Nonhle

I have made a very great friend here. She doesn't put up with my shit.

• She is more intelligent than I.

• She's rough and knows what she wants.

• She makes me laugh by laughing.

She has a little body. Her belly is swollen and puffed out because of her tired liver.

• Her mouth is full of herpes and thrush.

• Her scalp is covered in ringworm and fungus.

• She scratches her head till it bleeds.

• She has chicken pox.

• She has shingle blisters on her bum and legs so bad she can't sit.

• She has rashes and sores from head to toe.

• She has a hard time breathing because of the TB in her lungs.

• She eats extra everyday because she knows she will be throwing half of it up.

As I am writing this on paper, I am holding her to me. It is very late and we are very tired.

She vomited in her bed so we will soon go crawl into my bed again and pass out.

She eats my terrible cooking. Laughs when I tickle her and covers her mouth for me when she coughs. She gives me a smack on my arm if I'm out of turn and tells me what to do.

She has never said a word to me.

I treasure our friendship. We take care of each other quite well.

She’s 4.