In a haste to eat...

At the end of the fourth period, I pulled out a ten dalasi bill from my wallet and it ripped in half. It was the only money I’d brought with me, nor did I have any tape. Miss B. announces that I would not be given any Sellotape. Someone else comments that I’d been in “too much of a haste” to buy food.

I grin foolishly, then ask if anyone has tape. One teacher said he did not have any with him, did I have another ten dalasis I could use? I did not. He looks in his wallet and kindly exchanges my torn bill for a whole one.

I return with a sardines sandwich. One teacher says, “I thought Binta would not eat today.” I answer, “Mr. K changed the ten dalasis for me.” Miss B tells him he should not have done that. Then she tells me she will “advertise this,” which I take to mean “remind you of this day for the remainder of your stay in The Gambia.”