True Ease in Writing comes from Art, not Chance, As those move easiest who have learned to dance. - Alexander Pope
Mar 13, 2011
In a Jail Cell
By chance, they share a jail cell. They did not know each other outside, and only met in the prison. They sit together in the dark, occupying the tiny space.
- Yoot
- Wawe
- Abal ma sa lighter bi. Suma bossangi banya taal.
He throws it up, grumbling.
- boy yaadeh always jehal suma lighter fluid ah! denye kore deh jaaye you know.
- Maneh fuck off, hanaa du yaafi daaha aaba lighter.
- Hey just taalal deh-lore ma suma alel.
- Maneh mungi nee - lighter rek la - buma chop.
He throws the lighter back down, accompanied by a swirl of smoke.
*
Silence fills the cell, with its dank stone walls.
- so yow musulore am chepeh?
- chepeh pour lan? Chaga yaang fi fess fi del.
- hey maneh - du behna. Jigain dang kor sarr-gal
- dayga kore munaan ma sarr-gal. Sarr-gal chi pot - pah bingaa ute, man tam morm laaye ute.
- tsk - boy yow danga... negative. Man munu maa wahtaana yowe.
- amute ben negative. Ndo yii lehka sa haalis nah la rek. Man horla, baha bimaa job dama kore deh dajaleh yoe bull kor suma yaaye mu nyaanal ma.
- hay maneh nehkute yow kehna fi am yaaye. Wah ma lehnehn y
- yoot ndo yinga torpa denyore watch hand rek - sunye chapeh Fu gaina torye naawe nenye deh, tagi fenehn. Yaafa die nak.
- yeah hej na ndo yi banjulindng yi nyore Mel noe nu.
- banjulinding, brufut sukuta - nyaypa em! Hai yow nyaata time loe lorng feh hewe. Count-less!
- yeah taykore foe Fu, beh la chaga yi joh AIDS. Man ham naa neh suma son melute noe nu.
- anh? Wawe OK - dinga neh wahorn naa la kore. So yow danga fog neh right now ndo yangi gaareh di la gaapa?
- yeah - why not? Jaral naa kor kor.
- haha. Wawe baah na - nyu dem.
They fall silent. Outside a guard walks past, his footsteps even, as if counting out the time until daybreak. The tap-tap recedes into the distance, and the cell becomes quiet once more.
- So sa ndo bi naka la tuda?
- Dusa aferr.
- Hey - man dama laa laaj rek.
- Mariama.
- Bah?
- Nah - Jallow.
- Oh yeah. Nice - fume nehkorn, sa school?
- Nah next konye la dayka.
- So every gudi nga beetawu life dem chaisi.
- ……
- Gaayam yi ham nenye la?
- Yeah y merr bi toiye la - like-uma.
- Ah merr yi soundunye. So ndo dila feed sowe yi, ak chereh yi. Ham nga sa aferr.
- Nah daf deh jaaye nyaambeh nyebeh.
- Ham nga lehn - saf loho lenye muna def. Maangi amorn behna friendi pol, y corned beef sah su la kore fajeh nga chop beh neh gik.
- Haha. Yeah - side-am laa daan rereh ji - suma demeh mu tibal ma palaat, tek fry chi borr bi nii.
- Diwtirr ndah diwliin?
- Diwtiir.
- Yeah - diwtirr more daaha. Man merr bi su daan torga nii daf ma daa defal diwtirr side, jagaral borpam diwlin.
- Sa merr bi?
- Yeah. daf daan jaaye morm tam.
- Oh yeah?
- Yeah man - boy yi yaype suma side lenye daan rereh si gudi.
- Yeah so man tam boy yi denye daan ak si sidey suma son nyu campeh fa beh late hours nii.
- Billahi - campeh bi - morm laa gayna nama yoot. Dangaa reh beh tass.
- Haha.
*
It is lights out. The walls of the cell are hidden behind a veil of darkness. They speak softly, as if they do not wish to disturb it, sitting in the bottom bunk together, their backs against a wall.
- So fore nehkorn Gambia High?
- Nah mein - maangi worn Saints.
- Oh yeah - foe fu nga graduatay?
- Graduate! Haha - nah paco man du ma daan dem class. Dama dawe school be gaayi expel ma behna yorn. Ah ndaham Banjulinding angi sori - dangaa ehwu sah taseh boy mu pass la joint nga gaareh.
- Haha. Denye daan dohal si Saints nak.
- Yeah - fore nehkorn?
- Nusrat.
- Oh OK - yeah maang fa amorne behna paco bu doff sah - Boy Bambara. Paco bu njorl nii, borpam bi reye…
- …nyuul kuk?
- Yeah - haha - morm la sah. Borpi koanaym boe bu.
