Sleep didn't come as easily as I expected. I was exhausted but apparently jet-lag can take on many forms.
Mary, our temporary House Mom, made us sweet cake and tea for breakfast. Emma, Christina, Nolan and I took eight year old Sarah as our tour guide into Junction later in the morning.
We sat down at Java, a westernized cafe for caffeine and a second breakfast. A croissant sandwich hit the spot. Sarah ate a huge bowl of ice cream and played with our phones and sunglasses as we took advantage of the free wifi.
Plenty of our moments are filled with pockets of silence. We sit and think and reflect and absorb what's around us. It feels so expected and natural but I sense the differences and the change.
To Sarah's dismay, we decided to forgo the quick bus ride back to Mary's and walked the way. Some people stared, some ignored us, some shouted "mzungu mzungu!" We waved or smiled or just kept walking. Sarah demanded a piggy-back ride from Nolan about halfway. Kids pointed and followed her, her smile bobbing above Nolan's matted hair.
A unsuccessful nap and a bit of lazy chatter followed. We quickly realized that we missed the window of sunlight to grab beers from around the corner. Warnings aside, the five of us tramped with empty Tusker bottles to deposit, returning home with several more warm beers to store in the freezer.
Dinner was heaven. Maize and beans and vegetables in a salty broth paired nicely with semi-cold Tuskers. To my delight, the Kenyan version if American Idol was on TV and we had a blast watching performers shock and amaze the judges.
We laughed then yawned then retreated to bed. I thought rest would hit me with strength, but to my dismay I experienced my first anti-malarial hallucination that night. I saw a shadow walk into the room. She said the name "Mary" twice, soft and questioning. Then she just stood there, swaying in the middle of the floor. I thought, perhaps, one of my roommates was sleepwalking and it took several minutes to convince myself that 1) this wasn't a dream and 2) the person standing there was not real. I forced myself to close my eyes and go back to sleep.
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