They all told him to cut his hair. Clearly, it offended them. Braiding served two purposes: it quieted the family and encouraged the hair's growth.
The cousins welcomed us, embracing us into their lives with firm arms, love, and unspoken expectation.
Relatives, living and dead, decorate the walls of Mami Suzanne's home. Rhyanne watches her reflection next to them while she waits for her friends to arrive.
White dolls are common toys in Cameroon. Children often learn to braid on their synthetic hair.
Lisette carefully places two year-old Preston into his mother's fancy car.
Wilfred and Preston, brothers, catch their breath, moments after a sand fight.
Thierry in the heat of a particularly humid morning.
Somewhere between Douala and Limbe.
Tata Anne teaches history to a room of 100 students.
Mami Suzanne spends hours harvesting food on Thierry's father's land.
Tears. Boys don't understand the pain of beautiful hair. They just sit around with unmolested scalps and tease.
"I have my health" people commonly responded to "Ca va?" We saw motorcycle accidents several times a week. Yet it was witnessing Ton Ton Clarvice suffering in a hospital without pain killers after an accident with an eighteen-wheeler truck, that we finally came close to understanding.
Ton Ton Louis, tests a lightbulb for a customer in his store.
Cousin Pierre carries suitcases out of a relative's home in the village.
Cousin Judith with her son.
Two year-old Preston walked confidently into the barber shop, but began to cry when he saw the cutter. Safely in his mother's arms, Preston submits himself to a hair cut.
Rhyanne, in Mami Suzanne's living room.
Anaille naps on Mami O's bed.
Thirteen year-old Wilfred shows off his soccer skills to a group of older boys at the beach.
Mami Suzanne prepares manioc.
Judith's son enjoys a lollipop while watching his reflection in a vinyl change purse.
Wilford bathes his younger brother after an animated sand fight.
Ton Ton Emmanuel in the village gives us his address so we can keep in touch.
Mami O's kitchen.
Wilfred restrains his younger brother, protecting him from moving cars in a parking lot.
The dust we left behind in the village.
Chrystelle, a distant cousin at the beach.
