The beeping bird

Last night when I went to bed in my new apartment, I was pretty sure that there was some alarm clock or beeping noise going off in the vacant apartment above mine (the tenant returns tonight). It beeped and beeped the night away and I lay in my bed feeling and fearing the insomnia that was keeping me awake. Well, when I heard the beeping again starting at about 845pm tonight, I went out to ask our guard, Bonny, what it might be. He laughed. And then explained to the dumb mzungu (me) that it was a bird. What bird sounds like an alarm clock and beeps all night???

Besides the alarm bird, I like my place a lot. In the garden, we are growing avocados, mangoes, bananas, spinach and flowers.

The cast of characters at home include: Vindy (landlord, built the house in 1968, Kenya born and raised, retired UN Habitat), Betty (from Machakos, works in the house for Vindy), Peter (gardener and guard, from machakos, spends all his money boozing on payday according to vindy), Bonny (night guard, from machakos, lives in Kangemi) and Naseem (tenant above me, haven’t met her, sells gems, mines in Tanzania, ???).

Send me letters:

PO Box 1119

00606 Nairobi, Kenya

Pictures below include: the living room (which will one day have a real table that i can use as a desk), the kitchen, the pull-up bar/bathroom, the random sink in my bedroom (the only part of my apt that looks lived in yet because i put some books there, ALSO note the FAY toilet paper), closet/cabinet. To come: pictures of the garden, beautiful Kibagare Valley Road, and my bed.