Habibi?

I am not entirely sure how things are to be classified with my Kenyan crush, but things are going quite well. He surprised me by visiting me at work the other day which was great. I was working on preparations for my camp and my coworker said “Habib is here.” For some reason I thought she was joking, and had to fight the nervousness when I realized he was actually about to enter my work. It was quite a pleasant surprise since I was having a frustrating and upsetting day. I went by his Kinyozi when I finished work and sat and talked to him for a while. It is becoming part of my daily routine. Since there are not cafes, or anywhere really to sit and talk to your friends and listen to music, I have turned to the Freedomtown Kinyozi on Amalemba. Habib and I sit inside and listen to metro fm, the local reggae radio station which Habib loves, and talk in between when customers come in for a hair cut. He teaches me Kiswahili and we share what life in California/Kenya is like. It must look ridiculous to outsiders, as the gaps in conversation are filled with silly looks and googly eyes at one another. He told me he was having a great day because he could spend time with me. It is ridiculously cheesy and silly, but refreshing and needed. He walked me home, but because there are so many people around all the time, all I will manage is a good night hand shake. As a Mzungu (white person) in Kakamega, it is nearly impossible for Habib and I to actually date. It is quite a conservative area in general, so we are already pushing the limit by hanging out all the time, but because I am American it is so much worse. My host mom always scares me and says that I am putting him in danger by hanging out with him because others will get jealous I am spending time with him and not them. I guess it is for the better because this next week I have my big project, a one week day camp. After that we are taking a trip to Jinja, Uganda for white water rafting for four days. After that I only have about three weeks before leaving Kakamega to Nairobi. I enjoy the time I spend with him. He keeps asking if I will remember him when I return to America and he always says that he wishes me the best luck when I finish school (so soon) and am looking for a job. It is just so nice to meet a sweet guy who is genuine. He even wants to buy me the shoes the Masai warriors wear made from tires because they are essential in the mud. He is definitely one of many Kenyans in Kakamega that make me not even want to think about leaving.