The Outsider Within

The Outsider Within

Jetting into Paradiso; “Prepare for landing” said the voice over the loud speaker. The plane was descending for landing and all she was seeing was water, no land. She began to panic wondering what the heck she was going to do if this was a hoax invitation ……. Daily Routine in Paradiso; She always kept a tiny wireless radio with her on her travels from which she would tune in to the BBC World Service anytime anyway.The BBC also kept her informed with events far away in London town, her beloved city. She won’t go out of her way to find out who was spending the night with the bachelor next door. She however knew about his sleeping arrangements from her students. While all foreigners are outsiders, all outsiders are not necessarily foreigners. It is the outsider who locals see as a threat ……. Memorable Shopping Trips; Tina still remembers when one of her shopping guides was attacked for “siding with the foreigner.” Tina’s most memorable shopping trip was to buy fresh fish from the beach. Her “fishy encounter” as she now calls it. The fishermen had seen so much money in her bag and had decided they must have some of it, by fair or foul means. At this dangerous point where she was outnumbered and petrified, she asked the driver to move the car to the police station. Her colleagues from the office joined her at the Police Station. The fish was lying beside them wrapped in newspapers …… Naughty Empregados; Tina employed four Empregardos [Portuguese for houseboy or domestic staff]. With one Empregado she made it ‘three stripes and you are out’ The second Empregado was covered in so much bling she named him ‘L Archie.’ She hired a female Empregado. She had a very dirty habit of collecting stuff from the rubbish dump. The last Empregado had a plan. Empregado antics had left Tina feeling unsafe and insecure in her home ……. Class of 2010; Tina’s girls fell into three groups but she loved them all. The first group [A] were highly academic, grounded and of course still hot, sexy and beautiful. The second group [B] was tagging along quietly academically. Their hot, sexy and beautiful bodies were their best assets. The third group [C] was only looking forward to their expensive graduation beach parties. They knew how to dress to flatter their hot, sexy and beautiful bodies, which were the only assets they had. However the free fall sex games played out in the open under Paradiso’s religious skies was stranger than fiction …… Moments of Sheer Vanity; Tina had gone to Paradiso hoping to enjoy the proverbial sun, sea, and sand [sex]. Their eyes met and then her body went into freeze mode. He didn’t seem to be chatting to anyone. Then the potbelly man on the Guesthouse patio beckoned Tina to come. She accepted the drinks offer to keep this man off her back …….. Jetting out of Paradiso; It was time for Tina to leave and it felt right to be leaving. She was homesick, depressed, scared and tired. It was time for Tina to execute her exit plan. She must first say farewell to Nairobi, one of her favorite cities in the world. The man said, “If you have been on this earth and have not been to Kenya, you haven’t lived.” “Prepare for take off” quick and sharp was the tone of the voice.