You See Me

t's how I'll end up in the newspapers. It wouldn't be difficult for a nosy investigator to get information from one of t

s full of snacks. Well at least I won't starve for now. The closest shops that I saw must have been more than an hour away. I sigh and take a Cadbury Chocolate bar and bite into it. Well, I might as well get used to this new normal of mine. There's a knock on my door. It's Karen. "You comfortable?" She asks me. "Yes thanks," I tell her. She closes the door behind her and takes out a bottle of Russian Bear behind her back. "This may make you feel more I home I guessed," she tells me. Actually I don't really like those low quality brands but it would help to have as many allies on my side. Alcohol is good for making strong friendships. We take a few shots and she tells me that she's from a small town called Kehl at the border of Germany with France. She came to Zimbabwe as a volunteer because she wanted to know more about Africa after her family had a Zimbabwean au pair. They had expected a poor African girl but instead found a well-educated and well-spoken girl from a good family. They had become like sisters and the au pair had told her that she chose to be an au pair because she wanted to explore Europe but the requirements for a tourist visa for third-worlders were ridiculous. That's when she wanted to know more about Africa out of what media had taught her. I don't tell her much about myself though if that's what she's expecting. Even though we're both tipsy at this point I don't want to reveal any unnecessary information. "You're cute," she suddenly tells me then leans forward and kisses me. We fall back into my bed and she begins to take off my shirt. "Wait, I don't have any condoms," I tell her. I honestly hadn't been expecting to have sex when I came here. She giggles and takes out a packet of Carex condoms from her pocket. Okay, this is happening. The sex is quite good and she's good at riding. She has to leave after we're done because she thinks that the blind girl will worry about where she's gone. I doubt that though. I haven't been here long but I don't think that the blind girl is that sort of person. I lie down in the bed after she's gone. I take a spray bottle out of my suitcase and begin to spray my bed with a mix of Dettol and water. Patrick comes in soon after. "Already fucking the ladies I see," he tells me. "Oh, you were drinking without me?" "Do I look that drunk?" I ask him. He shakes his head. "I just know you well enough to know when you're tased," he tells me. "Word of advice though, don't do that often. We're still in a conservative country and people will start saying that Asian men are coming to our country to fuck our women..." "I slept with the German girl..." "That Asian man is racist and would only pay attention and respect to the white girls at the camp..." "So basically I can't win?" I ask him incredulous. He shrugs. "Asia and Africa have a weird relationship. We exaggerate and escalate the smallest issues and have a deep unhealthy hatred and distrust of each other that we try to cover with fake smiles and business deals," Patrick says. "Is this your way of saying that we're not friends?" I ask him. Patrick laughs. "C'mon, whenever your family came to Nigeria for business deals my parents would be so friendly and nice but start talking shit about how Chinese people are like this and that. And don't lie that your parents are probably the same as well," he tells me. I want to say they're not but my parents did the exact same thing. "It's a bit ridiculous isn't is?" I tell him. I laugh. "But we don't have to be like that do we?" "Yeah, we're going to be better than our parents..." "At least you are..." I tell him suddenly feeling sober. Patrick pats me on the shoulder. A gesture that has probably been one of the few things keeping me sane.I wonder what I'll do when he's not here anymore. He's leaving tomorrow. I sigh and out my head in my hands. "You still have a very bright future ahead of you," he tells me. I shake my head. "Look investigations are still going on, you're not the Red Bull heir," It's nice that he believes in me so much. But if I am at fault that means that I deserve whatever is coming my way. For the first time I let a few tears fall down. "Dude...c'mon things will be alright..." he tells me and seems like he doesn't know what to do for a moment then hugs me. I know that Patrick isn't really a hug person. After a while I gather myself. "Fuck," I groan. "Dude, you don't have to keep it in," he tells me. There's a knock on the door and I start to wipe my tears and make myself presentable. "Come in." A tall guy with a very clean, barber's cut is at the door. He looks like he could be one of those models on the cover of GQ. "Hi there," he says with an accent similar to the blind girl's. Are they related? "I just arrived here and I'm looking for Lilith and Dr.Nadine?" He asks. He's quite lost then because my hut is separated from the women's huts. "Who's Lilith?" I ask. "The blind girl," Patrick tells me. It's weird that I found her and had her hold my arm the entire way back to the village but I don't even know her name. "Um ,let me show you her hut," I tell him. The guys smile and thanks me. I walk to the girl's side and knock on the door. Karen