- Haha - yeah hamorn naa kore walie - y mungi worn Arts - man maangi worn Commerce.
- Oh OK. Yeah man arts laa nehkorn. Y ah dangaaye waaru - after dama dawe beh principal bi summons ma office-am.
- Muneh naka?
- Muneh ma Boy John - Boy John la ma daan oryeh, dafa hamorn suma dad bi balaa more gaanyu - muneh ma Boy John dis is your taad warning. Elayk when you are coming isil sa yaaye.
- So merr bi dem?
- Dem fan? Suma merr baangi fehbarr luma kore disturbeh ak nonsense yoe yu. Ma dem kerr tegeh suma bag bi nalay, taykore suma side.
- Jehal chi?
- Tak. Ah after nak bi gaayi di jail grade 12 daf ma daan over joh nervesi school. Y fehka late na. Yow danga graduate?
- Yeah. Y bull dayga, exam bi sah dama paach beh aaga.
- Y am nga certificate tehdu?
- Yeah.
- Ah kon mungi cool - billahi mein, man after certificate bi daf ma over affek sah. Fore dem uti job nyu laaj la kore.
- Yeah? Cause man even with certificate bi sah dara worgute. After suma behna Uncle more ma dugal sah, call behna haritam, noe nu laa mujeh ameh job.
- Hai man nak dama worr beh sorna. Teye fee elayk falay - suma baha bi yaype paasi van more kore jehal. After dama fed up, billahi. Tsk.
- Yeah - easy wute mein.
- Easy wute.
*
They worked all day outside the jail today, lifting heavy stones, laying bricks. They built a wall for a school, and now they are both exhausted. They lie in their separate bunks, eyes closed, sending their words upward.
- Hai - Assan Kilifa. Star la - dang kore joh 40,000 mu lijantil la nyaye ak passport yaype, one time.
- Fan, States?
- Nah Ireland. After mun ngaa jaareh noe nu duga Angalterr.
- Yeah?
- Yeah man. Staatornaa dajaleh - demorn naa beh am 25,000. Y after merr bi fehbarr nyu am pour yoe bu kore Senegal.
- So yaype dem?
- Yeah - almost - after dafa wachaat beh 5,000. So after bi suma scene bi heweh nyu joh choye bi 2,000, mu chop kor chi dara.
- Chaa!
- Billahi mein. Hai after binye kor joheh baha bi ndehkeh morm nehkute in charge of case bi sah. Ah so after bima gisay neh bii no way to way - ah! - ma joh merr bi 3,000 bi dess. At least mu jayfandorkor beh ma gayna.
- So sore gaynay fog nga staataat?
- Yeah. Ah y 40000 du dara paco - ai dugalanteh la rek. Taf taf maangi Swiss.
- Ma fok nga neh Ireland.
- Maneh yaype behna lenye - yow danga stupid. Y suma fi gaynay rek maanga naleh. One two ma sampal suma merr bi taah. bull worry dinaa la buke di call - fehka yaangi gaareh Mariama ak sehn ten dorm naaj bi di laka sa taat yi rek. Haha.
- Yow soundulore.
- Haha.
*
- Yoot yaangi norpi teye deh - Lu hew?
- .....
- maneh ham naa neh nelawulore - dore ubi sa gaymanye bi waha man
- hey boy - baaye ma ma free. Nehku ma chi mood bi
- Lu hewe?
- boy yow yaa faas boy! Baaye ma ma free - ah!
Silence. In the lower bunker his breathing is loud, and interrupted by the occasional sniffle.
- teye rerr bi Hal naa tani nak.
- yeah.
- y yow chobulore di
- ah heefu ma mein.
More silence. In the top bunk he lets a beat pass. Then he tries again.
- hanaa danga jotehya Mariama?
- boy dayga dayga danga faas. Loe Lu Lu chiiye sa aferr?
- haha - denye la seks. Woye sama Ndey. hahaha.
- boy man Ken munumaa seks. Man melu ma ni yow boy - man Muslim laa, Duma deh naan Duma deh poan.
- dayga la kanye. More tah nyu seks la. Hahaha.
- nah mein - danga fog - merr yii dunye deh ham sehn borpa.
- ah merram bi like-ula
- boy fee nyunye nyaype ham nenye Lu nyi fi isi. Mistake la rek - reyu ma nit saachu ma. Y merr yii sunye... Tsk.. Boy gis nenye fi nit ku dam kasor, gayna, after nga tehdi.
- so merr bi neh naka?
- yoot man dama feh gayna, teh da ma kore make. Wahu ma muneh dafa utali ndo bi sehn behna mborki Peul.
- oh yeah? Denye kore seye nii live?
In the bottom bunker, he turns to face the wall, and does not answer.
