finds a plastic sack to cover up with. He can’t sleep in the same spot too often for fear that the police will find him and arrest him. Again. Or perhaps he fears being woken up by an angry gang wielding fists and sticks.
He’s also recovering from the last time an angry gang woke him up wielding fists and sticks.
What will happen to Ronald? How will he eat? Where will he spend his time? What friends will he make? What will he do with his life? What sort of impact will he make in his world?
Does Jesus love Ronald? . . . Does Ronald know how much?
