Walk at night

I have just finished a meeting and a nice meal and am on my way home. The venture of the meeting is not far from where I stay, the evening is beautiful and so I have decided to walk. The last few weeks the temperature has decreased to Dutch levels. Most days it rains at least for a couple of hours and sometimes it rains so hard you can’t see a thing. My sleeveless shirts are on the bottom of my pile with clothes and I find myself wearing my one and only fleece too often. The locals have changed their wear to winter clothes. People wear warm jackets and a lot accompany them with gloves and a shawl. I do agree with them that it is cold, but since it’s still around 18 degrees I am still comfortable without these accessories.

Today, however, was a beautiful day. After impressive thunders during the night with even more impressive rainfall, the sun appeared from behind the clouds this morning. My meeting took place on a terrace overlooking the lake. Even after sunset the temperature was nice. And so, I walk home. The electricity just went off and everything I can see is darkness. The moon is there and lids my way. There are numerous stars in the sky and I can even see the Milky Way. I walk and enjoy. The only things I hear are insects. Behind me a motorbike appears from the dark, passes me and disappears in the dark again. I leave the main road and turn to a small dirt road. The heavy rainfalls have turned this road in a muddy path with a lot of holes, rocks and puddles. I am careful not to hurt my ankle and see why people in the villages don’t go out after dark at all. Only one moment of carelessness and you can easily wound yourself.

I reach the gate to my house safely and our Massai security guard walks slowly into my direction. I realise he has a big bandage around his ankle and ask him what happened. He tells me he just got bitten by a snake and the neighbour has cut his foot to allow the poison to leave his leg. And I was just worried about stepping in a pothole!