Night Journey

08/30/05

Whoops. I didn't make it out before dark. Everything took longer than expected (no surprise) and I had so much to do at the Internet hole (there are a million groups I want to film or at least ask advice about our projects here, and then there was PayPal to deal with.) I was watching the reflection of the sunlight on a wall. I watched the hot afternoon fade to the golden hour, and then dusk, and then I knew it was dark.

But I was having trouble with PayPal and I really wanted to transfer the raised monies ($3545!) to the secure bank account in DC so it wasn't floating out there in the world wide web. Finally I got it done. By the end, I had three computers going, one trying to load PayPal, one on google, and one on email. I was bouncing back and forth between the three like a madman. I didn't sit down the last two hours I was there… The kid waiting to close up shop was really getting a kick out of it. I finally left and got out on the street, where only one Matatu remained, which was going to Kisumu, not Sirare. Fuck. As if I hadn't learned my lesson on Saturday. And now I had $500 in my pocket (which is about 35000/=, and the biggest notes are 1000/=, and I had got small change because people in the village don't know what to do with a 1000/= note, so needless to say, my pocket was bulging.) I talked to some people trying to get to Rongo and they told me a big bus was coming in an hour or two (and who knows what that means in African time.) I called back to Mama Liz to tell everyone the scoop; they said they were just getting worried. I grabbed two 10/= samosas from a little food stall and crammed them down. All of a sudden, a Matatu driver, noticing the big crowd waiting for the big bus, decided to make one last trip. But everyone was going to Rongo (Kanga is like 10 minutes further.) I asked the driver if he would take me. He said no. I offered 100/= instead of the normal 70/= rate. He asked for 200/=. I said 150/= and he said "just get in." We were already four people per three person row, and now more people started cramming in, just holding on the side door. One guy started blatantly talking about me in mother tongue (unless he was talking about that other muzungu), people were staring, and I was very uncomfortable. All of a sudden, I realized that I was in a really bad situation. What if we get to Rongo and the driver doesn't want to go further? I would be completely stranded (Rongo doesn't have a bus stop or taxis or anything.) What if he demanded an obscene amount of money to go to Kanga? He had all the bargaining power. Worse, what if the tout and the driver pulled onto some back road and pulled out that machete that was probably sitting under the driver's seat? What if more than the two of them stayed on? Is that what that guy was saying about me to the tout? What would I do? I envisioned having to run from 5 guys attacking with machetes, through dark African forests. I went over every scenario in my head. We got to a police checkpoint and pulled over just before it. The three guys hanging to the door got out and walked to the other side, the tout managed to get the door shut, we rolled through, pulled over on the other side and the three guys got back on. A little further down the road, we stopped for more people. The new record, 27. Or so I thought. A guy called 'stage', I turned around to see where the voice was coming from, and sure as shit, the guy was hanging onto the back of the van! I couldn't believe it. We had just been barreling along the tarmac at 60mph and he's just hanging on. So… 28 in (and around) a 14 seater. Double capacity. We got to Rongo, everybody got out, and we kept going. I gave the tout my 150/=, struck up some friendly conversation (which ended up with the tout telling me that they didn't like night driving because of the prevalence of car jacking.) But low and behold, they got me home safe. Moral of the story, no more night journeys via Matatu!

Kristin called last night, and then Danya, and this morning Kyra and M.E. It's so nice to hear everyone's voices. It sounds like the world is the same, which is what I assumed.

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