Dressed in the standard uniform of a teenager - sneakers, baggy jeans, hoodie and a baseball cap with a straight brim slightly tilted to the side - showed how simple, yet difficult, adjusting to a new culture can be.

The 18-year-old's wardrobe is like his footwork and speed on the soccer field - universally accepted. His sense of timing off the field and his less-than-physical play on the field, however, are traits more commonly seen in people from foreign countries.

That's not to say Mbugua's experiences here in the United States have been negative. Mbugua is still getting used to the hurried pace Americans keep, and Beverly coach Kevin Leahy says that the speedy senior is dishing out as many hits on the field as he's avoiding now.

Mbugua (pronounce: ma-BOO-ga), who came to Beverly with his 14-year-old sister, Edda, less than a year ago to live with his mother, stepfather and 3-year-old half-brother, Moses, continues to go through the process of adjusting to life in the United States. But it's clear everyone close to Edwin and his family are better off for the family's relocation.

"I came here and was like, 'Ugh, this is kind of difficult,' because I didn't know anyone. I have caught up with them though," said Mbugua, who is fluent in both English and his native language, Swahili.

"I really like it because of the soccer team. We are all good. They (my teammates) all cooperate with me. They treat me like their player. I really like that."

A quiet, unassuming kid, Mbugua cracks his teammates up with occasional witty remarks as well as his slow off-field pace.

"He's a quiet kid who doesn't say much. But when he does (speak), he's pretty funny," senior captain Alex Boches said. "Nothing seems to faze him."

"A pleasant surprise"

Seven years ago, Purity Mbugua met Chris Femino at a Kelly Infinity dealership. Mbugua had bought a Mitsubishi Monteiro at a dealership next door and Femino, who was working as a car salesman at the time, said he was mesmerized by her beauty. He struck up a conversation and gave Mbugua his card.

Something obviously clicked; she called Femino and they went out on their first date on New Year's Eve. Two years later, they were married.

Purity originally came to America to visit her brother, who was going to school here. She decided she wanted to live in America and her two children, Edwin and Edda, remained in Kenya to be raised by their grandmother, Mary Mbugua.

Purity and Chris Femino had Moses three years ago, and Edwin and Edda came here late last fall.

"They've adjusted unbelievably. It's been a blessing and a pleasant surprise," said Femino, who works as a residential appraiser at Asante Appraisal in Wakefield. "I work a lot in my business, and my wife is a nurse who works a lot of hours. As much as we have going on, if it were more difficult for them it would have been painful.

"They're spiritual kids and unlike American kids, they don't know they're supposed to be anxious and dramatic about things. They're very even-keeled."

Leahy can attest to that.

Normally when a player is late for one of Leahy's practices, he can be seen scurrying to the field to save as many seconds as possible in hopes of softening the coach's scolding, if at all possible. Mbugua, on the other hand, doesn't quite understand that theory.

Late for practice or not, Mbugua strolls to practice the same way Andy Dufresne walked around the prison yard in "The Shawshank Redemption" - seemingly without a care in the world.

"It can be frustrating. He was 10 minutes late for practice once, and he just comes loafing in," Leahy said with a smile. "But when he puts (his cleats) on, Edwin goes out there and works hard. He's a great kid, too, with a real, nice sense of humor."

Speed and high energy

Mbugua is also trying to get a better sense of the rules schools have for their athletic programs. That's what kept Mbugua from playing against Bishop Fenwick last week. He missed school to take care of some immigration issues, but didn't realize an absence from school meant no playing sports that day.

When he gets on the field, however, it's as if he goes through a transformation. The slow, deliberate pace is dropped in favor of a speed, high-energy approach to the game.

Mbugua stands 6-feet and weighs no more than 150 pounds, but he runs like a gazelle. He can be a step or two behind a defender and routinely beat him to a ball that is five or six feet away.

"He brings a lot of style that (many) schools around here don't usually play," Beverly senior captain Matt Dube said. "Being from another country, he's got a lot of footwork and good skills."

People take one look at Mbugua, hear he's from Kenya and instantly assume he's been playing soccer since the day he was born. While there's no question soccer has been a big part of Mbugua's life, he just began receiving real instruction when he started playing for Mike Kersker's Aztec Soccer Club last year.

"In Kenya, most of the people have soccer in their heart," said Mbugua, who also enjoys playing pickup basketball in his spare time. "Soccer to me is like my life."

Social acceptance

Mbugua officially enrolled at Beverly High for the second semester last year as a junior.

This year he's technically a senior, but the family is looking into the possibility of him repeating his senior year. Mbugua does well academically, but there's always room for improvement - especially in science.

"I like all my subjects but science," said Mbugua, who admits to having some difficulty adjusting to the speed and slang of the English language spoken here. "When I came here, I didn't really talk to teachers a lot. But I got used to them and talk to them (now). If I need extra help, I will go to them and they'll help me out."

If Mbugua does repeat his senior year, his family will look into obtaining a waiver to continue his soccer career. Former Panthers soccer standout Ali Kaba, a transfer student from Liberia, continued his high school career a few years ago the same way.

Any extra time spent in the classroom would be beneficial to Mbugua.

"They do pretty well in school, but some of the stuff they don't fully understand might be a small language barrier," said Femino, who also noted that his father, Stephen, who lives with the family, has been a positive influence on the kids. "But if you were stranded somewhere, you would want Edwin with you. Whatever you managed to kill, you'd be eating in an hour."

Perhaps even more important than the academic part of school - at least to the Mbuguas - is the social acceptance. But clearly, that has not been a problem.

"They're very popular kids," Femino said of Edwin and Edda. "Everyone knows them. They're like celebrities, but it doesn't go to their heads. I think people are attracted to them because they're good kids, and they're a little bit different."

Getting to Know

Name: Edwin Mbugua

Age: 18

School: Beverly High

Sport/Position: soccer, center midfield

Parents: Purity and Chris Femino

Siblings: sister Edda Mbugua, 14; brother Moses Femino, 3

Birthplace: Kenya

Favorite foods: The family still maintains an African diet, which mostly consists of meat - mainly goat - and potatoes. Edwin and Edda have also been introduced to Italian food. Pasta has helped Edwin add 20 pounds to his thin frame.

Languages spoken: Mbugua speaks Swahili and English fluently.

Tribes in Mbugua family: Maasai and Kikuyu

Chance Mbugua adds some inches to his 6-foot frame: Pretty good. Mbugua has a 7-foot great grandfather in Kenya.

Length of time it has taken Mbugua to adjust: "It took me a long time, like eight months to get used to it. I feel good because the kids have welcomed me as a teammate. They treat me right."