franceslievens | Parents

K. and N.'s mum must be the sweetest parent I have ever met. She's this tiny Vietnamese women with only a rudimentary knowledge of French and no knowledge of Dutch, but she'll take the time to say hi whenever we pass each other, even at the most unlikely places.
On Thursday I was on my way to choir practice when we met at the underground station. Very surprised to see me there, she didn't have the heart to just say hi and move along. She stopped, smiled her sweet smile and asked how the baby and I were doing. "Fine," I said, and smiled back. It is no mystery to me where my two Vietnamese pupils and their little brother get their mischievous, but sweet nature.