Before I Meet Tubman

So I thinking now, eneh that Cellcom them the one bringing Akon? Let me go look for job there. Anything, I not make it, I can beg them for ticket. But one thing, I not like to pass that way in taxi. Right to the junction there, soon you pass National Police Headquarters, that the place the police can stop every taxi car them for eating business. When the cab-man not want pay straight, the thing can waste too much time. This time the police them looking too scary to take the cash just like that; they can make you fold the thing small-small, then they doing just like they shaking your hand, they take it. But he not want let you pass until he see what-thing he get, so you got to wait for them to open it. That's another more wasting time again.

I now reach inside Cellcom office, come see the place yah! The place fine past the NGO office self. And soon you reach inside that so-so fine girl them working to customer service. To see man there hard, except for the technicians and the Cellcom people own of customer. But for job business I not want go to customer service area; I go straight to the big white man manager office.

I not know what-place the man come from his own of seree not sound too correct, but the man very friendly. He say I must wait small I see he talking to one fine-fine Liberian girl and some different other people, they in meeting. The girl too fine! When they say fine! That it there. The girl looking all right in the body. I just looking at her I hear the customer them talking say that the granddaughter of President Tubman from normal days. Just like to say my heart coming jump from inside my body. I thinking say that good-good thing to marry, but eh! Where I coming find the dowry for that kind of thing? I go Guinea I buy cow, I put Akon ticket and put ten lappa suit over it self, I not know if it can make it.

World War I II & III time simple machine gun business, you know somebody who controlling the area, I collect the girl, she for me. But nothing like that this time with the UN people all around; and I want the girl bad way. The respect I get for Tubman, haya! I just thinking how in ever-since time the big-big chief them used to marry the Congo people them daughter? What-thing they used to give, I not know. And what-thing the chief them used to get too when the Congo people used to carry their own of daughter?

When you not get good-good education you not able to make it this time. When you get correct education any kind of girl you want it for you. This time every thing chakla chakla. Everybody get tribe. But nobody want talk it plenty. They call that one ethnic politics. When you not get tribe who will vote for you? So-so of the Congo people when you ask them their tribe – one can tell you say he Vai, the other one say he Kpelle. Old Ma self say she Gola; and then she white woman on top of it – they say her Grandpa that one German man. Way in America, the Oprah Winfrey woman, I not see her she not come Liberia self, the people talking say that big woman she Kpelle. Then the educated people what get real tribe and know the society bush – small time they go America - they come back just like to say they Congo now. But for election time everybody get tribe.

So-so for nothing confusion. Since the war, the upcountry people packed up in Monrovia. So-so of them just sitting down in Monrovia doing nothing good. Everything they supposed to teach them in the interior, Poro and Sandae Society, they now forget it. The same thing what happen in the school system in Liberia, that the same thing happen in the society bush. No good education! Those young-young people not know small snake medicine self. How to respect their elders and how to protect their women, all that one they forget it. Just to sit down in town. That what make it those small-small children smoking all kind of things follow behind the people for gun business and acted that kind of wicked way. For what? Just looking for money and no plenty money in town. The real money in the bush. White man and all know that one, but black man not want hear it.

I thinking all this things, for the fine woman business it leave small I almost forget about the Akon ticket. But soon I see the white man give me chance, the woman and other people now go, I jump inside the man office.

I tell him say, "the woman too fine, it for you?"

He laughing at me. He say, "no, she's working here on a project."

I ask him say, "that President Tubman granddaughter?"

He say, "I have no idea. What does that matter." He looking at me confused.

Then I ask him, "then what-thing you hire her for? You not know that big woman?"

He say, "that doesn't concern me. I'm not in government and I don't care about politics. I hire the best person for the job. I don't care who she is connected to or where she is from, or her color, or even whether she is a woman or a man. This lady is very professional and has good credentials. She was the best person for the job. She does her job very well. I don't care about anything else."

I thinking say, yeah, white man real different for true. It not like that in Africa o. But the Tubman woman real clever for true and do well for herself, if she able to learn book the white man hire black woman over white man – even self she Tubman.

I say, "myself come here to look for job."

He say, "I don't have any available positions right now, but what are your credentials?"

I say, "I able to work hard."

He say, "I'm sure. But what are you able to do?"

I say, "I able to throw shovel, I able to make farm, I can able to build house, I can even able to do diamond work. Security job and all – I can able it. I able to read and write self – but it not too correct – for the war business no good school, but I now get two double promotion and pass to the sixth grade."

He say, "that is impressive. Unfortunately I don't need any of that right now."

The way he talking fine to me, he convince me no plenty way there; so I say let me just beg him for one Akon ticket. I ask him for the ticket now, he look at me he smiling.

He say, "I'm happy you asked me for a job first. Most people in Liberia just want free things, but the answer unfortunately for you, is still no.

I ask him say, "What for? The way you looking good so. And I know you get plenty ticket."

He say, "that is not the point. Suppose you came here for a ticket from a far away place, and I didn't give it to you. How would you feel?"

I say, "I will feel bad. In fact I coming from way Red Light."

He say, "I'm sorry to hear that, but just imagine I came from very far away. Even further than Red Light. In fact I came here by airplane from a great distance - just to get money. So I'm selling tickets. Suppose I don't get the money, how will I feel?"

I look at him for long time. I just feeling weak in the body. I see the man alright for talking, but for money business the man get real dry face. He too sabe.