Sterek: I've Traveled All This Way for Something 2

January 5th


Their driver is named Teddy, and he tells them he’ll drive them all the way down to Dar-es-Salaam where they’ll take the ferry out to Zanzibar. He’ll also be the one to pick them up when they get up and drive them to the airport.

They’ll be staying at Methodist Guest House while in Nairobi. It’s a decent place, with breakfast and dinner included, cheap internet if they need it, and a swimming pool.

Once they get the keys to their rooms (Scott and Stiles in one, Lydia and Allison together, and Derek and Laura in the last one), they say goodnight and go to sleep, exhausted after the long journey.

It still takes them a while to fall asleep though, due to the jetlag.

---

January 6th


Because of the jetlag they have the first day to relax and sleep, so they have some time to get used to the new time zone. After this they’ll do something every day, so it’s important they feel awake enough for it.

Stiles spends most of his time in the room, sleeping and looking over that they’ll do while in Nairobi, while the others head down to the pool that’s just by the guest house.

In the afternoon Teddy picks them up and they’re driven to a store so they can buy something to drink, and each of them buys two ½ litres bottles as well as two bottles with 1 ½ litres of water.
They had stopped by an ATM on the way there so they could take out cash, because it’s the safest and secure way to pay.

Back at the guest house they eat dinner, take an afternoon nap and spends a couple hours by the pool before going to bed early.

---

January 7th


They start the second day by eating breakfast – the Hale siblings at their own table – before heading out for a guided tour in the Kawangware slum.

It’s a cultural clash for all of them, to put it mildly. Seeing poverty on TV and walking through an area of a town where tens of thousands live in poverty – on under $1 a day, Stiles tells Scott – is quite different. It seems real, it is real, but they at least can leave in a few hours and stop by the mall before getting back to the guest house and take a dive in the pool.

There are children playing in the streets and older ones working. The youngest follow them, all smiles and excitement, shouting “Happy new year!” after them and Stiles melts. Their guide, Eric, tells them it’s what they do there; the first time you see a person after New Year’s, you say that to them, no matter how far into the new year you are.

Stiles isn’t the only one who’s smitten; both he and Lydia holds hands with two kids each, while Scott and Allison has one kid on each side because of course they’re holding hands themselves. Even Derek finds himself holding hands with kids and no one seems more surprised of the fact than he does himself. Laura on the other hand seems to have a good time, talking and laughing with the kids trailing behind and around them.

(Stiles wonder how she can possibly be Derek’s sister; they’re so different.)

They start by joining a ceremony in a church, and experience how much more lively it is.
When they get outside, there’s a bunch of children there, and when they see their sunglasses, they all want to try them on.

It’s adorable, how some struggles to put them on, and everyone wants to have their pictures taken with sunglasses on and Stiles obliges them.
He can’t stop smiling about how excited the kids are, laughing and pointing at the pictures Stiles has taken of them.

They visit Eric’s parents and siblings, who all live together in a small apartment in one of the nicer parts of Kawangware; they even have a TV.
They’re told that even the slum is split into three parts; the lower, middle and upper class, so to speak.
Eric’s parents are lucky; they live in the middleclass area, they have electricity and have more than one room. It looks sturdy and clean, and Eric’s father praises God for what they have and for being alive despite being ill.

After that, they get to see worse parts of Kawangware; small quarters where up to ten people live, and the buildings seem to be barely holding together. The one they visit is the size of Stiles’ room, and the man they’re visiting tells them he lives there with five others.
It’s actually just one room, but they’ve hung up some fabric to separate the sleeping quarters from the rest.

Outside the sun is high in the sky, but it’s not overly warm; Nairobi lies at almost 5,900 ft. above sea level so the temperature’s at a decent level.

At first, it had been unnerving for all of them – the girls in particular – because everyone stares at them obviously, but after a while they don’t think about the children following, or the adults looking, or the chickens and dogs and occasional goat, or the fact that the ground is basically made of mud and trash and feces from humans and animals alike.

They end the visit by stopping by a lady who suffers from AIDS, but spends her time making jewellery, and other things made by recycled magazines, plastic bags, bananafibers and other things. They all buy something, as she tells them that she has six children, four grandchildren and that she has accepted the disease as a part of herself.

***

They stop by a mall on their way back to the guest house so they can buy more bottled water, as they don’t only need it to drink but to brush their teeth in as well.

Everyone – except Derek of course – seems surprised at how modern and secure the mall is and all the familiar stores, like KFC, Converse and others. There are even gates and armed security guards outside.

Stiles doesn’t like it, and he tells the others that. Why should malls like this exist when the money could have been spent on the slums, like access to clean water or something important?

He doesn’t catch the look of surprise from Derek at his words, and probably wouldn’t have known how to react to it if he had.

They return to the guest house after eating at KFC at the mall and getting some snacks.

Scott asks if Stiles wants to join them by the pool to take a swim, and Stiles agrees but says hell rather write than swim.
He’s promised his dad a written account of the trip (there’s only so much one can write down on a card), so he brings a pen and his book as well as a bottle of water and heads down with Scott and the girls.

