...a deathly serenade...

men hustling to sell tickets, an assortment of
vendors sat perched (clearly unlicensed) on the
floor selling; gum, chocolate, packets of crisps and
so on. We gathered our bags, Lucia was in a less
of a helpful mood compared to the start of the
journey so she just took her own bag, leaving
everyone else free to retrieve their own
belongings, and then we walked towards the
roadside, Bon and Mustapha met us there. There
was only room for five people in Bon’s Land
Rover so Mustapha suggested we take a taxi also.
It was only two of us in the taxi, Bon, Lucia, Rajib
and Ahmed all got into the Range Rover. Sat next
to Mustapha in the back of the taxi I felt a strange
concoction of emotions, because it dawned on me
that he was happy to see me, and I wondered if he
had had any sexual thoughts of me as he spoke his
usual fast talk, tempered with allusions to
Berberism and then he started to speak about
Lucia, Ahmed and G, before I had to even ask.
—...I really am wary of him, he said of G, It’s
exactly what I am against... Did you know G was a
hypnotist? —Was he? —In the Nineties...I know
from another man who knew him years ago, and it
tells, you know? He has a strange air about him.
You know Lucia should... —Should What? I
asked, feeling exasperated and as if I had just
wanted to get to the true essence of all these
happenings, and so I even started to feel a way
about Antonin; and how he would tend to order
events as less of an injury. — For one thing, she
really needs to stay away from G., this prayer
group and... —And... —Well... We had then
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
198