This is the story of my childhood and teenage years in central Africa, from 1951 to 1962. I recall my life in the colony of Belgian Congo, the discovery of the bush, the people, and their culture. Important also is the prison we live next to, where my father is the warden. Patrice Lumumba was a noteworthy prisoner.

Life changed drastically at the independence of the Belgian Congo in June 1960. The province of Katanga, where we lived, seceded from the rest of Congo and proclaimed itself the

independent State of Katanga. The United Nations arrived and took military action.

Despite it all, life went on in a new "normal" way. I lived through school interruptions and wondered if I would be able to graduate. Friendships held us together, romances blossomed and exams loomed. The country where I grew up and intended to spend my adulthood became even more dear to me. However, I had to say kwaheri, a heartbroken farewell, to the country and its people.

Greta Cleynhens, born in Belgium, lived most of her life in Africa. Her studies of modern languages in Brussels enabled her to be a free-lance translator and interpreter, whilst pursuing an airline management career. Greta now lives in Kingston, Ontario. Greta has been published in Collections of Canadian Poem , Queen's Quarterly, several magazines, and by the Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec.