Have you ever wondered what really happened in The Bitter Side Of Sweet? Well,today I am interviewing Amadou who was a slave that harvested cacao pods.
Q:Hi my name is Callia,and I wanted to ask you some questions about your journey,starting with how long did your journey to safety take?
A:”It took us i think three years from the first time we got to the farm to when we got to safety.”
Q:Would you say that you are the leader?
A:”I am not the leader, I just make sure everyone is safe.”
Q: When did you finally trust Khadija?
A:”After she started to help Seydou when he was sick.”
Q:how did you feel when Seydou got sick?
A:” Defeated. As if I let him down by not being able to help him.”
Q:what did you want to do to help him?
A:”I wanted to take him to a doctor that would make him feel better.”
Q:”Why was it crucial for you to ensure Seydou received schooling, even if it meant separating from him?”
A:”because I want him to be abled to get a job not in slavery and so that he can have a better life.”
Q:”Now that you have left the plantation, what does it mean for you to define ‘things that matter’ (your definition of success) in your new life?”
A:” knowing Seydou is safe, healed from his injuries, and smiling again.”
Q:”What was the most difficult moment for you, and what gave you the courage to seek help from someone like Mrs. Kablan?”
A:”The hardest part was definitely the day Seydou got hurt. And the accident with the machete. The reason I trusted someone like Mrs. Kablan was that Seydou wasn’t just hurt. he was disappearing. I could see it in his eyes. If I didn’t do something, I was going to lose him forever, and I couldn’t go back to our village alone.”
Q:Amadou, what is the first thing you want to do when you and Seydou finally get back to your village?
A:”I want to give my family a big hug and not eat that thin, watery porridge or those bitter scraps. I want a bowl of something she made, something that smells like home and tastes like being safe.”
Q:What’s a favorite memory you have of Seydou before you guys ever went to the cacao farm?
A:”We found a little hill near the edge of the village. Seydou was even smaller then—kept trying to run up it, but he’d just slide right back down on his stomach, covered head-to-toe in red mud. He was laughing so hard he couldn’t even breathe.”
Amadou is such a great leader and a really really good big brother to Seydou. It was so nice to hear about how his love for his brother was stronger than any fear or hardship he faced. His story reminds us that even in the toughest situations, hope and family can help us find our way back home.
