SALONE WI ALL FAMBUL

In the early hours of the morning
Yes! You will hear the cock crow
The arzaan of the nearest mosque will be calling our Muslim brother for prayers. If that is not enough,
your neighbour sheikh will be shouting salaat! Salaat!
By your window, get up, get ready and go serve Allah. You never know the day nor the hour death will come knocking. Seems as if he is talking to you directly.
You don’t know when you will die, nobody knows. But the sheikh is my mother’s brother’s cousin ar bin tell una to say salone wi all fambul

The old woman will tie her bum bag
Tight around her waist, we call it orjah.
Carry her bamboo basket on her head, yes e make the kata
Basket weave with our river line scrubs
As she got to the junction all she could hear was
Eastern police! Eastern police! I don’t have lose change or small denomination.
Apprentice, can you please move aside ar wan enter. I am late already, the lady in the blue suits says. Dovecut would be jam packed already the old woman mentioned. Hope today will be a better day for me, the man next to her said with a sigh. Dis driva na wan woman wey wi komot na d same village ein Pekin e marred. Salone wi all fambul yah.

Six o’clock in the morning everybody is out already, the street is packed full
With traders hustling whatever goods they have for the day.
It is too crowdy here, that man has just been pickpocketed. Ayah make ar go ba make dem nor cam cors mi.
That lady’s phone had been snatched.
I can’t find my lunch, the school girl cried, how will I even get home. Five-O and clique boys are at work.
Can anybody hear anything at Abacha street? music, megaphones with pre-recorded adverts, hey girlfriend, fine girl, baby na Facebook, d Mamie, na WhatsApp they called out to anyone passing.
If you touch their goods without buying, wondri buyer bo pass wit u bad luck. What can we do the street is full with our aunts and sisters, I told you earlier wi all fambul

Your nice neighbor has an occasion, she would go around
Informing every member or household in the community
My daughter is getting married
The whole community will be at their compound helping, na awujor start so
No one will mind the loud music, the bachelor’s eve e swit.
Our throats are dry they call for more alcoholic beverages, we wan Jerry we yai
Your parent will be like, na Fatu ein pekin don married so
When will you marry, my daughter? Papa, I am still in school. D orkor n d yawo are long-distance cousins, yes Salone wi all fambul.

Every household should bring their own bowl, I don’t have take away bowls to give out, and that’s how I have lost all my decent bowls.
About to dish out this cassava leave, the jollof rice  will be kept for the guests.
No cook that day in the community.
Everyone will save that day’s chop money for life’s other troubles. 
We will eat now, went to the wedding and still create problems if not given food. I was not served at all, they will complain after the wedding. Dem bin de look face.
Meanwhile, Mamie Sallay had two black plastic bags filled with food
Yet, she sits as if she has not eaten or received any food. Hmmm, do you know who I am? na me pekin ein paddy ein cousin na ein marred so. Salone wi all fambul

The church closer to us had been singing and praying through the night. They did that? Yes! na all net dem get,
they justify. Pa Morlai comes out of the house shirtless as he stretches from side to side. He said, whole net mi nor sleep sef, this church with their prayers
They will grumbled but never report
They are Godly and they fear God’s wrath
That’s why when you ask them, how the body? they’ll reply tell God tenki
God bless us and bless Sierra Leone. That’s all he can say because his brother’s daughter is the head of the choir unit in the church. Salone wi all fambul

An elderly woman was passing by, when she saw her neighbour’s daughter, standing in a corner with a boy. she came closer and point her touch in their faces, As if, to say is that really you, standing with a boy. Na pipul Pekin u de-squeeze na corner so
Let me go and inform your parents, hundred meters is too short a relay for both of them
Obviously, she won’t report but will call and advice especially the girl
Pay attention in school, komot behen man biznes e nor de pass
Next time I won’t hesitate to tell your parents, da borbor de na me paddy ein paddy ein pekin n e nor serious wan
When did we lose this again? Wi all fambul

Mama Loko Limba falls in love with papa Sherbro Krio
Awor! They gave birth to united nations, which one should I identify as again?
No matter what region or tribe you are from
We are all related, wi all na wan as granny kin say
Even our relatives in the diaspora will say na me Salone Broda
Salone blood nor de hide, we love to party and have a good time
Is it paddle time yet? Or lantern? we may fight, we may argue
Mostly when these politicians try to divide us for their own gains
But as our wise people will say; fambul tick de bend but nor de broke
Yes! Salone wi all fambul.

©By Rahima Vandy Kargbo known as dasalonetiti Rahima

https://www.dasalone-titi.com