Entry Four – a message to next door neighbor Doug

Got your message loud and clear -- ah, things just get more interesting do they not? Thanks for the well-coded update and for keeping my house from being burned down. All that worrying and gnashing my teeth and here I am. Truly Bintou is everything I hoped she would be. Even more beautiful than the photos and so much like much me it is weird. I can feel her moods coming on -- when she is tired or hungry she gets grouchy. What a perfect mate.

This thing about these girls prowling the internet for suckers could not be more off the mark. Romance here is taken waaaaaay more seriously than the U.S., and I wouldn't dare love and leave her. Like you I have seen Trilogy of Terror. No bad juju for Tom. I have SEEN what juju can do here and I want none of that. Bintou is watching her favorite French soap opera and I'm next door at a hole in the wall called a cyber cafe. We have, however, been to a real nice one that even Americans would be impressed with.

Bintou's father is long dead but his family is more than alive. His home village is taking us dead seriously. They have also warned her explicitly against EVER doing anything to hurt or displease me. They apparently think I am a gift from God sent to Bintou, and they think God is honoring the whole family with such a man. Many interviewers haven't been smart enough to figure out my accomplishments -- Bintou's people are absolutely aware of my status as an author and writer and are as I write this performing ceremonies for us. They are absolutely amazed that a man could come from so far away and NOT be a total loser, a lonely heart American with too much money and no women, and would be totally crazy and devoted to Bintou. As I say, one and all are totally seriously convinced this is God at work and I am shocked at how rough they have been with Bintou about her ever doing anything to screw this up.

Bintou and I had a bit of a blow up the other day when she had me meet a retired, older African-American postal worker from Hot Springs who has married a Sierra Leonian girl they know, a girl who unlike these city-bred ladies of style is strictly from the bush. Here we would say she is country as cornbread. I specifically told Bintou I did not want to meet him – he was twice his wife’s age and from all reports seemed a complete lout and low-life -- and damn, there he was. In tears later Bintou confessed that she disobeyed (listen to me – disobeyed!) me because she wanted so bad to show me off and make the other girls jealous. Sort of like -- hey y'all, look at my catch. (Nota Bene:  I was right about the guy.  The marriage lasted no time at all.  Bintou’s friend fled the man after he pulled a gun on her.  Or so she claims.

I honestly don't know if the U.S. will let Bintou come or not. They are very harsh with the local women. I've warned her that they will be brutal when they interview her. These people in Dakar are not used to the American way of saying no and meaning it, and they aren't used to the power we so obviously wield wherever we go. America's power is felt in weird little ways every day here.

The prayers by the Muslims are sung loudly almost all night long and the windows are wide open. But we are usually so tired every night that we fall off to sleep instantly. What Mom will make of all this, who knows. I've gotten some great responses from friends out there. Most folks are in a state of shock. But they are happy for us.

Much is still left to do -- Bintou is frantic about getting all the final papers and it looks as if they are coming together. With our papers in order I really can't imagine them turning us down -- but I definitely think they will put Bintou through the grinder during her interview. I am trying my best to steel her for this.

Well, my sweetheart is here and I must go now.

Ciao,

Tom the world traveler