The Night

It was my first night out after two years of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and the baby phase. I even got butterflies in my stomach since I had been out of social life for as long as I could remember.

I had discovered this place during my last trip to Congo in 2023, so I had an idea of what to expect. What I didn’t know, however, was that I would return home with an immense need to write about my daily life, the people of Congo, their culture, habits and idiosyncrasies. But also about how many similarities I found between the two countries where I feel rooted: Cuba and Congo.

The night started with me meeting up with a friend of mine, who is a local and loves salsa more than me (which is not that difficult, since I am not exactly a salsa lover). She introduced me to a friend of hers, who turn out to know my niece, my French teacher and the only German guy I know in all of Brazzaville. What a small world!, I thought.

I ordered a cider -not my first alcoholic drink since finishing breastfeeding but definitely the most long-awaited, and started talking to her in english, since my French is still very basic. I was fascinated by everything she does, and she does a lot! From yoga to zumba, from books to social projects, from Brazzaville to Pointe Noire: a seven day hike from the political to the economic capital of Congo, covering 500 kilometers with a group of people. I won't deny I would love to do this myself someday.

Later on, a woman sat on our table and we were introduced to each other. Not been surprised enough, she turn out to be the director of the institute, where I am learning French. This woman reminded me a lot of a very good friend of mine -family I would say, who lives in Cuba. Probably already in her early fifties, she danced salsa so beautifully that I couldn’t stop staring at her. Not wanting to seem weird, I told her how amazing I thought her dancing was. To which she replied in french: "oh, thanks, you can learn here. They give classes..." I gathered my courage and made use of one of the first phrases I learned: moin, je suis cubaine. She immediately understood the meaning behind this sentence and was delighted for the fact, that a Cuban girl, had just told her, how good she dances salsa. "It was the best compliment she had heard and made all the efforts to be worth it", her words.

Honestly, I couldn’t say whether it was the drinks I had, the people, or the fact that I hadn’t been out for such a long time that made it such a pleasant evening. You could feel the happiness, lightness, and relaxation in the air around everyone.

The night ended with a downpour and a power blackout but not stopping people from having fun. Yes, some of them where still dancing, under the rain and with not music.