Derek and Laura are already there; Derek swimming back and forth and Laura in a chair reading a book.

Stiles glances at Derek, and, okay, maybe that was a bad idea because he stops in his tracks and starts at his muscles and the movement of the well-toned body sliding through the water.
He swallows and follows the others before they notice he’s fallen behind.

(Sure, Derek seems like a grumpy asshole, but Stiles won’t refuse himself to look at the man because of that. He’s got a really great body after all, even though the personality leaves a lot to be desired.)

He told Scott he’d start writing, to get the impressions of the day down on the paper while the scents and sights were still fresh in his mind, but he’s distracted and keeps stealing glances at Derek.


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January 8th


The third day they eat breakfast like the day before, and then they go to their rooms to get their cameras and bottles of water.

Today, they’re heading out to an elephant orphanage and then to a giraffe park.

They pick up Eric on the way, as he’ll be acting as their guide while they’re in Nairobi.

Stiles loves elephant babies, how they look like the large ones shrunk, and he thinks it’s incredibly great how they’ve created this sanctuary for the small ones so they can be released back into the wild when they’re old enough (and he tells them, loudly, in the car they’ll be driven in until they depart for Zanzibar, much to Derek’s apparent annoyance).

The orphanage doesn’t look like much, but there are large areas they can’t see, areas where the elephants wander around.

When they arrive, there’s a small herd of baby elephants gathered around some of the workers. These are the youngest ones they have at the moment, one of the workers tells the gathered crowd, and so young they’re fed milk from bottles and water from buckets.

As one herd leaves, another is brought it, older and older, bigger and bigger. The buckets are refilled with water, and branches with leaves are brought out for the elephants to eat.
The worker tells them about several of the elephants; how they were orphaned (most due to poaching for ivory but some to illness or losing the herd), some of their names and how old they are.

Stiles wishes there was something he could do to help them.

On their way back to the car they pass some stables. All but one is empty, and in the occupied one lays a rhino.
Stiles can’t help the gasp that forces its way out of his mouth at the sight of the creature.

It seems sad, and Stiles just looks at it as tears fill his eyes. He knows though, that this place is much safer for it than out in the wild, that if the rhino was free, it would be hunted down and the horns cut out and it would be left to die.

But right now, Stiles thinks this captivity is just as cruel. This poor animal is all alone, lying there on a pile of hay.
At least it’s still alive, lonely as it is.

***

The giraffe park is quite different.

Here they can touch and feed the animals – even ‘kiss’ the giraffes if they want to.

Stiles is the first one to do it. His right hand is full of pellets, long fingers holding it in his palm, while he places a couple of the bites between his lips.

A long, dark purple tongue sweeps out, large lips closes over his mouth and nose and there’s less slime than he thought it would be and the feeling is so bizarre he can’t stop the laughter from bubbling up.

He doesn’t catch the look on Derek’s face, nor the fact that Scott filmed the kiss.

Stiles holds out his hand so the giraffe can eat the rest of the pellets he has (there is more slime this time but he doesn’t find it disgusting), and pets the animal’s head.

One of the employees tells them the giraffe’s name is Lin, and that she’s the most willing one when it comes to ‘kissing’.
The other two prefer to eat out of their hands, and everyone but Lydia tries feeding. Derek and Lydia are also the only ones not kissing Lin, but Stiles only lets them be.
At least they both pet Lin and the other two, and Stiles feels surprised by the look on Derek’s face when he pets Lin; he seems to be in awe and there’s the ghost of a smile on his lips.

To avoid getting caught staring, Stiles looks out from the balcony they’re on, and spots movement in the tall grass down below.
He elbows Scott and points.

“Hey, Scott!”

There are four warthogs wandering through the grass, and Scott and Stiles instantly starts singing ‘In the Jungle’ from the Lion King. The girls (including Laura) just laugh, while Derek pointedly ignores them.

There’s a small kiosk, so after they wash off the saliva, they buy some potato chips and soda and enjoy the shade. Stiles looks through the pictures he’s taken to see if they’re alright or if he needs to get back up on the platform to take some more.

Turns out they’re good enough, so he takes pictures of his friends and sneaks a couple of Derek and Laura as well.
Scott takes one of Stiles with Eric and Teddy.
Even though he’s not fond of the guy, it doesn’t mean he can’t have any photographical memories of the grumpy, good-looking guy.

***

They head pack to the guesthouse to clean up and change, before going to a restaurant called Carnivore.

Before they enter the restaurant, they go through a small building which consists of a gift shop and a small exhibition with Maasai artefacts.
They buy some souvenirs and each try the throne sitting in the corner, well, all but Derek that is.

Once the restaurant opens, they’re shown to a table at the back of the open space outdoors.
It’s already dark, but well lit with lamps and candles, which creates a cosy atmosphere.

Upon entering the restaurant they’re met with the heat of a large fire pit, over which are tread spears with large chunks of meat slowly cooking to perfection.

