HI SIGA, HOW ARE YOU; LONG TIME . LAMIN DARBO > > With a limping gait she walked, leaning heavily on a > > walking stick. Her once serene face now wreathed in > > pain, she was dressed all in black but for the red > > head-tie. Dragging her bare feet, she slowly moved > > towards me. Her eyes, when she finally looked at me > > were devoid of all warmth. With a raspy voice she > > spoke, slowly and carefully as if she has all the > > time > > in the world. “I have come to thank you, she said > > “For the support you’ve given me during my moment of > > pain, our pain.” Sluggishly I shook my head > > signifying that it was the least I could have done, > > and uncomfortably shifted my gaze from her searching > > ones. > > Suddenly she grabbed my hands and her next > > question > > shocked me. “Look at me, really look at me and tell > > me what you see?” Startled, I instinctively moved > > backwards stumbling on a rock, losing my balance and > > landing heavily on my behind. “Look at these hands, > > these callused hands of mine,” She went on, > > undaunted > > by my fall. “For years I have cultivated the soil > > for > > the purpose of raising my son, all I wanted was his > > education, but look at what happened to him!” > > Slowly > > she put her cane down and gently started clapping > > her > > hands to the rhythm of her words. “ I have a pain, > > a > > pain so intense it immobilizes me, at night I lay > > awake with thoughts and memories that wrench at my > > heart and promise never to go away. My eyes are dry > > with ‘unwept’ tears, vainly I searched the horizon > > for > > my lost son but to no avail.” For a moment she was > > silent as if rehearsing her next line, a single tear > > slowly rolled down her left eye and landed on my > > dusty > > feet. “Tell me, who is going to tend to me in my > > old > > age and bury me when I die, now that I have lost my > > son, my only child, ahhh the pain it suffocates me!” > > As if trying to get rid of the discomfort she beats > > on > > her chest and unflinchingly looked at me. “I > > represent all mothers who lost a child or a loved > > one > > to this nightmarish regime, this regime that brought > > nothing but pain and injustice to all. Alas, these > > poor arms of mine will never again embrace him. > > Forever he has been taken away from me, he was but > > fifteen years old, a baby, my baby. His young > > promising life cut short by a bullet, ahhh, ahhh!” > > Touching her red head-tie, she whispers in a tired > > voice “This is for my son and all sons and > > daughters > > of the Gambia, who has been lost in this tragedy, it > > represent tears, tears that I cannot shed, tears of > > blood that I must learn to live with to the end of > > my > > days.” With these final words she turned and > > pathetically walked back to her hut, disappearing in > > the shades of the mango trees. > > In the distance > > the melodious voice of the Muezzin can be heard > > calling the faithful to prayers. > > Dazedly I got up, dusted my pants and with a heavy > > heart I headed back to the village ‘Bantaba’, > > thinking > > out loud. “What are we going to do about this > > problem > > that plagues our beloved motherland, the Gambia?” > > > > > > > > ===== > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Send online invitations with Yahoo! Invites. > > http://invites.yahoo.com > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of > > postings, go to the Gambia-L > > Web interface at: > > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > ===== > "NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU FEEL INFERIOR WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION" > > ALSO > > "NOTHING IS UNACHIEVABLE, THE ONLY QUESTION IS, WHETHER ONE IS WILLING TO DO WHAT IT TAKES TO ACHIEVE WHAT IS DESIRED" > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Send online invitations with Yahoo! Invites. > http://invites.yahoo.com > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------