Tuesday Morning

I know I have blogged in a while but I do think my consistency is building... slowly though, and progress is progress no matter how small right...

Moving on...

This week on taking a cab...

I had an early meeting this morning with a client and right after took a taxi on my way to work. I was glad to have finally found one after thinking I would be standing there for a while and walking into the office shamelessly late.

He greeted me in a local vernacular to which I responded in English and he began asking where I was from, before I could even say anything he said Zambia and I smiled.

He asked what I was doing here and then answered himself and said school. I said "yeah", looking out the window and trying to guess how long this drive was going to be.

He then began to ask for my number, saying that He didn't like how Namibian women were, "They just want to sleep all of the days and eat your money" I laughed not because it was funny, but because in my mind I was counting all the Namibian women I knew who probably hadn't slept over this past long weekend busy working hard at work or some project or the other.

He said Zambian women were more hardworking. They don't ask for money. I told him that's cool but I can't leave my boyfriend, we've been together for 4 years now and planning to get married.

I was at NUST and he was at UNAM. He asked if he was Namibian and I said no. He shook his head disagreeably and said I needed to experience a vambo guy. "You must-i know how a vambo man is like" he said, looking at me, eyes slightly yellow and tired.

All through this uncomfortable ordeal I sat and smiled politely and tried to not talk as much... He tried to hold my hand which then I folded across my lap and kept my phone in my bag, saying I didn't have credit when he asked me to text or call him so he could save my number when he eventually found his phone. The phone he claims he gave to someone and didn't remember to get it back.

He was persistent and kept nudging my arm with his even as he drove and laughed like it was all nothing. I told him we could be friends but I couldn't leave my boyfriend him. He responded "Aye friends in bed only" then he laughed.

I eventually gave up and got him to talk about his life. He is a grade 10 drop out and has a 3 year old daughter. He thinks Namibian women like to sleep and eat money (I totally disagree, can't eat money, humans eat food, smh...) 

He drank quite a bit and was defiant to his elder brother who tried to get him a job and look out for him. He traveled around the country a bit, working at one place or the next, (even mentioned he got up to 11k in salary at one job) but he drank it, gave up on working 7 to 7 and bought a car...

"N$500 per day is enough for me" he said with some kind of satisfaction, not the happy kind, but there was something there, I just don't know how to describe it...

I just thought to myself what could have been, maybe he would be better else where, or if he had finished school or, or...

Anyways I made sure he dropped me a distance away from my actually usual spot and I hurriedly got out of the taxi after he puckered his lips in my direction, "can I get a goodbye kiss?"

"No." I said, "Wait did you pay?" He asked, lips still puckered (I can't even laugh at this because I just feel so awful)

I reached into my bag, pushing my phone further down, picked up my wallet and gave the man his money.

He drove off while I watched to make sure he was far enough for me to safely walk the rest of the distance to work because I just don't know if he might come back or not... I doubt it tho but hey

What a Tuesday Morning....