"Can I buy the dress Monique made?" -- Part One

...the continuing story of Suzanne Lind's visit to the BOMEN Sewing Group in Kinshasa. So what if you want to buy a dress? CONGO CLOTH CONNECTION is committed to cross cultural relationships. But sometimes it is complicated....

I was enchanted with the dress Monique Bapa was piecing together. It made me think of quilts! I recognized some of the cloth she was using. All morning I kept looking at it.

Finally, just before we left, I asked if I could buy it when it was finished, and insisted on trying it on.

Everyone whooped and hollered at this suggestion. Mama Manjina is appalled at my request.

"No, you can't buy that dress. It's just a practice project."

"But I like this dress," I say. "It suits me, it looks like a quilt, I saw Monique working on it, it feels comfortable, I like looser things, this is just my kind of dress!"

Mama Manjina calls Marie-Jeanne.

"Come and deal with this. She is asking to BUY that dress!!
Sort this out, quickly."

Marie-Jeanne comes in with a bemused look on her face and considers
the situation. Mama Manjina says to me,

"Suzanne, I made a dress for you just like that, but I forgot it at the house.I will give it to you sometime."

Suzanne:

"But I like THIS dress. It would mean a lot to me. Monique, are you making this for yourself or could I buy it from you?"

(Monique just laughed, knowing better than to get involved in something her elders were dealing with.)

Marie-Jeanne:

"Suzanne, we can make a dress for you like this. We were planning to give you a dress as a gift anyway."

Suzanne:

" I don't want a gift, I want to buy this dress from Monique. I know that seems strange to you, but somehow this dress seems very special and just right for me."

Marie-Jeanne: (To the women)

"She wants this dress. She wants to buy it from Monique because she is happy to see how Monique is working here."

(To me)

"Okay, Suzanne. We understand. We'll see about the dress . . . ."

End of story for now...