This beautiful creature came to visit me at my breakfast table this morning…

Other happenings of interest at Hotel Djenné Djenno:
Beigna, our stroppy young barman is in trouble once more. This time because of lack of ice as well as lack of respect. ‘Beigna, why is there no ice?’ I asked when my Djenné Djenno sunset cocktail arrived the other night.
‘It is finished’ Beigna replied.
‘But why is it finished, Beigna?’ I responded, somewhat irritably. ‘The freezers have run all night and there is space to make an enormous quantity of ice! It is your job to make sure there is ice here!’
Beigna just looked at me and folded his arms across his chest. Then he said. ‘I am telling you, it is finished, that’s it!’
‘You what!!’ I only just managed to refrain from slapping him.
Things went from bad to worse. The next day he didn’t turn up, and only called one hour after he was supposed to be at work, complaining that he didn’t feel well.
The staff is supposed to send a message or call well before their due time of arrival in case of illness. Then they are supposed to go to the hospital to get a medical certificate- they can see Keita for this. Beigna hadn’t bothered- or dared- because he knew Keita would not be sympathetic. In fact Keita was so angry when he heard the latest catalogue of offences that he wanted to sack Beigna yet again. Only this time it is harder, because he now has a proper official contract and we have entered into the labyrinthine bureaucracy which is the legacy of the French here. Oh, well, the first stage has been accomplished- a formal letter of warning which was delivered to the miscreant yesterday…
Meanwhile we have now taken on Ernest, the former barman at the Campement Hotel, a very experienced hotel employe, who may put some order amongst my delinquent children. Ernest left the Campement under a cloud of controversy himself a couple of weeks ago- in fact he was sacked, ostensibly for stealing, a very grave offence of course, but we prefer to give Ernest the benefit of the doubt. Keita has known him for many years and has great respect for him. He believes that the Campement are in the wrong. Let’s see...