ALI AND SAKARI IN ENGLAND
ALI AND SAKARI IN ENGLAND
ALI AND SAKARI IN ENGLAND
In their newly found domestic life, one of the greatest delights to Ali and Sakari wasto possess a whole bar of Sunlight soap, and they were seized with a passion for washing themselves and their clothes whenever they obtained such luxury.
Thus, in endless ways, they slowly absorbed the atmosphere of their novel surroundings with artless, unsullied minds and constant good-humour. They saw things as they existed with innocent penetration and directness; and ever they came back to such remarks as:
“White man go catch plenty plenty sense; everybody catch plenty clothes; everybody catch plenty to eat. This no be desert; this country sweet past all country.”
But they came to be greatly exercised because:
“When we go give this big news of England to people for Kano we will have so much to tell that plenty people no fit go believe us.”
Wherefore, to prove that, at least, they had been in this country, they made an extraordinary request. This wasto remove two perfectly good teeth from their heads and have gold ones inserted, so that:
“When we go for Kano and people no fit believe we go look this country, we say, ‘Ah! ah! you be fool man. Look them Gold Teeth!’ And so they will be convinced; for our people no savvy them sense for put gold for head.”
Their request, which was a persistent one, was finally granted, and Ali and Sakari became the proud possessors of “gold for head.”
Ali had, then, only one great ambition left: to some day make the pilgrimage to Mecca, which is the dream of so many true Mohammedans:
“And then I be BIG past all men that live for Kano.”
Sakari, on the other hand, planned the disposal of the money he had earned:
“When I go Kano I buy another wife,fine past the one that live now.
“After that I go buy house from Emir.”
Asked how much a house would cost, he replied:
“They be different, sir! Some get £15; some get £10; some get £6 to £7. If buy him so, all the time he be my own.”
Then he added:
“But I no look for front [forward] too much, Master! for it will be like theTenere[desert] when you are gone.”
They were faithful, able men, and when the parting came it was one of deep regret, filled with distressing artless emotion on the part of Ali and Sakari; which revealed the wonderful fidelity of these two fine henchmen of the Open Road, who had stuck with the expedition through thick and thin.
And it may be a fitting finish to give Ali’s description of the desert that we had left behind.
“Gentle people, I salute you! I give you newsof the desert. It is a land of sand and wind and want. If you would visit it? tighten your belt plenty, as a giant. There is no lying down in comfort, for there is no medicine for the Sun by day, nor for the Great Winds by night. There is never plenty food, and if water is not found, then one dies—that is the desert!
“All my people ’fraid of that Sahara country, and plenty plenty people say we no fit go, because robber people, no food, no water, no sticks for fire, and all that.
“Only strong man fit go walka that country, and some strong men begin to die after we go start.
“Plenty people tell master he go die, but master only say: ‘All right, he go all same.’
“After I go look them desert, I think I no go live to see England. But Allah is kind! and I have looked on this country, which be plenty plenty fine—and I go my way in content.”
APPENDICES
SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE OF SAHARAN BIRD LIFE
All numerals coincide with those before each common name in Chapter XII.
SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE OF SAHARAN ANIMAL LIFE
All numerals coincide with those before each common name in Chapter XIII.