Snapshots on the Edge of Chaos By Michael V. Pollock, Executive Director of Interaction International
“B
oys, I know this is going to be hard, but President Kenyatta has died, and for the next three days, you can’t run, shout, or ride your bikes or skateboards outside. You can be in the yard if you are quiet, but I don’t want you going to the dukas* or out with your friends. Do you understand?” It was August 1978 in Kijabe, Kenya, and my brothers and I were standing in the living room of our house which was attached to the tenth-grade dorm. We were ten, eleven, and twelve years old and wide-eyed. “Yes, Dad,” was the only correct answer. He went on to explain that a three-day period of mourning had been declared across Kenya and that no one really knew what would happen next. Jomo Kenyatta was the first president of Kenya and
3
Among Worlds
many doubted that the transfer of power would be without violence. My father underlined that our compliance was out of respect to our community and to the nation where we were guests; we also didn’t want to give anyone with a grievance against the expat mission community a reason to accuse. Tensions were already heightened. I’ll never forget standing in line for hours in the equatorial sun outside of Nairobi to pay respects to Kenya’s courageous leader who had stood up to Britain for the sake of freedom and independence. It was the first time I’d seen a human body without life. *dukas: small shops
