ROOM 29 R

It was evening, and everyone had rolled out. I was lying in bed, watching a movie around 11 PM, having just wrapped up some 20x work online. Since I’m not a party person, and most of the people we were with were all about the vibe, I chose to stay behind,my roommate included.We were in a hotel, volunteering at a medical camp.

At some point, I dozed off, only to be woken up by a knock on the door. Half-asleep, I assumed it was my roommate. But when I opened the door, there stood Dr. C, holding a small lady,completely drunk and mumbling nonstop.C looked at me and said, “Nimekuletea, we ndo unamwelewa. Just handle her uone.” She couldn’t be left alone in her room.Now, first things first,I don’t like seeing drunk women.

Not that I prefer drunk men either, but seeing a lady in that state always unsettles me.I took her into the room, closed the door behind me, and she kept ranting. Then, in that state, she asked me to escort her to the washroom.Damn. I was already feeling sick. A thousand thoughts hit me at once,split-second decisions running through my mind. I had never been in this kind of situation before.And then… this happened....

Before I tell you, let me take you back a little. I love camps,I still do and always will. I’ve been doing them for some time, and the one in Kilgoris was one of them. Traveling all the way from the capital,almost seven draining but exciting hours was quite the experience. Sorry for my jumping thoughts, but before all this, here’s what happened. I had to travel for the medical camp. Usually, we do a one-day camp—travel, stage the next day, and leave the following day. But this time, it was a three-day camp.

My people, wooooo! This was exciting but also raised a lot of questions in my mind. It meant I had to work mostly at night on my online tasks since we’d be staging for more than one day.On the travel day, I got up and planned everything. I was heading for a meeting at Jahazi, so I packed all my essentials, knowing I wouldn’t be returning to my crib after the meeting.

We were set to leave at 2 PM, so I had to find somewhere to leave my stuff since I couldn’t carry them to the camp.After the meeting, B called me. She wasn’t around, and just like the previous camp, she wanted me to organize Team Nairobi. Honestly, I do like these roles sometimes,being the boss for a while has a certain thrill to it. She hooked me up with the banners I had to collect, the sutures for surgery, and the driver’s number.

Once the meeting was done, I started communicating immediately. At Green Park Terminal, something weird happened,something I didn’t expect. Instead of starting our journey at 1 PM, we left at 5 PM. It was tough. You know why? Let me tell you where the little drama unfolded…And I think this was the onset of the drama of Room 29 R . I just didn’t know it yet. Nobody did…

We were supposed to leave at 1 PM,but, of course, things never go as planned. The driver of the second car had played us dirty. Just like that, he vanished without a word, lured away by a more lucrative deal.

No call, no warning, just gone. Before we could figure out our next move, we had to hunt down another driver—easier said than done. Imagine the frustration, knowing we still had an almost six-hour journey ahead. But hey, that’s life on the road.Now, as the coordinator for Team Nairobi, I had my own responsibilities.

And then there was L, the small but mighty lady in my team. She’s like a daughter to me, in every way that truly matters. We’ve pulled each other out of some dark trenches,she knows it, and when she reads this, she’ll nod and smile. (Yeah, I see you, L. I still adore you, daughter. )Before we hit the road, I noticed something different. L was with her school friends. That hit me differently. It suddenly dawned on me,she’s stepping into a whole new world.

New people. New experiences. A place where I wouldn’t always be around to watch over her.And the real kicker? She boarded a different matatu. That stung. Not because I didn’t trust her, but because I knew how these environments worked. We’d talked about them before, the temptations, the choices, the distractions.

She’s a big girl now, doesn’t need me policing her every move,though if you ask her, she’d still argue otherwise. Fast forward to Kilgoris, 1 AM.

We arrived, exhausted but safe. The place was warm and welcoming. L had already made a few connections. Everything seemed fine... for now. But trust me, something happened later. I’ll get to that soon.For now, let’s talk about the rooms.We were paired as Team Nairobi, and I was set to share Room 26R with one of my doctor buddies. But then, Room 29R happened...

On that fateful evening, we were here to catch up.Day One began with our usual morning briefing after breakfast, where volunteers and medics were assigned their stations. The camp was already buzzing—bags being unpacked, people settling in, and a steady flow of patients arriving. When it was time for introductions, I kept mine simple.“I’m not a medic,” I said, grinning.

“But funny enough, I’ve been to these camps so many times that I might as well be a surgeon. Haha! Just kidding—I’m here as a volunteer, mostly handling spiritual matters.”Then came L’s turn. Strangely, she didn’t introduce herself with her cadre. Now, dear reader, let me tell you,this was odd.

If there’s one thing L breathes, lives, and dreams, it’s the medical field. She’s the kind of person who could go to war over anything that contradicts her passion for healthcare.I still remember the long conversations where she would passionately narrate her surgery dreams,how she’d go to Germany, become a full-fledged doctor, and master the art of saving lives.

For now, though, she was deeply invested in nutrition.Funny enough, she had this quirky habit of randomly texting me, asking for my height, just to calculate my Body Mass Index for fun. She did the same with her mum—okay, technically her aunt, whom she calls mum (a story for another day)—and her “partner in crime,” J.So why didn’t she introduce herself with her usual fire? Was she nervous? Uncertain? Or was there something deeper?

I chose to let her settle in, to find her rhythm.Later, she assured me she had slept well. She was calm, collected,at least on the surface. I had also met her roommate, thanks to the roommate’s friend’s mother, whom we knew from the camp.

That gave me some peace of mind,she was safe.But did I ever tell you about the conversation we had before she finally agreed to come to the camp? Okay, let me take you back for some context…