Burundi Coffee

This is a typical view of someone's home in Burundi, with banana trees, a garden, and maybe a few coffee trees on the property. When I walked into our own front yard at Murore, Burundi, I'd sometimes find big squares of brown sack-cloth with coffee beans drying on top of them. And then later, I'd smell the coffee beans roasting. What a great aroma. I remember begging Mom and Dad to give me just one cup of coffee...please! They finally promised I could try it when I turned ten years old -- hoping, I think, that I'd forget their promise or eventually lose interest. But when June rolled around, I claimed my cup of caffeine, filled to the brim with strong brew and milk. Good memories.