In the kitchen, Padmini chats with Bella as she goes about putting away groceries and rustling up some lunch — a dozen baked chicken drumsticks for the children, and, for Padmini and herself, some slices of mozzarella and tomato drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
“Any news from Valerie?” asks Bella.
“Ulrika has been in contact with the German embassy in Nairobi to inform them of her situation.”
“And?”
“The embassy will see what can be done.”
“To my mind, this is the wrong approach.”
“How so?”
“The diplomatic process is a lengthy one at best, and you don’t want this to drag on longer than it has already. And the embassy may get in touch with the hotel management to find a discreet way of spiriting her out of harm’s way. My only worry is that if any of this comes to light then matters may get much worse, at least in the short term. Lately this kind of interference by European and North American governments in local police matters in Africa and Asia has created diplomatic incidents.”
“I had no idea.”
Bella opens the oven and turns the drumsticks. Then she asks, “On what grounds are the police seeking Ulrika’s arrest?”
“Valerie is under the impression that if they apprehend her they’ll charge her with taking hefty fees to set up lesbians visiting from overseas with young African girls.”
“Of course, we are all aware young African boys and girls are farmed out for such purposes to tourists all the time and there has never been any fuss about it.” Bella sets out plates and tumblers filled with water and goes on. “In Mombasa, elderly white men openly frolic with young boys not even of shaving age. And in the seventies, Scandinavian women chased male teenagers in Gambia and Cape Town.”
Padmini flinches at the mention of Cape Town but she agrees. “I saw it myself when I was there.”
“There must be another reason why the police are now gunning for Ulrika. Why are they charging her with a crime they’ve chosen to ignore for so long?”
“Maybe she hasn’t made the payoffs the authorities demand,” ventures Padmini.
Bella calls up to the youngsters to come down and eat. They come to the table in high spirits, all of them yammering away at the same time and taking photos of each other and Padmini and Bella, even of the ingredients for tonight’s dinner. Bella lets them serve themselves, wondering if they hear one another when they jabber like this. “Get your drinks yourselves and give us peace,” she says, shooing them into the dining room.
After lunch, with the tables cleared and the dishes washed, Padmini prepares the tandoori chicken, mixing the spices she bought earlier with yogurt.
Padmini calls Valerie then reports on their conversation to Bella. It seems that things have taken a turn for the worse because the liaison in the German embassy is no longer picking up his phone and Ulrika and Valerie are stiff with worry. She tells Bella that Valerie is considering bringing Ulrika to the dinner tonight as her guest.
To this, Bella says, “That is decidedly not on.”
“Knowing Ulrika, she may try to crash the party,” Padmini says, sounding worried.
“Tell her she’ll be turned away,” Bella says, and she means it.
They have barely started to cook when Catherine Kariuki telephones to confirm that she will be coming but that James won’t be able to; there’s a security problem on the school grounds that he has to deal with.
Shortly after five, Mahdi and Fatima arrive. It’s long before dinner, but Mahdi and Fatima are like family. Bella makes them tea and catches up with them at the kitchen table. Mahdi tells her that the Kenyan doctor they’ve consulted believes that Fatima’s cancer is in remission, but Bella knows that Mahdi’s optimism tends to run high.
Mrs. Kariuki’s arrival alters the dynamics of the gathering. She cuts an authoritative figure, perhaps because she is used to being listened to by students. She is almost as tall as Padmini and broader, and she has a very strong handshake. She has known Fatima and Mahdi for a long time because Zubair and Qamar have been at the school since kindergarten. But this is the first time they are socializing.
Catherine Kariuki, when it pleases her, boasts a voice as booming as she is broad in the shoulders. Now she stands at the bottom of the stairs and hollers to the children to come and greet the adults. The four of them obediently come down the stairs single file, as if they were about to receive the blessings of Holy Communion. They extend their hands to her in turn, their heads bowed in deference, then step aside and wait to be dismissed. But within a few minutes, they have lost their shyness, and they go up to their rooms and bring down their cameras. Salif takes group photos in various combinations and Dahaba does single portraits. Bella can tell they are experiencing the special status that wielding a camera affords: stand here; smile and say “cheese”; put your hand here, chin up. The adults, even Catherine Kariuki, submit to them, following their instructions meticulously.
Fatima asks Padmini where Valerie is, and Padmini explains that she has been held up but is expected in time for dinner.
Then Gunilla arrives. Again, the dynamic alters. Bella introduces her around as Aar’s colleague, and Gunilla goes around the room shaking hands with each of them until she reaches Catherine. The expression on Gunilla’s face suggests she regrets not opting to say “Namaste” and keeping her distance the way Indians do. Fatima and Mahdi, who have heard so much about Gunilla from Aar, forego the handshake and give her a hug. Salif and Dahaba warm to her instantly, recounting their camping trip and taking pictures of her.
Bella encourages everyone to move from the kitchen to the living room. In an instant, they break up into smaller groups, some with their drinks on their laps, chatting, others on their feet, listening. Gunilla is tête-à-tête with Fatima; Padmini talks to Mahdi with animation, with Catherine chiming in. Bella, watching the groups merge and unmerge, wonders how much of Aar’s relationship with Gunilla Mahdi and Fatima know about or suspect; or if Padmini, who knows about Gunilla’s part in her and Valerie’s release from detention in Uganda, will dare to raise the subject at all.
Having tired of taking pictures, Dahaba lends her camera to Qamar, who excitedly starts photographing everyone. Dahaba brings out the family albums, Gunilla’s and her own. More photographs are taken of people congregating around the albums. Fatima begins to weep, looking at the photos of Aar, and Mahdi pats her back and comforts her. Fatima vows to assemble the ones she has from their days together at school and university to make a gift of them to Salif and Dahaba.
Salif organizes a tour of the darkroom. Everyone is impressed, especially Catherine, who suggests that Bella teach a photography class at the school and that Salif and Dahaba become the school’s designated photographers. When they return from the darkroom, they find that Bella and Padmini have set the table and are ready for people to be seated. There is still no sign of Valerie. Dahaba says she will call her mum and tell her to hurry up, but Padmini says she will do it and steps out of the room.
When Padmini gets back to the kitchen to help Bella with the food, she says that Valerie is on her way in a taxi but is caught in traffic. Padmini further whispers that she is worried that Valerie may be lying.
“Why would she lie to you? This makes no sense.”