Hint of What’s to Come:
Jud’s journey is taking him deeper into the unknown, not just geographically but emotionally. His father’s cryptic instructions seem to lead him on a path of self-discovery, but what’s the real purpose behind this adventure?
The great tragedy of life is not that men perish but that they cease to love.
Somerset Maugham, British playwright and novelist
I am nothing if I have faith that I can move mountains but have no love.
Paul in his letter to the church members in Corinth
The overnight flight from London to Nairobi had been uneventful. Jud deliberately tucked Envelope 2 into his carry-on bag, which he stored in the overhead compartment. He had never set foot in Africa before, and as far as he knew, neither had his father. The temptation to open the envelope early tugged at him several times during the flight, but he resisted, following his father’s instructions to wait until an hour before landing.
Finally, the time came. Jud retrieved his bag, pulled out the envelope, and stared at it momentarily before tearing it open. Inside, there was a smaller sealed envelope with a message on the outside:
Jud, when you arrive in Nairobi, take the next available flight to the north of Kenya to Lokichoggio. You will stay there for only three to four hours and then return to Nairobi on the same plane. As soon as you arrive, open this envelope, and I will tell you why you are there.
Dad
After clearing customs and immigration, Jud headed to the airport information desk to find out how to book a flight to northern Kenya. He learned that the only planes available were small aircraft operated by aid agencies, primarily used to shuttle supplies. However, they did allow paying passengers. Jud was directed to a small office near a hangar, where a woman buried in paperwork instructed him to speak with the pilot outside, who was fueling the plane.
“Yep, there’s room, but it ain’t cheap, and we leave in about 45 minutes,” the pilot said with a smile. “Go back to the office and tell Rhonda I said it was OK, and she’ll relieve you of your money. Then come back and give me a hand loading the boxes.”
Jud sensed that the pilot was happy to have some company. He followed instructions and was surprised by the cost—he hoped his father had factored in this expense. After weighing every item, including Jud himself, the plane was loaded. Moments later, Jud was squeezed into a seat next to the pilot, watching with boyish fascination as the pre-flight checks were completed.
Despite being fully loaded, the plane lifted off swiftly, and Jud felt the thrill of acceleration as they soared into the hot, humid air above the African plains. The pilot, noticing Jud’s interest, explained the plane's Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) kit, designed for quick ascents and descents on short runways—a feature not particularly needed in Nairobi but essential for remote strips.
As they climbed to 10,000 feet, Jud began to feel the effects of the altitude. The pilot mentioned that this was the highest they could go without oxygen. Jud listened as the pilot spoke about the Turkana region below—a land ravaged by war and famine, where nomadic tribes struggled to survive amidst the harshest conditions.
After landing in Lokichoggio, the pilot informed Jud that it would be a few hours before they could return to Nairobi. Jud wandered away from the plane, seeking shade, and found it behind a tin shelter adorned with Coca-Cola signs. He bought a bottle, popped the cap, and rested. Taking out the smaller envelope from his shirt pocket, he found a note inside and an old photograph of his father unloading aid from an aircraft. On the back of the photo was a single word: “WHY?”
As a dusty whirlwind spun past, giving temporary relief from the flies swarming around him, Jud read the note:
"Dear Son, I visited this godforsaken place as a university student during the famine. I took a semester off to help an aid agency deliver food to the Turkana people, who were on the brink of starvation. My motives were more about adventure than altruism, but what I witnessed changed me. I saw not only death and hunger but the indignity of thousands of people herded into a makeshift corral, waiting for food as if they were livestock.
One day, a mother approached me, holding her emaciated child close to my camera. At first, I didn’t understand what she wanted. Then I realized she offered me a photo opportunity in exchange for food. Just the day before, a television crew had arrived from an American church, and as the cameras rolled, food was distributed—but only to those captured on film. The whole experience shook my faith and left me confused and disillusioned.
It took me a long time to realize that we have a responsibility to care as humans. It’s a lesson I learned late, but I want you to feel the same turmoil I did. Let this place break your heart. Human life and dignity are sacred; this place is a stark reminder of what we should never tolerate. If I had understood this sooner, I might have taken a different path in life…Lovingly, Your father
P.S. Do the flies still buzz around in gangs?
Recovering in Nairobi
Jud couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt. Despite the emotional weight of his father’s letter, he found himself more eager to leave Lokichoggio than to absorb the gravity of his father’s experience truly. "What a waste of money," he thought. "All that expense to get me to this godforsaken place, and I spend most of my time swatting flies."
He spent the next few hours talking with aid workers, but instead of feeling inspired, he became increasingly depressed by their stories. The fact that aid had become an industry, a necessary but disheartening enterprise, left him feeling that the efforts were futile.
By the time the pilot called him to board the plane back to Nairobi, Jud was relieved. As the small aircraft took off, he felt a mixture of exhaustion and numbness. In Nairobi, he found a youth hostel, took a cold shower in an outdoor cubicle, and crawled into bed. He decided not to open Envelope 3 until the next morning. The day's images were too vivid, and he needed to sleep.
As Jud continues to follow his father’s trail, he realizes that this journey is as much about understanding his father as it is about exploring the world. But will he be able to handle the emotional and physical challenges ahead? The next installment will bring him face-to-face with a new set of external and internal trials. Stay tuned.
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