'Allah is Great' Fashion Store

The car broke after 15 minutes...

Making friends in Gambia is quick. One day I met Ebrima and Samba. They want to visit family and friends in Janjanbureh, in Upper Gambia. I would meet the family and contribute to cost of fuel.

Deal.

So a few days later, we set off for a longer journey to the provinces. Car’s rear brake stops responding after 15 minutes (cars break here all the time) so we find a mechanic at the side of the road. They agree to help. The expert team consists of chief mechanic, aged about 25 and his four cousins between 9 and 15.

To take off the wheel, the car is lifted on a tiny hydraulic jack, placed directly on sand without any basic safety procedures. Ten hands reach under the car to remove the wheel by collective force. Five people pull. A ton of steel could at any moment fall on the ground, causing severe injuries, breaking many hands and legs.

I realize that any interruption is pointless. Nearby, four other teams work in parallel on other cars, using similar techniques.

I have an hour to spare, so I walk around, discovering the businesses nearby: the Allah Is Great fashion store, the Mighty’s Fitness Center, and the steel welder workshop.

I am offered ataya (traditional strong tea) at the steel welder's shop. The boys produce steel gates. In my observation, these gates are one of the few articles manufactured locally in Gambia, with quite a success. We sit and drink and I make new friends.

Nearby, an alien casually walks down the street. At first, I think I’m hallucinating, but no—it’s real. I look at my new friends’ faces, expecting an explanation, but they pay no attention, as if he’s just a regular passerby.

"What is this?" I finally ask.

"A kankurang."

"Why is he walking like that?"

"Maybe he feels like walking. You can walk like that too, if you like."

I feel I got all the answers I needed.

Post Scriptum

• The travel to Janjanbureh has only started! Stay tuned for the next chapter.

• Kankurang… that topic alone deserves a book. Check the devil story

• If you like my African stories, more here.

• Also check Daniel Nagengast and his stories like Mali wedding. Or different take on Gambia with excellent wildlife pictures: Paula Dear

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