South African Ololos/Obohoos
'Ololos' is one term I have not used on anyone for years. Infact, I had forgotten the term existed. Back in the day, as campus gals, we used the word to refer to guys who were not-so-good-looking and not-so-'polished', yet persisted in pursuing a gal. Never mind that we ourselves were nowhere near perfect. An alternative word for the same was Obohoo. I do not recall how these terms were coined but they worked well.
Now that I am older and wiser I will use the words Ololo and Obohoo in a slightey different but very fitting context; for guys who insist on a making shameless passes at women even where the possibility of even the slightest positive outcome is no greater than that of an elephant passing through the eye of a needle. NIL!
It so happens that a number of men have noticed Mwari taking her early morning ritualistic walks in the name of shedding some pounds. In a land where almost everyone is a stranger to me you can be sure i hardly recall a face. But in the spirit of ), I make a point of saying hallo to those I meet on the way-that is if I am not out of breath, and especially to the elderly, more so women. When I meet someone i will say, 'kunjani mama'=hello mama. At times I will use another greeting , 'saubona' = how are you. In a country with 9 official languages (7 of them African) I gave up on trying to learn more than the 2 greetings.
Back to the matter at hand-Obohoos. They will greet me, and i respond as I continue with my walk. The silly Oboho will want to know where you are going, and why you are walking so fast! If no one else has told you, hear it from me; amongst most South African men, a big woman is a beautiful woman. I complain about my pear shape-you just need to see the local women here. Theirs is not a pear or even apple shape- it is a a traditional gourd (yes that one used for fermenting milk/porridge) :) very tiny upper body and a volumnous bottom.
Back to my story-first of all, i have not the time to chat with these Obohoos, secondly, it is so early in the morning-I thought they were headed somewhere?? Thirdly I cannot speak zulu or whetever language that they insist that I should know. I wish they were like the newspaper guy at the junction, when he sees me, he will call out loudly 'my si-si-ta' =my sister, to which i will respond, 'yebo' and we are done for the day.
Yesterday morning, one Obohoo came running after me and called out a greeting, 'kunjani sissy' to which i acknowledged with a look that said,'Not another one' . This one began walking with me chatting me up. It would have been a good time to start running, only that i was walking up a very steep hill. So he goes on and on about how he has seen me many mornings. And then the usual questions, why are you walking so fast :) :) Oh my goodness. As if my sports gear did not speak for itself. (Remember big is beautiful, so no need to spoil that) I told the guy that I am preparing for the coming Olympics :) . Then he wishes me a good day and to my shock he starts walking back where he came from-you see he was just escorting me.
A few paces ahead, I meet another Obohoo. This one is a little courteous and steps aside for me to pass (or is it to get a better view of me ?) and he utters his greeting from a distance. He then asks whether i am excersing and i respond yebo. Then he chants on in his language in a very long sentence-as though he is telling his ancestors a story. By the time he is done with the ancestors, i am way past him.
Just when I am thinking that i am done with the Obohos, I see a car stop ahead of me. I did not think much about it-maybe the person is talking on his cell phone. As I approach where the car is parked, the passenger window winds down and a greeting is thrown at me. A slightely elderly man, harmless, I am thinking to myself-maybe he's lost. And then he starts, 'Excercise ne?' (ne= eh)and this time i walk on as though i did not hear it.
I am now close to my gate, exhausted, dripping with perspiration and a fellow ahead of me waves at me and waits. (they are never in a hurry!!!) After the greetings, this one wants to know when he can see me next! I've no words for this one, i open my gate, go through and leave the dude talking to himself.
Did I mention that I am married and a mother of 3, and that I am not searching? Arrgh! Maybe i need a change of route or at best an 'Obohoo handling technique'. Suggestions anyone?
