You See Me

but desperate times do call for desperate measures. But I think I can relax for awhile. My hut has become a bit crowded with three guys now staying in there. Patrick is leaving tomorr

sh. This reminds me of when kids in China recite bad poetry in broken English and I feel a pang of loneliness, sadness and nostalgia. Patrick waves to us... I'd like to think to me until the vehicle disappears in a cloud of dust. I feel a hand pat me not the shoulder. "You'll see your friend soon enough," Munya tells me with a smile. He walks away to where Lilith is seated on the steps of one of the huts. I watch as she yells for him to piss off and begins to swing her cane. He walks away after a sigh and Lilith calms down. She can really be violent if she wants to. I sit next to her and she looks like she's about to swing her cane again. "Woah. It's me, not Munya," I tell her. She puts her cane down. "What makes you think that I don't want to hit you with my cane as well?" "Well I thought you might be a little nice because my friend just left and I'm feeling a little desolate," "If you think that I'll provide you with the same comfort as Karen did then I'll have you know that you have to buy me dinner first," Lilith tells me. I freeze. "Is Karen..." "No, she isn't. Calm down. It's just that I'm particularly sensitive to smell and that particular smell mixed with your cologne was quite obvious," she tells me. I blush red mortified. "I'm guessing that your silence means you're embarrassed. Don't worry. This is a very misogynistic country and also racially segregated. They won't bother her because she' white and they won't bother you because you're male and men can't control their organs apparently," I can't help but laugh at that. "Look at that. You are now laughing even though your friend has left. That means that you will survive after all," she tells me. She gets up and goes tot her hut, probably for her afternoon nap. I suddenly feel very lost and alone. I end up taking an hour-long walk that makes me feel like I'm going nowhere because its all fields and hills and crops. When I get back I'm met by Karen who gives me a plate with six chocolate biscuits and milk. "We had tea when you were away and I saved you some food," she tells me. I thank her and eat the snack slowly. She rushes off to do some more chores. Soon Munya comes and sits next to me.I offer him some of my biscuits. "No thanks. I had my share already," he tells me. "How are you feeling though. In a foreign country, with people of a different race and now your friend is gone. He was probably explaining a lot fo African customs to you even though he's Nigerian and this is Zimbabwe. African cultures can be quite alike," "It's kind of weird but not that bad," I lie. Munya laughs. "I'll act like I believe our life. I went to study ni China for a little bit and once I took a bus to the rural areas. The villagers followed me all around the place because I was the first black guy that they had ever seen. I can only imagine what you're going through. You must be the first Asian guy that a lot of the women here have ever seen," "Well, at least I'm not being endlessly stalked and everyone is quite nice," "Except Lilith?" Munya asks. I laugh. "Well you must know your sister well enough. She's quite the firecracker...or skull-cracker. I hope that she's never actually hurt someone with her cane before," Munya smiles. "Well I'm sure that I have a few injuries but I've learned to dodge and she usually leaves he