Rashid in 'House of Fine Art'

(Was it Oscar Wilde who said 'Give a man a mask and he'll tell you the truth'?)

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Rashid is a third generation Zanzibarian, of Indian descent. He told me he did three things:

"I sell African art, I dream, and I write." Mostly, he writes about his dreams. Short sentences that he comes up with in his deepest sleep. He used to have his writings pinned to the walls of his shop, all over the place. But people kept trying to buy them, and he'd just let them take it. He gave all his writings away. He talks against those who milk tourists.

"They say 'antiques from Zanzibar' but it is not true. We have no masks here, no statues. And they try to sell ironwork as 'authentic Zanzibar silver'. We have no silver. They buy a whole set back in India - rings, necklace, earrings of fake silver for five dollars. And then they sell just one ring for fifty, as Zanzibar antique. Why don't they say it is from India? It is from Arabia?"

"They are making money," I say. He looks at me hurt, like he wasn't expecting me to state the obvious.

"They are making much shillings, but it will soon go away. Me? I am making little shillings, but it will last a long time. And I tell you something. We were all born to die. Why not die well?"