Leading the Night

Paradise Lost

Leading the Night 199 Paradise Lost “Paradise Lost!” said Rei. “It is not a long way from here!” They turned into coffee plantations and drove through the many curves. In a short while they were in Paradise Lost.The caves at Paradise Lost discovered in the 90s attracted many visitors. The puzzle was they had been always so near and yet so far. As Rika would say, “We are always near something unusual even when all looks so normal. The story is that perhaps the Mau Mau hid in these caves.” On the way back, Rika noticed a group of young men in a part of the coffee plantation. She was certain that there was something going on down there by the banks of the river, but the beautiful ride to Limuru beckoned. It was time to see tea plantations in that area. As well as that, Rika knew she would want Rei to pass by a village called Kamirithu as well as visit the market in Limuru town. They had tea at a homely country hotel owned by a politician of Kenyatta days- and as no one seemed to retire from politics- he had represented the people since the early sixties, soon after independence. Rika often wondered if it was only the Kenyan politician who was obsessed with owning hotels. Well, in a country where tourism is the highest income earner, politicians perched on the best trees. One day, she hoped, people based tourism would win the day. Entire villages, she said, would own hotels communally. It was alleged politicians had connections with some of the local gangs. It was reported that a former Member of Parliament declared that he took a strange solemn oath at Modern Inn and all were lost for words. The Inn was also owned by a politician. The gang members apparently stood by to see to it that he said all what he had to say in the oath. This Member of Parliament was a pope in a local church. He 200 Leading the Night silenced himself after this event. The dance of the snake had reached the pinnacle of the church. Rika enjoyed the cup of tea, and the evening drive along tea plantations towards Limuru through Tigoni very much. They spoke about Rei’s work in Geneva. They discussed recent developments in cinema all over the world. In between, there was the history of the Bata shoe factory which they passed, the railway in Limuru, schools and training colleges for girls. By the time Rika reached Kamirithu, they were both exhausted. Rika drove back through the Nakuru highway. She dropped Rei and immediately returned her friend’s car to the parking of the United Kenya Club. It was easy for Rei to understand tensions in the country. He had passed through the poor areas so near the homes of the wealthy everywhere. It was so in Kiambu, Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa too, he knew. It is always the same. He saw it. Darkness had set in where preachers said they had light. Huge farms and houses and then many shacks beside them. People would do anything- live or die- just to be seen by as many as possible in large and expensive vehicles such as Mercedes, the Hummer and Prados. Two wheels with spokes and a seat protected from rain by a plastic cover were alien to middle class workers here. You could see a few people on bikes, mainly men in the city, but so many were killed as the roads had no bike paths. Where was the educated bicycle class in this country? Rei longed to go to the slums and see much more for himself, but Rika would not hear any of that. She had helped him out and kept him safe. Whenever Martel called her, she reassured him of that. She did not understand how deeply this desire gnawed at Rei’s heart. She was exhausted and she thought he was too. That night fell on Rei like a warm and welcome blanket; begging him to snuggle more. Rei told Rika he planned to enjoy the next two days in town. He did not tell her that he wanted to squeeze every minute of the trip to the Leading the Night 201 last hour for full contact with the people. The question on Rei’s mind was to push every hour to the limit. He had...