Uganda, March 13 -- I came back late from work that day. One of the important people at the office who wanted to remind us that he went to Harvard Preparatory School made us stay longer at work waiting for them to acknowledge receipt of an overwhelmingly useless email.

When I got home, I knocked. Efrance opened, grabbed my thin frame and hugged me tightly. My bag fell to the ground because my hands were now limp by my side. It was one of those weird hugs which leaves your face twisted in the other's armpit.

Right there, I knew something was wrong. Why was she hugging me? Where was Gundi, what had happened to him? When she started to let me go, I braced myself for the bad news. Her face came back into mine and her eyes were wet as if beg...