An inferior man fears strong women, that is and has always been a fact. I have been called many names, most of the times very strange ways to pronounce my first name, but never before have I been called a Sugar Mammy. I’m sure this was meant as an insult, so I am sorry to disappoint the guy who called me this that I laughed loudly when I read it. My imagination took me to a place which I have never visited; a dark bar filled with more or less desperate men and women searching for sex. If this bar would be located in The Gambia, many of the women would be elderly toubabs and the men/boys would be Gambians. One part is searching for sex and the other part offers sex in a vane hope for future gifts, money and a visa somewhere in Europe.
Both parts are just as sad, but the guys could have a better and more dignified life if the party that is ruling The Gambia did its job properly. The man who tried to insult me says that he belongs to NPP. He tells that I am always interfering in the Gambian politics and that the NPP is keeping a close eye on me. Really? Are you not occupied with anything more important than listening to my commentaries once a week? Tell me; how do you prepare yourself for this weekly occasion? Do you gather in a large room filled with comfortable chairs and a bowl of popcorn? Have you brought some packages of tissues in case someone burst into tears of my words? What a drama! I wish I was a fly on the wall, watching your every move and listening to your comments.
It must be hard for you to listen to what I say and it is obvious that my words sting. Perfect! That is my aim so I am very pleased. If you believe that politics is about “scratching my back and I’ll scratch yours,” then you are at the wrong place. The Gambia is a democracy and freedom of speech is written in the constitution. There is no extra clause claiming that the freedom of speech is only for native Gambians and that everyone else should shut up. I would like to educate the NPP man who dislikes me so much. He claims that I interfere in the Gambian politics with my poems. Poems!
Here is an explanation from an online dictionary:
poem
noun
1. a piece of writing in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by particular attention to diction (sometimes involving rhyme), rhythm, and imagery.
The purpose of a poem is to attract someone’s emotions, in a deep and sensible way. A poem speaks about emotions, the miracles of nature, the smell of a flower and so on. What I am writing is far from a poem, so next time you complain about me you should try to find the right words to express your own emotions.
What I am writing is something called an essay. There! You have learned a new word, sir!
From the dictionary again:
An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author’s own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamplet and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal and informal: my style is the informal essay which is characterized by the personal element of humor, graceful style, rambling structure, unconventionality or novelty of theme. Essays are commonly used as literary criticizm, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author.
I understand that you are not familiar with this word from before, so I forgive your ignorance. Next time you try to criticize someone who has writing as an occupation, you should try harder and make sure to use the right words to express your anger. I am prepared to have a discussion about things that matter, and the purpose of my essays is many times to start a discussion. My words sting, by purpose, to wake you up from your slumber. I try to have an open mind and reflect on things that are important. Perhaps this NPP guy and his mates should try that for once instead of trying to restrain the freedom of speech.
I have read this NPP guy’s commentary about my so-called poems, and he ended that with, I quote: ”We know you were here when Jammeh was around, why now?”end of quote. Eh? They seem to know more about me than I know myself, so where was I when Jammeh was around? Please enlighten me, because the NPP seem to know a lot. While Jammeh was ”around”, as this guy says, I was not politically active in The Gambia and had not begun my writing.
It is obvious that this guy, who seems to be some kind of representative of NPP, is using the same old sentence other outraged people use: ”Where were you when Jammeh was here?”
This sentence is used as an insult, it is used to state that the outraged person was in The Gambia, fighting against Jammeh, while the other part was somewhere else living a life of leasure. I am sorry, but that sentence doesn’t work on me, simply because I was not involved in the battle. I admire those who were brave enough to give Jammeh resistance, and I have mentioned that so many times in my essays. Instead of becoming upset by my writing, I ask you to open your mind and you might learn something. I am an educationist and I educate, it is my profession and also a habit. My intentions are never to insult or to be rude, but my words can sting when it is necessary.
To go back to the Sugar Mammy part, I wonder if that is the only experience this NPP guy has of European women?
Does he envy those who have succeeded when they approached a white cougar, or did his own approach leave him without satisfaction? He is the only one who knows the answer for that, but he doesn’t seem pleased, poor guy! To enlighten him in his misery, I can tell that there are a lot of Europeans, both male and female, who are involved in the Gambian society and none of their activities has anything to do with his dirty mind. We build up daycare centers and schools, support families, pay school fees for Gambian children and young adults.
We work on voluntary basis to improve the lives of Gambian people. We educate for free on both college and university level. We send money for our families and friends so they will be able to have food on the table. We send clothes, school supply, food stuff, supply for hospitals and a lot of other items with containers. We do what the NPP and the president and the ministers and everyone else who has some kind of power and influence are supposed to do – but don’t do because they are so occupied with complaining about crap and filling their own pockets with money that belongs to the people.
So where was I when Jammeh was around? Well, nowhere near his bank accounts, anyway! This Sugar Mammy is sharing her sugar with her Gambian family. What does this NPP guy do for his country more than trying to insult someone who does some good for HIS people? Shame on him!
