A moment of life

I am sitting in the car, guarding it if you will, as Beatrace buys a few things at the market. 

The strong stench of dried fish fills my nose as Dolly Parton sings "I will always love you" in the background. The music is coming from one of the bars on the road.   The music seems oddly out of place here. 

A man comes up and stands just behind my window. He talks to me in a sing song voice, the only words I recognize being "mzungu" and " motoca". I agree with him wholeheartedly as I discreetly lock the door. 

He wanders away, nodding his head in agreement. Whether I have just said yes to a marriage proposal; the car being the dowery, or admitted to have stolen the car or have agreed with his views on politics, I will never know. 

Beatrace comes, first with a bundle of green plantains or matoke as they are called here. Then she returns with three heads of cabbage. Finally, with four small bananas that she has bought for me. 

We laugh that she has gotten more matoke for the same price as what Brenda paid last week. She explains it simply with, "Brenda, she is mzungu. "