Lunch in Sudan means a hot meal at around 5 pm. It is quite an intimate social event; all members of the family and all other people who were lucky to pop it at the right time, share their conversations and food from one plate. Yesterday afternoon we were invited for such a Sudanese lunch by one of Frank's colleagues who lives in the outskirts of Kosti. Soon after we had arrived we were gathered together on the beds and chairs around the big plate of food. Whenever one of the bowls was almost empty and about to show its bottom, one of the women jumped up and quickly got a refill, while we continued our lunch conversations. Somehow, the conversation topics here often seem to be about 'marriage', 'family' and 'children'. Before we knew it, Frank's colleague had claimed loudly that it was high time that Frank and I should produce children, preferably starting tonight! Our explanations that our current work and living context in Kosti is not really suitable for us to have children yet, didn't seem to reach him. He just smiled and kept pointing at the happily playing children on the compound. After we had finished the food, we were offered some fresh guava juice and a hot cup of tea, while the conversations continued. While we were eventually accompanied on our walk back to the car, our friend's mother was the one to conclude with a highlighting wish. She took both my hands and looked at me with a sincere expression on her face: "
I wish you lots of twins!"
- "Inshallah!"
