Ashley, 7 years old - Shimoni, Kenya

The waters were slowly getting higher to come back to flat few hundreds meters away from the coral reef.

We threw the anchor and got ready for snorkeling.

Couple of minutes before getting in the water, I’ve chickened-out and decided to stay on the deck, keeping company to the Indian family and the German boy, which, despite is arm tattoo reading CRAZY BOY, was looking at the Ocean in fear, holding a firm grip on the wooden board of the Dhow.

Little by little, after about twenty minutes, few people started to make their way back on the boat. The Australian lady and her daughter Ashley dried off in their towels sitting next to me.

“How long are you guys staying in Kenya for?” I’ve asked.

The lady replied:

“I don’t know”

“Oh, lucky you, big holiday, ha!”

The lady looked at me and adjusted herself more comfortably on the boat.

“I trade my story for a cigarette. Quick, before my husband get back on the boat”

I promptly pulled out a pack of smokes and handle them over to her.

“I cannot leave Kenya” she started.

“My husband and I live here since a long time because of his job. Couple of month ago we were getting everything organized to move back to England for good. Two weeks before our departure I was driving to the local shop. It was very dark and my car hit a guy on a motorbike. I stepped out of the car with the intention to call the ambulance, but all of the sudden, there were lots of locals gathering around us, grabbing the guy on the pavement and throwing him in a car. I tried to protest, asking not to move him until the ambulance was there, but nobody listened to me. He died on the way to the hospital and the police got me in jail for four days”

“And then you went to prison again, for another two days” the little girl intervened.

“Yes, darling, and then they got me back again for another couple of days. Now I’m waiting for the trial, if they find me guilty, and they will, I’ll have to serve ten years in prison”

At that point most of the travellers were back on the boat, but the Australian lady didn’t seem to mind. She kept on talking to me in a lower voice, explaining that the guy that got killed was not wearing an helmet, that the streets are not illuminated at night and that the government took her passport away from her.

“They will find me guilty, I know that. It all comes down to money, I’m already in debts because of this and the only thing that they want is even more money. I’d be ready to pay it off, but there is also the fact that I’m white and they are pulling up the white-person-against-black card. I have to find a way to leave this country”

“What is the prison like in Kenya?”

“You do not want to know”

“It’s hell of a situation”

“Yep”

She paused. Then added: “The guy was not even wearing a helmet”

“Daddy is back” Ashley said.
The Australian lady threw away her cigarette before the husband could see her smoking.