Page 79 of The Sun Sister
‘Why not? I would certainly like to try some of the local cuisine before I leave.’
‘We have plenty time for you to do that,memsahib,’ he said as he negotiated a good price with the stallholder for the vegetables. ‘Indian food is popular here too, very spicy. I like it very much.’
‘I’ve never eaten anything with spice in it,’ Cecily admitted as they walked back to the car along the hot dusty street.
‘Then you must try a curry, and also some stew andyugali– very popular with the Kikuyu.’
‘Are you Kikuyu?’ Cecily asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
‘No,memsahib, I am from Somaliland,’ he replied. ‘Just across the border from this country.’
Before she could question Aleeki further, she was startled by a voice from behind her.
‘Cecily?’
She turned round and saw Katherine hurrying towards her.
‘Gosh, I thought it was you! How are you settling in?’
‘Very well, I think, thank you, Katherine.’
‘It does take some time to adjust, but once you do, I promise it’s awfully hard to leave.’
‘Aleeki, this is Katherine Stewart. I met her at Alice’s tea party.’
‘Very pleased to make your acquaintance,memsahib,’ Aleeki said with a bow.
‘How is Alice?’ Cecily enquired.
‘She’s still in hospital in Nairobi – and it looks as if she may be there for a while longer. Bobby’s driving me from here to visit her this afternoon.’
Cecily could sense that whatever Alice’s problem was, it certainly hadn’t been caused by food poisoning from her dirty kitchen.
‘Do send her my best, won’t you?’
‘Of course I will. And please, come over as soon as you can to visit me at Wanjohi Farm. Bobby’s busy sorting out our own farm and that wreck of a house that will become our marital home in a month’s time,’ Katherine smiled. ‘I’m lonely. How about this Friday?’
Cecily automatically looked at Aleeki for confirmation.
‘Certainly,memsahib. What time would be convenient for the visit?’
‘How about Miss Cecily arrives for lunch and leaves after breakfast on Saturday?’ Katherine suggested.
‘Then I will arrange everything,’ Aleeki replied.
‘I must be off to find Bobby; he’s at the bank sorting out a loan to buy more cattle for the farm’ – Katherine raised her eyebrows – ‘but I’ll see you at the end of the week. Bye, Cecily.’
‘Goodbye, Katherine. And thank you.’
‘Has Katherine ever visited Mundui House?’ Cecily asked as Aleeki helped her inside the car, which was the usual veritable furnace.
‘No, I do not believe she has,’ Aleeki replied before shutting the back door firmly then climbing into the front seat next to Makena.
Cecily rolled down the window, took out her fan and flapped it as fast as she could, feeling the dreaded dizziness again and wondering why Aleeki had made it perfectly clear, despite his outwardly polite words, that her new friend was not welcome at Mundui House.
By the time the planned overnight stay dawned, Cecily was desperate for some company. Five more days had passed and her godmother had still not ventured out of her room. Even though she had begged Aleeki to be allowed in to see Kiki, the answer was always that ‘Memsahibis sleeping’. At various points during the week, Cecily had actually wondered if her godmother was lying dead up there, and Aleeki was just too frightened to tell her.
At breakfast that morning, Cecily was just about to insist that she visited Kiki before she left for Wanjohi Farm when Aleeki handed her an envelope. Opening it and pulling out a sheet of Kiki’s expensive embossed notepaper, she saw her godmother’s familiar elegant script.
