Chapter 19Les Almadies proved to be as pleasant as Mohammed had described. They ate at the Terrace Restaurant in the shade of huge mango trees. The breeze from the ocean provided a welcome relief from the heat. There were about twenty tables, which stood precariously over the irregular slate floor. They ordered grilled fish and prawns. A bowl of rice came with the order. They ate while talking about the many secret places, which Mohammed knew lay hidden in Dakar and surrounding beaches. Slowly and in a roundabout way, they came to talk about Hassan’s life, his past, and his desire to get out of Mali to carve his future in foreign stones. Of course, the subject of mixed marriages inevitably came up.
Fiddling with his teaspoon, Mohammed said, “Have you ever considered the possibility of ma
