Saya….!

“Uhuum, humm sàya!
Uhuum, humm sàya!”

Oumou Sangaré- Saa Magni

Salam out there, hope life is treating you kindly:)

My sister /bestie Rica called me yesterday! The tone of her voice was a little melancholic so I asked if everything was ok . She informed me that her childhood house neighbor patriarch Pa Ndiaye had just passed the night before. In our culture neighbors become family especially back in the days. Neighbors knew all the tea on family dynamics, difficulties , joy…you name it. They are there for each other through all seasons of life. When we were younger ,parents could always trust that if our neighbors saw us acting up, they would be informed shortly.

We used to eat at our neighbors and vice versa. Il y’avait vraiment ce sens de communauté. This does not just exist in Senegal but in other African cultures. When I went last year to my cousin’s wedding in Burkina Faso, her long time neighbor was all up in this wedding lol .She was front & center smiling ,dancing. She came to greet those of us who travelled from other countries. Neighbors were sometimes the first persons who were informed if someone was sick . They would show up with food ,money sometimes.

Nowadays society has changed. I am not saying it’s a good or a bad thing but it’s simply different. A lot of people now just say hi and bye . People like to keep to themselves . Ce sens de l’entraide commence a disparaitre. I was talking once to a cab driver whose family lives in a Senegalese village .I asked if he was going home for the Eid celebration and he said no . He shared that the community vibe was not the same anymore. He added that autrefois all the houses were open, people didn’t need to announce their visit. They would just show up and eat! He said that now things are different and I asked him why. He explained that many rural people work in Dakar the capital city and adopt city life habits. When these same people go back to their villages they bring with them these new ways of living .

Today Pa Ndiaye’s family was receiving the visits of loved one , acquaintances. Everyone who knew him or his family came to pay their respect. In our culture on occasions such as this one, people dress in traditional African attire. Women wear scarves on their heads and shoulders and dress modestly .

I have fond memories of the Ndiaye family . I remember Pa Ndiaye and his sons going to the mosk almost every single day. I remember him being a strict father who only wanted the best for his children. He had a crew of friends; fellow neighbor fathers. They would meet daily a the former neighbourhood garden called La Case. Some would play pétanque and others card games. Today we got to see his children. They were surprisingly very composed and seemed of course sad but in peace.I learned that tonton had been gravely sick for a little while . His daughters said that God allowed him to go & rest. Of course they were sad about it and when they saw my friend Rica there was this sense of shared understood pain between them.

I listened to them shared common memories.Rica reminded me that Pa Ndiaye stood in place of her late father on her wedding day. She considers him an important male figure in her life. A lot of people were in attendance . We later on joined and sat with Rica’s family. We have been friends for over 35 years at minimum so I know most of them. People who haven’t seen us together in a long time are always happily surprised to see us still friends after all these years. We stayed for an hour. Sometimes that’s all people who lost someone need ; just physical presence. They feel supported and cherished . May he rest in peace, Ameen🙏🏾❤️

Till next time InshAllah:)

Yaye

“Uhuum, humm sàya!
Uhuum, humm sàya!”

Oumou Sangaré- Saa Magni