Remember the Balloon Man Mystery? The mysterious man who will bike through the village, honking a horn, and all the children come running to him with broken shoes to exchange for balloons or candies. Where does he come from? Where do the shoes go? It was a mystery, but no longer.
On my most recent trip to Basse, I saw large piles of shoes alongside the road, along with numerous large rice bags also filled with shoes (yes, I walked up and looked inside them).
The first time I walked past the shoes, there was man sleeping on the log under the tree in front of them.
The second time I walked past the shoes, there was no one there. So I took a picture.
The third time I walked past the shoes, there were two young men shoving shoes into rice bags. I decided to approach them.
Me: Good afternoon.
Young Man 1 and 2: Peace only.
Me: How are you?
Young Man 1 and 2: Peace only.
Young Man 1: How are you?
Me: Peace only. How is the work?
Young Man 1: Peace only.
Me: I will ask something. The shoes--where will they go?
Young Man 2: Mali.
Me: Until Mali?
Young Man 2: Yes.
Me: Mali is far. What will they do with the shoes in Mali?
Young Man 2: They will make something...something like this. [he points to his water bottle, formerly a 5L container of vegetable oil, hanging from a tree branch].
Me: A water bottle?
Young Man 2: Yes.
Me: If you bring the shoes to Mali, they will pay you?
Young Man 2: The children give me the shoes, I will give the children balloons, or candies.
Me: Yes, I know that. I have seen someone who does the bicycle and does this [I pretend to honk a bicycle horn] and all the children are happy and run and give shoes.
Young Man 2: You have seen that?
Me: Yes, in the village. Okay, thank you.
Young Man 1 and 2: Thank you.
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