A Message at the Thorn Tree

Our first full day in Kenya was a Sunday and with most businesses closed, a pleasant one to explore new surroundings. Nairobi was much more modern than the towns in Tanzania; an easy place to relax and unwind. The Thorn Tree was a popular sidewalk café in the city and a favored meeting place for travelers. Its main attraction was the bulletin board encircling a full-grown thorn tree which somehow survived its concrete jungle surroundings. Scott and I were surprised to find a message posted there addressed to me.

John was a helicopter pilot I had worked with during the previous three summer seasons in Alaska. He had persuaded me to make a first trip to the dark continent two years ago when he was wintering in Pretoria, South Africa. His wife Jennifer was a popular jazz singer there. We knew that he was in Kenya and he knew we were coming but not when since Scott and I had no planned itinerary. To our disappointment, John's note was dated ten days prior when he was scheduled to fly a helicopter to Khartoum.