Memories from the many homes of an ATCK can happen anywhere. Melanie Hyo-In Han shares an example of this through poetry. What seemed like a typical ride home turned into a memory of a place of the past.
The Uber Driver and Me
by Melanie Hyo-In Han
On my way home in an Uber from London
the driver asks me if I live here in Surrey
I say ‘yes,’ thinking about how it has already been months since I’ve moved here.
‘It’s very green,’ he comments.
I nod, staring out the window at the tall trees that
hang over us.
It’s raining. Again.
I’ve grown accustomed to the rain here.
It rains all the time.
And it’s not like the torrential but predictable downpour of rainy seasons back in East Africa.
Here it’s grey and slow and sad.
‘This area reminds me of my home in Africa,’ he says.
My ears perk up. ‘Where in Africa?
‘Kenya,’ he smiles.
‘Kweli?! Niliishi Tanzania kwa miaka mengi!’
From the backseat, I see his eyes first widen and then turn into the crescent moons of a grin.
We make eye contact through the rear view mirror and for the rest of the ride we converse comfortably in Swahili
about home, about family, about life in the UK.
He asks me if I knew that the size of Serengeti National Park is ten times larger than Surrey,
to which I say I had no idea but that I can’t wait to go back someday.
We talk about missing Kenya, missing Tanzania,
missing rainy seasons, and greenery,
and ugali na sukuma wiki.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been home, but I’ll be going back in the summer.’
‘I’m also planning a trip back to Kenya for my
high school reunion.
I’ll be revisiting Kijabe, but also spending some time in Nairobi and maybe Mombasa, too.’
‘My parents used to live near Mombasa. There’s a good restaurant near Moi Avenue.’
And then he’s at my apartment, and as I get out of the car with an asante and kwaheri
I watch his car turn the corner.
I wish I had asked him what the name of the restaurant is.
Born in Korea and raised in East Africa, Melanie Hyo-In Han recently moved from the U.S. to the U.K. She is the author of Passing Notes in Secret ; Abecedarian: Banff, Canada ; My Dear Yeast ; and Sandpaper Tongue, Parchment Lips. Learn more about her at website.