- so laygi dafa jarr joye? Ndo yaang fi fess fi dehl - su dute morm di kenehn. Hanaa dore goarr?
- maneh du aferi loa Lu - yow danga stupid. Ndo bii ma morm denye amorn plans..
- beh chi lan. Yaala Dogalu kore- danga ham ndah sa hewal mung laa haar chi benehn ndo?
- ......
- ah faatel nyii yoot. Haleh yaang fi fess fi del.
- .....
- maneh maangi deseh maalore deh - nyu dohal ndah?
- hiifu ma.
He climbs out of the top bunk and retrieves a bowl from the corner of the cell. He eats slowly, licking his chops, sighing as if it is the best food he's ever eaten.
- Paco dore moss - neh na deh.
- heefu ma.
- tryal Paco - su jeheh dore chobaat beh elayk deh.
He offers the spoon, it is taken. They pass it back and forth, crouched before the small bowl, their mouths working hard.
- so yow ndo yii ngaa baaye nyuye laa joh hol bu mayti. Hai - yow ngaaye nice boy. Haha - horlal ma kor muuye smile nak ak sa bonye yi ni bonyi jai sit nii.
- yow amulore fayida Paco. pass ma kudu bi.
- hey Lima la wah la rek daal - ndo yii su dute kii di kahleh. Y chaapans merr bii jehku na domoda bii.
- horom bi dafa hala opa.
- ham nga hamulore good food tehdu. Nga banya chop rek. Indil ma kudu bi nii.
*
Another night, another conversation.
- nah mein - dad bi dafa gaanyu. So nyun nyaar rek la. Ah suma gaynay hustle, luma am Indi nyu borka kor.
- Lu tah musuta nyowe seht si la?
- seht si? nah merr botam yi baahatute - torg Kerr rek di dayglu rajo gambia. Nim bugay rajo Gambia nak.
- haha - ham nga merr yi sehn aferr.
- hai merr - haha - Lu hewe chi world bi more kore deh njaykaa ham. Daf ma deh jaahal sah
- so amulore raka.
- nah mein - merr man rek la am.
- chaa - so nume nehka di def right now?
- ah hawe ma sah. Maangi am aye uncle y denye over useless - gaareh di poan rek.
- Mel ni yowe dore deh poan.
- boy dama deh poan deh, anh, y after dama deh joak dem daani suma dorleh. Kotore yoe yu nak loe lu fehkute lehn chi. ku gaynaa useless nganeh kii la.
*
Today there was a court date. Arguments were heard, and new deals brokered. In the top bunk - he is lying still. The bottom bunk bounces up and down - its inhabitant cannot stay still for excitement.
- So gaayi neh naka?
- Yeah so suma parole bi duga na.
- Yeah? Kanye ngaa gayna?
- Elayk chi suba.
- Elayk elayk?
- Yeah - dama teet sah. Judge bi fog naa daf ma like.
- So danga dem rek muneh la mungi cool.
- Yeah. Ak hass-teh yu dute jeh nak, simi lunetam yi tiim ma. Lum wah rek maneh kor OK your ona.
- Elayk nii?
- Yeah.
- Ku laa jail si?
- Boy yi - dama aaba phone call gaayi.
- ……
- Hai bee kanye boy, aaga, dem gayje, sangu, laaha kunye uti mboroe nyebeh.
- …..
- def nii ute behna mbahal bu correct. then morye loe lu nak - beh suba.
- ……
- hanaa yow sa parole bi kanye la?
- Naa awe ma parole mein. Choye bu muna dool boe bu muneh judge bi man dama kore chaapa knock. Man lu maa dayga di knock choye?
- Gaayi denye muna fen deh. Y ah dara - yaagaa tut.
- …..
Later. It is night. They are both lying down, though neither is asleep. The silence is broken only by the chirping of crickets outside, the croaking of swamp frogs. Then, from the bottom bunk
- Dangaa nelawe?
- Nah mein.
- Suma sardine yaangi des - mun nga kore jail suma demeh.
- Yeah.
- Dinaa la book di check si.
- Yeah.
- Ah lu hewe -bugulore ma nyowe?
- Hey yoot - kaso bi more nyu borleh - yow ham nga loe lu. Bii kanye gainal, jelaat sa life. Man behna favor rek laa buga.
- Morye lan?
- Demal chegal ma suma merr bi, nga wah kore neh maangi cool, laygi teye ma gayna.
- Hai yeah - elayk first thing.
- Nah - jailal sa time. Saa yore ameh time rek - mungi kerr, demute fen.
- Suma make-ay baha dinaa kor yoebul some.
- Hay - loe lu yaype santu ma la kore. Just wahal ma kore suma message bi rek.
- Yeah wawe OK - suma laaye seht si samedi dinaa fa njaykaye. Then ma nyowe wah la lum wah.
- ….