Once seated, they order something to drink and then they’re brought the first course, which consists of soup and bread with butter.

Then the waiters bring in the sauces (garlic, fruit salsa, sweet and sour, masala, mint, and chilli) and then the main course starts.

A row of waiters walks in, a spear (they’re actually traditional Maasai swords they’re told) with a chunk of meat in one hand and a machete-looking knife in the other.
The swords are placed on their plates after turn and they carve off pieces of meat, as much and as done as they want it (rare, medium or well-done), and some carry plates with crocodile and ostrich meat and there is so much meat and it looks and smells wonderful.

(Stiles is secretly happy his father’s not there, because the Sherriff should be eating healthy and Stiles feels a bit bad for enjoying all this meat but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.)

They’re told which sauce goes to which meat, and that the white flag on top of the tray with the sauces is to be lowered when they’re full from the feeding frenzy and are ready for dessert.

It’s an eat-all-you-can buffet unlike anything they have experienced and even though Scott and Stiles both normally eats a lot of food, it seems a daunting task.

There’s leg of beef and lamb, and chicken wings, and crocodile, and ostrich meatballs, and spare ribs, and pork and beef sausages. There’s probably even more, but Stiles struggles to remember it.

At least he can say that he’s tried crocodile and ostrich and admit to what everyone else says; yes, crocodile tastes like chicken, only not as tender.

Derek’s the last one to be done (Stiles has never seen anyone eat as much in his entire life), and at last the flag goes down.

The table is cleared and they’re handed menus for dessert.
Stiles and Laura goes for cheesecake, Scott for apple pie, Lydia and Allison for ice creams and Derek goes with strawberries, which he ends up having to share with Laura. Teddy and Eric just goes for coffee.

It doesn’t take long for Stiles to regret opting for the cheesecake because he’s so full after the ‘Beast of a Feast’, as it’s called.

He looks longingly at the strawberries, and his gaze follows Derek’s hand to his mouth as the grumpy guy eats one, and yeah, that looks hotter than it should.
Stiles just hopes that if he’s caught it looks like he wants strawberries himself, and not the lips closing over the berry.

Because of that, he doesn’t see Lydia and Laura exchanging a look which includes one perfectly plucked raised eyebrow on Lydia’s side.

***

Falling asleep is easy that night; Stiles can’t remember having being so full.

That night he dreams of chapped lips and strawberries.


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January 9th


Their last day in Nairobi they’re visiting another slum, this one named Kibera.

Kibera grew up along the Uganda Railway, which was built around 1901, and it still goes through the area.

They visit schools, sing and act out ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” with the kids, listen to them sing the American national song, and feel blown away by how great they are in English.
In one of the schools, they’re practically dragged down on seats next to the kids and are asked several questions. Three boys fight over Stiles, each of them saying he’s their favourite, and all the kids are sad when they have to leave; asking if they can’t leave someone behind.

Derek gets named favourite by a gang of adorable girls (one of them even climbs on top of his shoulders), and even he can’t stay grumpy and actually smiles (not scowls) at them.

Stiles tells Scott they’re witnessing a miracle and quickly takes a picture.

Several of the schools are walled in by tall brick walls with broken glass cemented on the top to stop people from breaking in to steal or vandalize.

Kibera is quite a lot filthier than Kawangware; there’s a lot more trash everywhere, but it doesn’t smell any different than Kawangware.

But it’s not until they reach a hill where their view of the area isn’t blocked by lean-to shelters that they can begin to fathom even parts of the sheer size of the area.

Rusty tin roofs, green trees, garbage and try barren ground stretches out before them, and there seems to be no end to the misery and poverty; it just goes on and on and it’s just a part of it.

They stand there in silence, looking out on something so incomprehensible. It’s strange to believe this is the truth for hundreds of thousands not only in Africa but the rest of the world and Stiles feels cold despite the warmth of the sun.
The group stands there in silence as the sounds of the lives of the people living there fill the air around them.

It seems cruel to leave, to have the option to just walk away and not stay to help in whatever way they can.

And Stiles, Stiles finds he doesn’t want to leave. If he could, he would leave the others to the rest of the journey and stay behind to help.

Because it feels right.

It doesn’t matter if the other doesn’t want to help because they have other plans, other ideas for their lives and careers and relationships.
And that’s fine, Stiles can understand that. All to their own and all that.

But for Stiles, helping out seems like the right thing to do, whether it’s by being there physically or back in Beacon Hills planning and organizing.
Because Stiles wants to come back to help. Not because he’s white and entitled and because it will make him feel superior, but because he can do something and for Stiles it feels wrong not to help.

Stiles doesn’t mention it, but he writes it down in his journal because it’s important and he wants his dad to know.
He struggles with the words, not sure how to get the importance of his discovery down, but he writes, all squiggly and messy in his haste to get the words down, to make his wish to seem more important, more real by the weight of the words.

Stiles dreams of himself surrounded by small children telling them what they learnt in school.