Greetings!

One morning I followed Neene to a neighboring village where we greeted:

• My formerly-pregnant tokara and her six day old baby, asleep and adorable
• The lady with the swollen hand
• Two girls named Isatou, side by side
• Two boys named Alieu, side by side
• The woman who clapped and danced and then dressed herself
• The woman who fed us sour milk with sugar and coos

That afternoon I go to the market where I greet:

• The men on the bantaba who accused me of thievery
• The girls who ask if I have a lot of money and who, when I say, “No, but I think you have a lot of money” give me three hundred dalasis in imaginary invisible money

On the way home from the market I greet:

• The women sitting in the shade outside a bitik who inform me the sun is hot
• The group of boys who ask where my dog is. I say, “He followed me to the market but when I left I did not see him. He is lost.” Their eyes open wide with concern. “He is lost?” “Yes.” They ask his name and tell me they would look for him. One boy asks, “If I find him and bring him to you, you will give me lots of money.” I say okay because I doubted the boys would actually find Levi, and it’s always nice to imagine you’re about to acquire a large sum of money.
• The woman getting her hair braided. I say, “You are getting braided.” She says yes.
• The baby of the friend of the woman getting her hair braided. He is kind of splotchy and lumpy. The woman getting her hair braided asks if he is beautiful. I say yes.
• The men playing checkers and the men sitting on the bantaba behind them. One of the men would like to borrow my dog because “It has been a long time since I have chewe—met a squirrel.” I reply that I do not think my dog will be any good at hunting, and anyway, he is lost.
• The people in Julia’s compound. I’d wanted to see if Worokia would greet me or grin and walk away but she wasn’t around.
• The people in Sinni’s compound. My husband shouts, “Binta Jallow!” because he is talking now, and Buba shows me the “pit latrine” he is digging with a stick.

Back from the market I greet:

• Levi, who is wagging his tail and looking completely unapologetic about having left the market without letting me know.