Through the Lens
Souleymane
“From the genuineness that pours from his smile, to the gentle way he places his hand over his heart when he greets someone, he was truly someone to remember.”
Kindness, something so simple, yet so powerful. A quality that is a gem, a light in a dark world. Meet Souleymane, a man that exudes this quality. From the genuineness that pours from his smile, to the gentle way he places his hand over his heart when he greets someone, he was truly someone to remember. I was just leaving the grand mosque of Touba located just in the center of the city when my eye caught the brightness of his turban. Colorful garments are quite common in Senegal, so seeing a man with a borderline florescent turban wasn’t foreign.
” I was just leaving the grand mosque of Touba, located just in the center of the city when my eye caught the brightness of his turban.”
We made eye contact when a smile began to appear on his face. Before our gaze broke, I quickly reached my hand out attempting to garner his attention. I asked him if he had time for a few questions as I was trying to learn more about the culture and ways of life here in Touba, Senegal.
He grabbed my hand and proceeded to say, “come let me show you Touba.” We started walking along the outskirts of the grand mosque where he introduced me to his son who was working as a local shop merchant. He wore a gray wool cap and bore gentle eyes. We sat and talked for a bit before he continued to take me all around the small city, introducing me to everyone he knew before stopping at a local shop where a woman was selling drinks. He tells me to sit, and it was as if I had known him my entire life because I listened and took a seat by the window.
“He tells me to sit, and it was as if I had known him my entire life because I listened and took a seat by the window.”
He brings me over one of the refreshments that the lady was selling who apparently was an old friend of his. He then asks, “ so what do you think of touba?” Without hesitation I said, “It’s beautiful.” He begins to foster a laugh saying, “Touba is not the prettiest city in the world but what we lack in beauty we make up for in hospitality.”
He then proceeds to tell me a story of his youth. Souleymane had a hard childhood, born into poverty and struggled to get out of it. Struggled to raise and support his family. He kept everything real and raw with me, not withholding a single detail. But just as he was finishing up telling me how he traversed through his struggles, he spoke something that will always stay with me. “Life can bring you the greatest hardships and can easily make you a bitter and a mean person, but kindness, lovingness, that will be your light through the tunnel.”
” But just as he was finishing up telling me how he traversed thorough his struggles, he spoke something that will always stay with me. “
My eyes widened as a man I had only met for a few hours gave me words that would last a lifetime. It wasn’t long before the shop became busy with locals, some of which I had already met. We all sat there drinking tea, talking, laughing, creating a memory that will forever remain etched in my mind. The people of this place continue and will forever astound me.