“Tata wam”

This young child and I have a favourite game we play together. He runs at me at full speed and I use the momentum to fling him up in the air and catch him. When we’re both tired he’ll sit on my lap and we’ll talk as best we can, which basically consists of him talking a mile a minute in Xhosa and me trying to pick up from his hand-motions what he’s saying. Today he said to me, “Tata wam,” which means “You’re my father.” Heart-breaking, they are.