Question 8
PASSAGE II
I was fifiteen when I left home for Conakry, where I was to pursue a course in technical studies at the George-Poiet, now known as the Technical College.
I was leaving my parents for the second time. The first time was immediately after I finished my scholarship examination, when I has acted as an interpreter to an officer who has come to the land in our district in part of the neighbouring Sudan. But on this second occassion, I was taking a much lenthier leave of them.
For a whole week, my mother had been collecting together some provisions for me. Conakry is 400 miles from Kouroussa, and to my mother it was unknown, if not unexplored land, where God knows if I would get enough to eat. And so collected together couscous, meat, fish, yams, rice and potatoes. The previous week, my mother had undertaken a tour of the most celebrated witch-doctors, consulting them about my future and making sacrifices. She had offered up an ox in memory of father and had involved the aid of her ancestors in order that good fortune might attend to me on the voyage which, in her eyes, was rather like a savage land; the fact that Conakry is the capital of Guinea only served to accentuate the character of the place where I was going.
On the eve of my departure, all the marabouts and witch-doctors, friends and notable, and whoever cared to cross our threshold, all attended a feast in our compund. For my mother believed on this occassion no one should be turned away; that the blessing I was to take with me would be complete. Moreover, this was the reason why marabouts had requested such large quantities of foof. And so each guest, after having eaten his fill, would seize me by the hand and bless me, saying: "May good fortune favour you! May your studies be fruitful! And may the Lord protect you!"
I was fifiteen when I left home for Conakry, where I was to pursue a course in technical studies at the George-Poiet, now known as the Technical College.
I was leaving my parents for the second time. The first time was immediately after I finished my scholarship examination, when I has acted as an interpreter to an officer who has come to the land in our district in part of the neighbouring Sudan. But on this second occassion, I was taking a much lenthier leave of them.
For a whole week, my mother had been collecting together some provisions for me. Conakry is 400 miles from Kouroussa, and to my mother it was unknown, if not unexplored land, where God knows if I would get enough to eat. And so collected together couscous, meat, fish, yams, rice and potatoes. The previous week, my mother had undertaken a tour of the most celebrated witch-doctors, consulting them about my future and making sacrifices. She had offered up an ox in memory of father and had involved the aid of her ancestors in order that good fortune might attend to me on the voyage which, in her eyes, was rather like a savage land; the fact that Conakry is the capital of Guinea only served to accentuate the character of the place where I was going.
On the eve of my departure, all the marabouts and witch-doctors, friends and notable, and whoever cared to cross our threshold, all attended a feast in our compund. For my mother believed on this occassion no one should be turned away; that the blessing I was to take with me would be complete. Moreover, this was the reason why marabouts had requested such large quantities of foof. And so each guest, after having eaten his fill, would seize me by the hand and bless me, saying: "May good fortune favour you! May your studies be fruitful! And may the Lord protect you!"
Why did the marabouts request for large quantities of food?
Objective