Berliner Portraits - Ibrahim

It's been now two weeks that I'm exploring Berlin and all this time, I was wondering: what could I write about Germany? I had not realized that the solution lied before my own eyes. Travelling is all about meeting new people. So here's a glimpse of some Berliners I've met.

I met Ibrahim while Luke and I were playing some Ultimate Freesbie in Treptower Park at moonlight. The Freesbie was luminous, the park was deserted, and I guess the light caught Ibrahim's attention. He came to us and spoke in French straight away. He was wearing a coat and a winter hat, although it was 20 C° and was pushing a trolley on which hung several plastic bags.

Looking at the toy he said "it makes me remember of that movie. We're three prisoners".

"This old man talks nonsense" we thought. But he did not seem like wanting a long conversation and soon enough, his attention returned to the original purpose of his coming here: the empty bear bottles that would allow him to get 2 or 3 euros at the supermarket deposit. Soon after this, we started walking towards the S-Bahn. There, next to a wooden bench facing the Spree, we met him again. Today was not his day. Only about twenty bottles which would give him roughly 1.70 €. His pension is small, he said. So at night, he comes here and looks for bottles. Tonight, he came too late though, he noted, fatalistic.

While we were walking towards the exit, Luke said: we gotta go back. We forgot to ask him his name. Ibrahim was still there and even before we reached him, he started talking to us, as if he had always known we would come back to him.

So that's the new trend, he asked. Coming to Berlin and learn German.

Ibrahim is a retired carpenter. He comes from Senegal but has the French nationality. He likes sitting on this bench in Treptower Park. As a child, his wife used to play there. After the construction of the Wall, as a resident of West Berlin, she was prevented from entering. She is not here anymore. She had a pancreatic cancer.

And the two of you, you're engaged? Married?

Quick glance at each other.

No.

Then hurry up. You've got Europe to build.

To rebuild, maybe.