Kisumu II

So anyway, I was restless, sitting on the bus, hoping it would leave soon because I was worried I wouldn't get to Kisumu before dark. As it turned out, I needn't have worried, because even if we had left soon and hadn't stopped along the way for some technical problems I wouldn't have made it before nightfall we got to Kisumu at around ten thirty.

On the bus I striked up a conversation with a student from nairobi. He was more than willing to talk (about himself mostly); within minutes he told me about his girlfriend whom he was going to visit (although she already had a boyfriend so she wasn't technically his), his ambitions (becoming a politician and rich) and the greatest feelings in life (getting drunk was one,a nd the other you can probably fill in yourself. I quote: “this sounds kinda dirty...”). And in spite of how this sounds, he seemed a nice guy.

So when we arrived on a dark parkinglot in Kisumu at such a late hour, I decided to ask him for directions. He wasn't familiar enough with Kisumu to direct me, but decided to escort me on the taxi (motorcycle) to my lodging to ensure that I got there safely. When we got there I paid the taxi, thanked them both and proceded towards the guesthouse. But before I even stepped inside the man at the door informed me that they were full. Unless I had booked, which I hadn't (being mistake number two, unless you count missing the early matatu with the result of getting to Kisumu late, which is why I was in this predicament in the first place). So I was standing on a dark road, which on second glance looked more like a dodgy alley, it was steadily raining and I had nowhere to go.

So when this boy proposed I come with him on his suprise visit to his “girlfriend”, I took his offer. So we stepped on the motorcycle again and sped off. I was a little apprehensive, but mostly just curious how things would turn out. For a while I was comfortable, making some smalltalk, enjoying the ride. However, after a while I felt the ride was taking awfully long and I realised we had left the city. And so I found myself on the back of a motorcycle with two complete strangers, male, speaking a language I don't understand, in the middle of the night, pitchdark, riding off in the middle of nowhere. Once again, this feeling of having made a mistake, somewhere, that things could turn out horribly wrong. The ride took ages, my bag was horribly heavy hanging from two fingers, I was wearing almost nothing (thank you richard for saying Kisumu is hot), terribly wet and stonecold, and quietly berating myself for getting into such a mess.

The ride went on for what seemed like hours, though it probably wasn't more than 20 minutes. We got to a quiet campus. We greeted the guard and entered through the gate, then walked for 15 minutes before reaching the dark dorm building. The boy knocked on the door to a dark room as I stood to one side. We waited for ages, me searching my mind for other options if his girlfriend turned out to be out after all, him seemingly waiting patiently. Finally a quiet voice sounded from inside, a question in Kiswahili (who's there, presumably). So the boy aswers “me” (very helpful) and even then the door doesn't open. Only after some more talking does the door open a crack, and a little later the boy beckons me. So I walk up, see a girl sitting on the edge of a bed, wearing nightclothes. She sees me and says: “Oh my God”, sinking her head in her hands. However, she's nice enough, waves away my apologies and points me to bed. I crawl in, attempting not to get mud everywhere from the ride, and listening to the quiet murmer of Kiswahili from the bunkbed beneath me I fall asleep.

In the morning the girl turns out to be really nice, though shy in English. She shows me the showers (aka a stall with a drain and a big bucket of water. In a college dorm, where people permanently live. Imagine!) makes me breakfast (hot chocolate and tostis with egg inside instead of cheese!!!) and we listen to music, I show some pictures, tell stories of Masaailand. Around ten, I attempt to get going. They seem rather surprised that I won't hang out with them all day, but after insisting and promising to be in touch after I get a new phone I manage to get going. So far my first night in Kisumu.