Updated
September 2, 2007
Monkeydancing
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How can you imagine eh? . . . .
You have a wife
And you marry your wife
You beat them every day, like a donkey
And your wife is pregnant
And its delivered
Not in your compound
But his parents compound
You don't even bother to go and check her
How can you imagine that?
The baby is 8 days, 4 days
You don't even go and check her
You know that man, he's quiet
A little bit mental problem
How can you have a wife and then you beat them everyday
Like a donkey
It is very bad
Also he shout at her only a little thing
like you go and fetch water, 'I want to drink'
And when she fetch water
Put it in a pot, without washing the pot
You say 'what's wrong' and then you beat her
I'm here everyday
I have little ears
I have a little brain
Then I have a little mouth
Then I have little eyes
BUT I have a little brain who record
I record the good man and the bad man
And best things and not best things
8 days 4 days - Gambians generally do not increase valuse in their story telling, wher we would say 1 or 2 days or 10 to 15 minutes, they reverse this, it sounds funny to us but is very common.
Beating is a part of the Gambian way of social order, husbands beat wives, mothers and fathers beat children, teachers beat children, everyone beats donkeys. this is how discipline is kept.
Helen my wife teaches in inner city Lambeth. New children from Africa are very well behaved, but after a few weeks they revert to a totally undisciplined state, they soon learn that teachers in England don't beat their pupils, few come to terms with our idea of self discipline, few do well in our liberal education system.
'Spare the rod - spoil the child' Not a problem in Gambian society.
If you enjoyed this story, please make a donation through GTS to Elsa, all the money will be used for his education and towards getting his stories published.
Please contact: Francis Glynn to make a donation to Red.
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