Commando!

I’ve finally met the infamous Commando. I do not know the title of the movie, but it’s the one where everyone refers to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character as “Commando.” Amadou has the final 19 minutes and 47 seconds of the movie saved to his mobile. He wants me to see it because it’s an American film.

Probably among the most boring 19 minutes and 47 seconds of my life. There were possibly a dozen lines of dialogue—I could see why it would appeal to non-native English speakers—the remainder of the time was filled with gunshots, explosions and screams. Amadou does not stay for the end (thought I’m sure he’d seen it many times) but hands me the phone so that I may. I would have handed it back, but by this time Mamadou has joined us and he scooches closer after Amadou leaves. Mamadou loves narrating future events even more than Amadou had. “Watch this—he’s going to…”

After the movie ends, I try to turn off the mobile as Amadou had asked. “I can do it,” Mamadou chimes, so I hand him the phone. He presses “play” and we watch the same 20 minutes a second time. Amadou returns and tells me when it finishes, “Don’t give it to Mamadou. He will watch until the battery is finished.” Mamadou grins.