Popcorn Fish

The Atlantic Ocean crashes against the coast. It is a fine site, the waters fed by the Gulf of Guinea. We eat in the restaurant at the bottom of the cliffs next two the water. Our table did not have a light, but Jeff had a torch which he placed on the wall that went around the restaurant. We were inside, but yet outside and connected to the beach. The roof was made of straw; the cooking took place at the end of the hut. I don't drink much, not very often and when I do, it is usually very little. I had a Fanta at the Wedding. Fanta is big in Africa, so are the fish. Jeff hissed, the waiter turned and approached our table. We click or half raise one arm, Jeff hisses. They don't call it hissing, but hissing it is. It's not a friendly thing, but on this occasion it wasn't a nasty thing either. I read a guide on the net before I travelled. It appeared to be an official one, hissing was explained using a different word. "It is a greeting", oh yeah, pull the other one. I heard it in the street, I smiled. I heard it again in the house. Tamara was annoyed because something did not work. "Did you hear that?" asked Jeff. "Yes", I replied. "They tell us it is a greeting, now I know it is not". The Waiter did what he was told; Jeff asked me if I wanted a nibble before our meal. "Finger food", well nothing new there then. The price was discussed for the meal, I heard Jeff say "no chips". He asked me what I wanted, "It's Africa, I will have what you have, and if there are different meals then two of us will have the same so that I know that I am not being treated special". We all agreed, it was decided; it was going to be 'Popcorn fish'. The finger food arrived, Jeff challenged the Waiter "did I order two?", Tamara supported her future husband. One was left and one was taken away, but not before I smiled. The bag was opened and Jeff and I helped ourselves to popcorn. I don't normally share finger food. I don't eat from snack trays in a bar. But this was different, Jeff is a friend. I smiled again, Tamara laughed, Jeff looked as if he didn't understand. "They only eat this in the Cinema", Jeff understood. Tamara's kebab starter arrived. We eat the popcorn. My new friends had me in mind with the kebab, no not the skewer bit but a sausage that had been ordered for me. Jeff warned me it was hot and suggested that maybe I should not try it. Try stopping me. He challenged me, he warned me, he encouraged me to let them eat it instead. I pushed forward, this was my kebab and I was having it. I took a bite, now I wanted popcorn. Jeff asked me a question about the food, I could not reply. I was not choking, the spice in the sausage had taken my breath away, it was time to start drinking again. I like STAR, it's a good beer, I also like STONE. Especially when there is a hot sausage involved. Unlike the sausage the beer was cold. Popcorn, hot sausage and now beef kebab. Not any old beef kebab, but the one with the extra hot spice sauce on the side that the stupid European has to dip his kebab into. Ok, so the sausage was cold. The bowl arrived. Do I drink it, do I wash, do I wash now or after the meal. Good job I didn't drink, it was for washing. The fish arrived, it was huge. Worse still there was one each. It was accompanied by yam, but not yam as you know it. This was another one of those Kinky sessions, but this wasn't kinky. They told me that I wouldn’t make it through without a knife and fork. It was too sticky they said, not the fish the yam. The sauce was tricky too. Hot and runny, where's my spoon? We eat the lot, and had another beer. It's cool on the coast, but it gets warm when you eat the hot sausage.