Week 28: Chester the Cheetah
3.30.2009
Preface to "Chester the cheetah:" First, there are now 3 Foxies: Steve, Sam, and Belah. Second, to understand this story it is important to know that every house, apartment complex, and compound in Nairobi is fenced in with multiple guards, some are 24/7 while others are just night guards. AEE has 2 who are here just during the night. They are very friendly, but do not speak much English. Since the new Foxies are here they have been talking with the guards every night. Thus concludes thy preface.
This week Steve, the joyful joking Foxie, was talking to me at dinner and said out of the blue, "the guards told me that there is a cheetah that keeps coming on the compound at night." I dismissed this comment as Steve trying to joke with the foreigner and a joke that I would likely pull on him given the opportunity. Welp, the joke didn't last too long because the next day a truck came with a big ole cheetah trap and put it in the opposite corner of the compound from our Quonset hut.
Cheetah Trap with me on top:
Cheetah Bait:
So, there is a cheetah who visits our compound sometimes at night now. I have lovingly named him "Chester" and the foxies and I keep joking about if anyone has met Chester.
As I mentioned above the cage is in the opposite corner of the compound from where I live which gave me some comfort. Welp, that changed, I walked into the kitchen one day and asked Wanyama something about the cage, he got upset and said that the cage delivery people had put it in the wrong place because it was supposed to go in the opposite corner right by my room because that's where the guards said Chester keeps coming in and out of the compound. Good-bye comfort.
In closing, please don't be alarmed. I am quite safe being too big and loud to be considered food or a fun chase by a cheetah. However, I must admit that I'm not used to hearing that there is a chetah hanging out where I live.
