Jess & Kobi adventure
October 11, 2008
Jess ducked beneath the gauzy white curtain to Kobi’s room. He was sleeping the sunny afternoon away in the slow heat of his dim room. She felt lucky to have a buddy, someone she could hang out with easily. She’d been bouncing around the neighborhood for the better part of an hour, chasing dead ends since all the appointments she’d made in her head weren’t being met by the other party. When Kobi suggested they stroll up to the stadium, she was excited about another adventure.
Just the day before, she’d badgered him into taking her on a “nature walk” that he’d been proposing since they met. Kobi is the only Cameroonian Jess knows who ever suggested any type of physical activity and enjoyment of the outdoors. So she finally took him up on it since the day was sunny and nothing was too pressing. As they walked a common street, it suddenly ended. The hostels and expensive restaurants stopped and they were surrounded by high grasses.
Before civilization choked off, a last looming Catholic church sat unassuming in a small cleared area. Jess skipped up, dragging Kobi’s arm. When he asked what she planned on doing, she replied, “I want to see inside. Come, bask in the light of the lord with me!” Kobi laughed but skidded to a halt when she peeped around the door, to see the choir practicing in warm light thrown by stained glass windows. Jess, growing up in a Southern town with quiet churches everywhere (although they were not always elegant or anything remarkable), missed the chance to see inside churches without paying for taxi fares to take her there or people thrusting Christian conversion at her.
As they continued down the small path crowded with weeds, a few farmers lumbered past with heavy loads on their heads. The small farms began to appear, with peanuts or cassava being grown in neat rows. Kobi was reminiscing on school days when he would walk down the path to the river with his friends. He tried to teach Jess how to shoot pieces of long, stiff grass into the air. She made a lame attempt before giving up.
They walked for some time, with the sun lazily stretching below the ridge of the mountain and the clouds flaring up golden. When they reached the bridge over the river, Kobi told Jess about how people bathe in the river but he’s afraid of water after almost drowning in a deep river near his village. Jess absorbed the lushness of the river, with its thick leaves growing into the shallow banks. But, like many natural things in Cameroon, people’s waste had started to collect in the grooves. There were pieces of trash that the river gently tried to sweep along, but which seemed to catch in grasses and rocks.
As they turned to walk back up, the light was only beginning to fade and the mosquitoes had not come out. Jess, wearing a short dress, tried to convince Kobi to trade her for his jeans and t-shirt to provide some relief from the oncoming insect assault. They re-emerged onto the night streets just as yellow bulbs started to wink on and Jess counted only three bites.
Kobi and Jess slowly strutted into the stadium, sucking on oranges that dripped down Jess’s wrists while Kobi expertly finished his off. Jess quickly saw that there was only one other girl in the stadium and felt a bit of pride at being escorted into this male arena. Kobi explained that a lot of younger guys come to the stadium to smoke weed and pointed them out. They were perched and silhouetted at the top of a set of bleachers. The field was swarming with players, referees, and onlookers. The soccer players maneuvered in the dust quickly and efficiently, throwing themselves to touch the ball. What a strange mix of recreational activities, thought Jess.
As they walked out of the stadium, Jess hoped for more places to discover in Buea. She was thankful to have found someone easy-going to show her around.
