The Pangolin in the Room
The morning of the October tour circuit, I ducked under the shade of a hotel lobby where my guests were staying. It was a few minutes past nine and the…
Rage
That weekend, I was supposed to take a local group on a guided day tour of Nairobi National Park but I woke up feeling fuzzy despite two days’ rest. A…
Wild Women
The first night back from the circuit, I was stiff as a brick. After trying various remedies over the years, I had found that hot lavender tea baths did the…
The Interluder
It was late evening when I returned to the familiar, warm scent of my house. I could tell Mundia had just got in as well by the stillness in the…
The Kindred Spirit
Mark returned to the room after midnight, face flushed. He must’ve drank something I couldn’t smell on him — vodka citrus or rum and coke. He took his boots off…
The Night Shift
When the phone rang again, Mark picked up and handed it to me with obvious relief on his face. “Hi, is this a good time?” Naz asked. “Sure. Just uuh,…
The Solitary Animal
On the road to Nakuru, I kept my ears pricked up for a message from Nazir. I'd sent the money for the spare part along with a thoughtful thank you…
The Strays
After the initial jitters, I found it exceedingly easy to tell what kind of person Nazir was. Whilst living out in the wilderness, he had somehow attracted a stray cat,…