7 stories
The Frankincense Trader's Wife of Mogadishu | زَوْجَةُ تاجِرِ اللُّبانِ في مَقْديشو
In medieval Mogadishu, a frankincense trader's neglected wife finds passion with a Persian physician who treats more than her ailments.
Mogadishu Beach Restaurant
She runs a restaurant on Lido Beach—a thick ebony widow serving hope to Mogadishu. When he comes writing about the city's revival, she offers her story. Some stories are told in private.
Mogadishu Hotel Owner
She runs a hotel in rebuilding Mogadishu—a thick ebony widow who hosts diaspora returnees. When he comes to reconnect with his homeland, she offers more than a room. Some hospitality is very personal.
Mogadishu Textile Merchant
She sells fabric in Mogadishu's Bakara Market—a thick ebony widow who dresses the city. When he comes sourcing traditional textiles, she offers access. Some fabrics are unwrapped in private.
The Mogadishu Memory
She remembers Mogadishu before the war—a thick widow who tells stories of beaches and nightclubs. When he asks to hear more, she shows him the passion that once filled the city. Some memories are meant to be relived.
The Dhaqan Celis
Dhaqan celis means 'cultural rehabilitation'—when diaspora kids are sent to Somalia to reconnect with tradition. He's twenty-two and forced to spend a summer with relatives. The thick widow who supervises his 'rehabilitation' has her own curriculum.
Ayeeyo's House
Sent to Somalia for the summer to 'reconnect with his roots,' he discovers his grandmother's friend is a thick Somali widow who hasn't been touched since her husband died. In the heat of Mogadishu, she teaches him things they don't mention in the diaspora.