Aversions!

I’ve developed an aversion to men in sunglasses and old women in general. Men in sunglasses, because conversations with them usually proceed as follows:


Sunglasses: Hey, white lady!
Me: [silence]
Sunglasses: What is your sweet name?
Me, coldly: Binta.
Sunglasses: Where do you come from?
Me, coldly: America.
Sunglasses: Oh, America is very sweet. I want to go America.
Me: [silence]
Sunglasses: So how long you have been in The Gambia?
Me, coldly: Almost one year.
Sunglasses: Oh, so you can speak the local language now.
Me, coldly: Eyi, mi naani Pulaar. E jooni mi yahi. [Yes, I hear Pulaar. And now I am going]

And with that I leave. Sometimes I try to prevent the conversation from going in an America-is-so-sweet direction by telling him I’m from The Gambia, but that’s too obvious a lie to last for very long. Maybe I should say I’m from…Estonia? I know nothing about Estonia, so hopefully no sunglassed Gambian man would either.


And old ladies, because conversations with them usually proceed as follows:

Old lady: Buy me a mango.
Me: ?
Old lady: Buy me a mango.
Me: But I do not have money.
Or maybe the conversation will go like this:

Old Lady: I am angry.
Me: You are angry?
Old Lady: Yes, I am angry.
Me: Why?
Old Lady: You did not come to my compound. “Pera” is there.
Me: What is “pera”?
Old Lady: You know “pera.”
Me: I do not know “pera.” What is “pera”?
Mamadou: Per-ra. Say “per.”
Me: I can say “pera,” but I do not know what “pera” is.
Mamadou: A naming ceremony.
Neene: “Pera” is a naming ceremony??
Old Lady: There is pounding. This, this. [she pantomimes pounding] And this. [she dances].
Me: Pounding and dancing? Still I do not understand.
Neene: Ask Amadou.
Mamadou: Ask Amadou.
Me: Amadou is there?
Neene: Yes. [I call to Amadou, who is inside his house].

Me: Amadou, what is “pera”?
Amadou: Marriage ceremony.

Me, to the Old Lady: Okay, I understand. There is a marriage ceremony at your compound?
Old Lady: Yes, and you did not come.
Me: But it is right now that I returned from school.
Old Lady: It is right now that you returned from school?
Me: Yes.
Old Lady: Ah-haa…
Me: The marriage ceremony is still there?
Old Lady: Yes.
Me: Okay, later I will go.
Old Lady: If you do this [she pantomimes washing], if you put on a compelet…
Me: If I wash and put on a compelet I will go, okay.

Neene: But the marriage ceremony has not come yet.
Me: It has not come yet? When will it come?
Old Lady: In the evening.