February 2 Severin Galley dips a corner of his bread into his cup and sucks the soggy dough while also slurping the milky tea with a teaspoon.
I’m not sure he’s done this tea thing before but he seems to be enjoying it OK.
The second English teacher in a row on the Brew Ha Ha has abandoned his teaching class after getting a phone call from a friend who said l’Anglais who was in town needed help. Ten minutes later a traditionally dressed man with a brief case and a willing manner is standing before me.
“Can you help me get some information about the state of the roads and rail tracks to Brazzaville? Or anywhere?” I ask plainly.
“Why not. I am in your disposal,” he replies, and prepares his robes to jump on the pillion seat of the bike.
We spend the next five hours making grooves in the sandy streets of Dolisie checking timetables, prices, options, and speaking to anybody who might know what was happening in other parts of this vast country.
“Do you think there is a way out of Dolisie?” I ask somewhat desperately.
“Of course. We are able to find solutions to our problems; it is what makes us different from the animals.”
I can’t argue with that.
Severin doesn’t need much encouragement, in between slurps, to talk about his beloved Congo and its place in Africa.
“To improve Africa we must reduce the birthings, and as a rich country, naturally speaking, we must respect the earth and make better use of our raw materials. We must also not worry about politics too much, otherwise it may lead to more wars.”
“Civil wars?”
“Of course.”
“When, exactly?”
“Nineteen ninety three …”
“Was there much …”
“Nineteen ninety seven …”
“fighting here in Dolisie?”
“Two thousand … and often in between too. In Dolisie there was a lot of fighting, it was most terrible.”
Looking out from the hotel reception where we are sitting it is hard to believe that these streets were the scenes of some of the worst fighting in those civil wars.
“We should spend less time arguing about politics and more time listening to others’ advice wherever we go. We have a saying here: ‘If the locals dance with one foot then you should do the same’”.
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