The Dinka Mosquito...

I watched Joseph trying to kill a mosquito in our hut the first night we were in Awiel. I was struck by the futility of it. A million more can fly straight in. Later I told him this story…

Joseph, do you see this mosquito? Do you hear what it is saying to you? It is saying “Mawien, I have many brothers and I have many, many relatives. I have 10 brothers who are sons of my mother and I have 100 brothers who are sons of different mothers. My sisters too are very strong. I have 1000 close relatives and 1,000,000 distant relatives. My uncles, they are old. Now they fly so slow. But they are wise and they will bite you. My mother, she says she is weak, but she is strong. And she is a leader. Many mosquitos listen to her words. Mawien, you may kill me. Perhaps you will kill some of my brothers and many of my relatives. But we mosquitos are like the Dinka - you can never beat us."