Antonio, 51, from Santiago (the island). His mother, Francesca. He five brothers and five sisters. He fourth. One sister, Angola for work – Angola, over there, is rich. One in Portugal, one in Sal, one in São Vicente (all islands), the rest in Santiago. He’s been here before and left. Now it’s 4 years. This island is expensive. One kilo of bananas – Bananas, you know bananas? – is 50 cents on his island; here, 2 euros. Because of tourists. He sculptor. He sculpts turtles out of the limestone rock he finds on the famous Santa Monica beach (you seen turtles? They show their heads outside the water in the evening…) In Creole, Portuguese, English, French, Italian. Based on who’s lying on the sand, all superbly understandable. I guess he can now stock up on 2 kilos of bananas for the rainy days ahead – I’m happy – or, as someone else suggested, go to the Senegalese shantytown and eat for four days. When people eat, they happy, you know.
