Forced marriage "ist nicht gut" (is not good): Part 5 of 6

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Part V

"ride home" and the day(s) after

the ride home

in post-wedding dizzy, we get lost on our "ride home", though our route home not a ride at all but rather a walk...M. heads back to the city, but G. and i had agreed with the family to camp out in the bush, within a somewhat safe distance of their compound (they of course thought that we were totally out of our minds).

staggering "home" to our tent, we are a bit lost in the forest. the night outlines of baobabs all starting to look the same. where was "our" tree? we find our way and bunker down in the brush savannah...already curious to see what "the day after" brings...which turns out quite fruitful in observations, and generating Part V Editorial...



but first...



the day(s) after

we turn up at the compound the next morning.

the dung fuel fire still burning.

the kids have started to tear off maybe half their boubous.

everyone looks shot...surprising for these strong africans, especially since it's not like anyone had a hangover...though i think the fire burned long into the night.

many women still have remnants of their outfits and jewelry on as they sluggishly go about their daily chores.

as hours drag on during this day and days after,less and less evidence of a marriage is visible, piles of meat disappear, sand is neatly swept, most outfits come off. only a few pieces of jewelry left on.

life returns a bit to normal, that is, for the first time, i experience rural Sénégal and see a bit of what normal entails:

- someone turns up randomly selling her cherry tomatoes. looked delicious. we are told she grows them locally. dubious, i thought (though a few days later we saw her garden, true!).

- someone turns up selling batteries, cell phones, headlamps, shower gel.

- the boys and girls groups up in one hut and listen to the radio and dance. i get invited in and do enough booty waggling to entertain them. everyone just sits, listens, smiles, dances, laughs, claps, sits again. it's sort of lovely.



and the bride?

looking every day increasingly relaxed, cozily falling into place in her new environment. her new siblings by her side. they link arms, throw arms around shoulders and hips, and giggle into the air together. secrets already passing in their swaggers.



i think...she'll be just fine...(editorial coming next)

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Photos

silhoutte navigation
while still challenging during the day, imagine trying to find "your" baobab tree in the pitch black darkness. u see how our trip "home" was daunting, sober and all

chores
back to their daily routine, though still a bit of marriage festivity glow on them...

these strong women
back to their back-breaking work...

tathers of wedding get-up
the littlest was still prancing around in her wedding garb...she has less practical things to do...

our accommodation
cheaper, and much more lovely, than any hotel room