4 stories
Coventry Connection
Auto mechanic Folake fixes cars for a living—but the thick Angolan businesswoman whose Mercedes keeps breaking down needs servicing of a very different kind.
The Doha Delay
A flight delay in Doha pairs him with a thick Somali-Qatari businesswoman at the Qatar Airways lounge. She speaks Arabic and Somali equally well—and shows him what Gulf hospitality really means when the night stretches long.
The Khat Connection
Khat—or jaad—is the leaf Somali men chew at social gatherings. She runs the underground supply in Minneapolis, a thick widow whose late husband started the business. When he becomes a regular customer, she offers him a taste of something more potent.
The Djibouti Stopover
A layover in Djibouti puts him in a hotel with a thick Somali-French businesswoman. She speaks French, Arabic, and Somali—and she teaches him phrases in all three while showing him how African nights are spent.