40 days is Not Long
It’s hard to believe it’s already been 40 days since my grandmother passed away. I didn’t attend her funeral, but I knew I had to be there for her 40th-day prayer. So, Dad and I took a bus from Dakar to The Gambia. I had forgotten how much I dislike long bus trips in this region. The bus itself was fine—small but comfortable, and it left on time at 9 AM sharp. But instead of crossing at Karang and taking the ferry, we had to go all the way around to Farafenni because the ferry wasn’t running properly. That made the trip feel even longer. And then there’s the music. Why do bus drivers always think everyone wants to listen to their playlist? Loud, on repeat, and no one asks if it’s okay. I shoved in my earbuds and turned on my own music to drown it out at the beginning. But then they started putting on some old music that reminded me of my childhood. That was when the music stopped bothering me. After three hours, we stopped at the Kaolack EDK for a break. As usual, the bath...
