"THE POLYGAMOUS WAZZOU" "The name of El Hajj or Wazzou is given to every devout Muslim who does the pilgrimage to Mecca." "This is Garba, the lover of our story." " Where's Satou?" " By the river." "And here's the Wazzou, El Hajj Saley." "He has two wives and a flourishing business." "He who returns from Mecca realizes that God's world is great." "Not to covet the wife of another is the duty of every good Muslim." "In Mecca, men and women are separated." "When you like women too much, your heart can be split in two." "The black Africans who go to Mecca aren't even noticed, there are so many whites." "But it was the ancestors of the whites who knew the prophets." "As for us, we believed what they passed down to us." "A good Muslim must be worthy." "But it's women who lead us astray." "Lying is cursed." "Fake marabouts are cursed." "Cursed is he who doesn't work for his family." "Cursed is he who lives off someone else" "under false pretenses." "Here at last is Satou, Garba's fiancée." "Where are you going?" "We're going to Tillabery" "That is where God made the rice grow" "We, the neighborhood women" "Are wearing all our finery" "We have paid our taxes" "Why emigrate to the Basse-Côte?" "The clothes and food here" "Are cheaper" "What would we see down there?" "Men and women" "Go to the Ronga" "The work is well begun" "Now we must finish it" "Get ready?" "Take the road to the Ronga" "What in life could be better?" "May the road to Mecca open up to the friends of God." "You mustn't look more than three times at a woman who isn't your own." "There are no barriers before one's eyes." "Abdou must have a screw loose to give his daughter away to a poor man like Garba." "Their engagement's been going on for three years." "Abdou isn't an idiot!" "But no one else wanted his daughter." "That's true." "She'll have to make do with Garba." "Virgin or divorcee, a woman can have several suitors, even on her wedding day." "One day, Gamatié visits his friend Saley..." " How is your evening?" " I wish you good health." "Do you know why I'm here?" "I think you've come to ask for credit." "You'll have to wait." "No one has paid me back yet." "I know you're a man of your word, but." "Don't talk to me about money at the moment!" "Abdou's daughter." "how would you like her as a third wife?" "Gamatié, you're like a prophet." "Make your mind up." "I'll have the dowry brought over next week." "Let's organize the engagement party!" "Let's go over there." "They'll guess why we've come." "These few months until the wedding will seem like centuries!" "For me too." "So, unbeknownst to Satou and Garba, news of El Hajj" " Saley's upcoming wedding goes round the village." "My best wishes for Satou's engagement." "How did you hear?" "The whole village knows!" "He wants a third wife, apparently." "That's what I heard too." "El Hajj" " Saley pays Satou is father the traditional courtesy visit." "Gamatié the flatterer will do the talking for him." "Old man, how is your evening?" "Satou, bring the mats!" "Satou, did you hear?" "Go and sit near them." "I refuse." "In God's name, I refuse!" "She's a child." "She'll understand once she's wed." "Well, old man, sleep in good health." "Garba, be patient." "Don't follow your heart." "El Hajj has more money than you." "You cannot match him." "Be patient." "In any case," "I might leave the village." "Garba, patience is wise counsel." "Come and see me tonight, you hear?" "Don't forget." "I'll be expecting you." "I'd like you to give me credit to buy some wraps with." "I'd like some wraps." "I got my millet pounded and I've no money left." " Everyone says the same thing." " Don't worry, I'll pay you." "But the women want wraps." "What sort of wraps do you want?" "The dowry carriers." "One, two, three, four, five, six." "Six hundred francs." "And ten francs for the dowry carriers." "May all other suitors now retire!" "Venerable Saley has had Satou's dowry delivered!" "It's Satou's wedding tomorrow." "May God grant them happiness." "It's Satou's wedding tomorrow." "May God grant them many children." "May God make it a marriage of good sense." "But Saley's second wife doesn't see it the same way..." "Gaika, what do you want?" "It's about my husband." "He wants another wife." "I'm hoping you can stop the wedding." "It won't take place." "Trust me." "If you doubt me, I won't succeed." "Bring me forty cola nuts and a red hen." "The wedding won't take place." "But a word of advice... make sure you pay me." "Right now I don't have any money." "My intervention won't work," "I'm warning you!" "I'll sell my bracelets." "But I don't want this wedding to take place." "The wedding won't take place." "But the wedding ceremony takes place..." " The name of your son?" " Saley the Venerable." " And your daughter?" " Satou." "Muslims, bear witness!" "The wedding has taken place." "El Hajj Saley and Satou are married!" "May any suitors now withdraw!" "Marabout, here's your share of cola." "Parents, here's your share of cola." "Meanwhile, Garba and Day, Saley's son..." " Why are you provoking me?" " Son of a bitch!" "Don't insult my father!" "I'm telling you that your father is worth less than a dog!" "If you're a man, follow me into the bush!" "I'll make you eat shit!" "You insulted my father!" "...while Saley's second wife takes her anger out on her calabash." "This is a bad time right now." "Be patient." "Men are all the same!" "May it be a happy marriage." "May they have children and may God give them their daily millet." "Satou, don't cry." "Prepare yourself!" "I'm ready!" "Me too!" "Come on, if you're a man!" "If not for them I'd have killed you!" "You had a close escape!" "How can one not follow one's heart?" "His mother was a Haoussa." "A shrew." "That's why I left her." "Calm down." "Neither was wounded." "Satou, do you know?" "Garba and Dary drew blood fighting." "I don't want to stay with the old man!" "I'll go to Niamey." "I don't love you!" "Before, you exposed yourself to my eyes, and now that we are wed, why do you spurn me?" "You know what's happened?" "His new bride's spurning him." "What a scandal!" "What a disgrace!" "God save us!" "I'll be back this evening." "Saley's second wife decides to kill Satou..." "O woe!" "Help me!" "But it is her close friend who is killed!" "And Satou flees the village..." "Why kill her?" "She hadn't done anything to you." "It's Satou that I wanted to kill" "I wouldn't have regretted that." "Garba, too, will try his chances far from his village." "How much for this horse?" " 500 francs." " 200." "That's not enough." "300." "Sell it to me." "Put it there!" "God bless you!" "How's the family?" "They forced me to marry El Hajj Saley." "And one of his wives killed my friend." "Killed whom?" "Moumey, my friend." "I ran away." "You can stay here." "Going to Mecca, you know, doesn't change a man's heart." "I loved Garba." "Once in the big city," "Satou ends up selling her body." "I remind you that I told you." "Yes, I know." " Where are you going?" " To Accra." "The truck is leaving for Accra." "On the way to the Gold Coast, Garba meets up with Day, who, like him, decided to leave the village." "You see?" "I too left the village." "Let's make peace." "Thus ends our story. thus is life, sometimes, in the Niger." "Subtitling" " Télétota"