stories from cameroon

inside - As a 31 year old having lived outside my country of origin (Cameroon) for nearly eleven years, I have kept a very romantic view of what is was like growing up there. A recent encounter with a former schoolmate I had not seen for thirteen years just made me realise that a) my innocence is gone b) I am not the failure I too often think I am Now that left me wondering whether I define myself in relation to others only.
outside - Two years ago, as I was visiting Cameroon, a local journalist had run a story about homosexual sex in prisons. The justice ministry accused him of promoting filth and he went into hiding. I tried to gather some data on the case but nobody could tell me anything substantial about that.
future - I see the year 2097 as a year when Saudi nationals will be appalled when told that it was illegal in the 20th century for two women to French kiss in public. When the people of Zimbabwe will believe Robert Mugabe was a mistake in their history. And that will probably be the year when an African-American lesbian in a wheelchair will be elected America's 64th president, and the first lady will be a lesbian pygmea from Cameroon.

Yves Nya <yvesnya@hotmail.com>
Yaounde, cameroon - Thursday, January 30, 1997 at 16:01:23 (GMT)


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