Marius

A long time ago, I had a close friend who had one deformed leg. I was three going on four and he was four or five. We used to chase each other round and round in his adopted parents yard. He hopped mostly. He used to follow me home and his mother would fetch him everyday from our house.
One day I went to his house and no one was home, so I went home. I waited for him to visit me but he never came. Then several days later  I heard my parents say he had gone back to his real parents, who lived on the other hill.
It was quite a way to walk for me, but I did. I brought with me a comb of ripe bananas for him. Very heavy as it was as big as I was. I made it after a looong walk. On that hill side were three houses and in the middle was his real parents'. I went up the steps and saw him lying on a white bed, so still, in a mosquito net. I went near him but some adults carried me away.
I didn't understand why, but in my culture, children were seen not heard...so I left my bananas at the door, rested on the steps for a while and went home. I was very sad, as I didn't understand why they wouldn't let me play with him anymore.
Later I was told that he died. So I thought if I died too I would get to play with him. But i didn't know how to die as I was just  three years old going on four. I slept and slept but I always woke up...so after a while, I gave up. His name was Marius.