..........

My neighbor Jid has travelled here from Mersa Alam, a large settlement on the Red Sea. He is 22 years old and, like many men, Jid is eager to have an additional income, he is saving up to pay the family of his future wife. Getting married looks like a painful business transaction. The wife also requires gold jewelry, which serves not so much as a decoration but as insurance in case of his death or a divorce. And of course they have to set up a household. It is due to this general tradition that marriage is not a simple matter for the poorer men, of whom there are many here. Marriage and the erotic stimulation connected with it are the main topic of the conversation in the tent. Jid is a very good singer. His voice is full of melancholy and longing for love. The melody appeals to me very much, although I don’t understand the words. A few days later, Mustafa sings the same song for me again. He is also dreaming of marriage, just like Ahmed, Ali, Gama, and all the other young men in the tent.

pages

next

previous

start

1...........2...........3...........4...........5...........6...........7...........8...........9...........10