Son of a Red Devil

Introduction

iii Introduction This memoir is about me. I was adopted by a former football player and captain, August Hellemans - also called Gustaf - of the national Belgian team, The Red Devils. My brother and I were adopted after we were abandoned in a nursery home where we were mistreated. I grew up in a Flemish village where people had never before seen a black person. In general, Flemings are still surprised when they hear blacks speaking their language fluently. This can lead to boring situations during, for example, a job interview where I had to explain over and over again as to how I learned it. Further, my memoir is about the differences in mentality between the Flemings and Walloons viewed from a black perspective and through the eyes of someone who is intimately familiar with both cultures. My parents were Flemings but I always went to Frenchspeaking schools. Among other things, it is also my aim to denounce how young black children get objectified by the rich and famous as the latest ‘must have’ things, designer accessories up for adoption. Like in the rest of the world, this trend is taken by people from all walk of lives. The whole thing is written in a self-loathing way and I always try to be as politically correct as possible (my arse). Lukemba Gelindo Rue de l’Orphelinat 30A bt 78 1070 Bruxelles (Belgium) Tel: 0032. 486.557.109 lukembagelindo@gmail.com iv ...