cardel the camel has 3 brothers

(last week I wrote a story and stopped half way through. The beginning is found in the last blog. At this point, I’ve been stopped by a Tunisian and he’s feigning interest in the idle conversation was having, and I’m feigning that I don’t think he has ulterior motives. )

He was pushing the issue pretty hard. Just show me the money man he says.
I don’t want to flat out disrespect him, as I’m not sure what that would bring. Reaching into the pocket he is staring at, I try and add up the coins I have by feeling them with my fingers so that I take out enough money for the tea but no more.

Showing him the equivalent of a CDN Dollars or 2, and having already shown him that I don’t trust him, he starts to feel that his time is being wasted.(….My sincerest apologies Cardel. )

Three girls walk by and he says something in Tunisian. None of the three bat an eye or turn around.

At this point, I know he is trying to con me,

and he knows he’s not going to be able to con me.

I would prefer he left so I can at least enjoy my tea in peace

And he would prefer to leave so he can go rip someone else off or whatever it is Cardel does on his Monday nights.

We both stare into the street contemplating the next move. I don’t think that he thinks that I thought that he was actually conning me ( did you get that ? ), And trying to save face, he doesn’t want to just get up and flat out disrespect me after feigning some interest.
The British accent breaks the silence.
“I uh I need to go check on somethin. Y’kay here? You got enough money for that tay?”

I think he really would have felt somewhat bad if I had said no I thought you were paying, but I didn’t want to give him any reason to stick around.
“ yeah I have enough”

“ you going to be right here?” he asks picking his teeth. “I’ll be back in a few minutes I just have to check on something “

“ Ill stay for a few minutes but will have to be getting on to meet my friend shortly” ( My friend about as authentic as his brother in Canada)
“Sure mate ill be back in a few minutes you can just stay here ill be back “
“ yeah for a few minutes I say, after that ill be gone” knowing full well that im going to jet at the first opportunity

He gets up and walks towards the street, then erratically turns left and into the restaurant. He walks up the stairs to the second floor, and then seconds later comes back down and goes for a door on the side wall that would allow him to leave without me noticing.

I want to know which direction he goes so I can go the other. I don’t want him to know I am watching so hell feel free to part. Neither of us wants to be in the same place as the other, but as no disrespect has blatantly been shown neither will up and leave if there is chance the other would notice.

The door is locked he walks up to the bar for a few seconds before heading towards the only exit which I am sitting beside. I casually turn to my right so he can go left without me noticing. He walks very slowly, as if he really is “going to check on something “

His initial intentions are all but confirmed in my mind, and I waste no further time picking up my things and paying the waiter before bolting in the other direction.

The next evening, a friend of mine , Rosenberg, and I were in the same area at a table exchanging stories of people asking us for money on borguibas. A few nights before, Rosenberg from Columbia was there with a Tunisian, Emine, when a dishevelled older woman approached and spoke Tunisian with emine. Rosenberg thought Emine had the situation under control until she looked at Rosenberg, hesitated, calculated her position and quickly extended her arm grabbed the sandwich off his plate and took off. At least you know she can’t spend the sandwich on alcohol.

Following the laughing fit following the recollection of this situation, my condescending suspicions about the aforementioned “cardel” were confirmed.
Cardel approached are table, and used the same line, Sir do you have the time?
No I said, glancing at him to see if he remembered me. Not at all it appeared.
Where you from ay ?

L,estat unit I said (US)

Oh yeah, he said I have a brother there. Hes married to a Spanish girl.

Really I said feigning surprise. Do you have a lot of brothers?
"No just the one" he replied thinking there was no substance to my question.

That’s funny I replied, because last night you told me that you have a brother in Canada married to an English girl.
I have a lot a lot of brothers he said.

Thank you I said, laughing in his face. But im busy.

Another time maybe he said, not fully understanding what just happened.

Sure I said.

Each night on borguibas is a myriad of incidents like this. You watch someone put away their phone (which obviously has a clock ) and ask you what time it is. Someone hears you talk about the beach and will try and relay some story about the beach to break the ice. When you tell them you’re too busy, they tell you you’re racist. I lost my cool a little bit on that one. Not so much lost my cool but took the time to explain to the gentleman that he was racist by only talking to me because I was a foreigner.

I began to keep my eyes on the ground as much as possible. The slightest glance in an individuals direction was liable to invite a request for me to marry their sister. Some people have asked, why do you talk to these people? But really, when you’re walking down the street, and there is someone on your right going, Monsieur, Excuse moi, monsieur, you can only ignore them for so many blocks before its obvious they want your attention and nipping the bud is the only way to stop the chant.

The next character, clad in a trench coat and an old fashioned cap gave me an ironic salutation. “Ah” he says to get my attention. Then he points to me and makes a gesture as if he is stroking his beard, however he is clean shaven and is really referring to my beard. Osama bin Laden he says pointing at me. I’ve read that many here think that westerners hold the belief that many Muslims are fully behind the actions of Muslim extremists such as bin laden. The two are mere stereotypes. Yes, unfortunately some westerners do believe that the majority of Muslims are supporters of such actions, and yes unfortunately some Muslims believe that all westerners think this. But I need to stress, that it is only very small portions of each group that actually fall under the umbrella of the stereotype.

The above stories are a bit outdated and ive since done some travelling to an AIESEC conference. About as good clean fun as you can have. It was almost refreshing. Anyway, Ill save that for another day.

Hope you have enjoyed,

Best, Luke