After such long solitude, it felt wonderful to talk, so wonderful that for a while [Deo] forgot all he knew about the importance of silence, the silence he’d been taught as a child, the silence he had needed over the last six months.
-- Narration (Section 1, Chapter One)

Importance: This quote is a subtle but evocative foreshadowing of two things. First, the reference to Deo's gladness at being able to talk both foreshadows and evokes his willingness to tell his story to whoever seems willing and able to listen - particularly the author, who complies everything he hears into this book. On another level, the quote also foreshadows references later in the narrative to how, during his escape from Burundi, Deo had to stay silent in order to stay alive.

Memories felt more present than this place. All by itself and randomly, it seemed, [Dep's] mind shuffled through pictures of home and his family, and...
-- Narration (Section 2, Chapter Two)