“I saw Abdi on one of the first cold days of Fall. He looked shifty, as if he was stationed in the park. I asked to take his portrait. He seemed suspicious, but eventually said yes. As we walked into a more secluded area of the park, crossing the drained wading pool full of leaves, he became more lively. He knew exactly how he wanted the portrait to look. He told me he was born in Somalia, moved to Canada, wound up in Seattle and had a kid. He wanted to move to California. It was too cold for him here.

In the following months I saw Abdi around the park, but he never said hi. I’ve tried to contact him many times, but never heard anything back. Last week I called his home number. His mother picked up. She spoke very little English and said he’d lost his phone, but that he came by her house from time to time, and she’d deliver my message. I still haven’t heard from him.”
— Virginia