Farzana Aunty gave a warm smile. She was different from Rohan’s mother. She was talkative like Nadira Aunty but seemed more thoughtful. Like she chose her words carefully. “May I ask how long ago you separated?”
Jana bit her lip—what was the best answer to this question?
“Oh…it was a long time ago.”
“Your daughter doesn’t have memories of the two of you together?”
“No,” Jana said. “Imani has no memories of us as a couple. And we don’t really talk about it to her. This is just how her family is. Mommy and Daddy don’t live together but are both important in her life. I’d hate for her to think something is missing that was once there.”
Farzana Aunty smiled. “That is a very interesting way of thinking about it.”
“We shouldn’t pry into her personal life, my dear,” Dr. Lopez said. He was right—he shouldn’t, because he was considering her for a job. But Farzana Aunty didn’t know that.
“Jana!” Kamila said, pulling on Jana’s arm. “You are needed. Sorry, Sam Uncle, I need my bridesmaids to help with a crisis!” Kamila looked somewhere between panicked and elated, and Jana had no idea if there was really a crisis or if she was trying to get Jana away from Dr. Lopez again.
“Oh, go ahead,” Dr. Lopez said, smiling. “Duty calls!”
Jana nodded and asked her mother to keep an eye on Imani, then followed Kamila into the hotel.
This hotel was not as large as the Serengeti one, but it was also luxurious, with rich dark wood and East African tribal-inspired decor. Kamila hurried down a hallway, and Jana followed.
“Is there really a crisis? Because I was fine with Dr. Lopez.”
Kamila turned sharply. “Of course there’s a crisis,” she said. Kamila turned down another hallway and slipped into a meeting room where the rest of the wedding party were already sitting.
It was about the size of the tiny elephant corner at the Serengeti hotel. This room was also African-animal themed. But instead of just elephants, the decor was of many animals—only in ridiculously bright colors. Green giraffes. Purple lions. Orange rhinos. It was quite psychedelic.
The crisis turned out to be about a private wedding party event that Kamila and Rohan were planning as a thank-you to the Bridal Brigade and Groom’s Platoon. Clearly Kamila’s definition of a crisis was vastly different from Jana’s.
“You don’t have to thank us,” Asha said. “This trip to Tanzania is thanks enough. Plus, you gave us those backpacks.”
“Yeah, but y’all are paying for your trip,” Kamila said. “So—”
“Question,” Tim interrupted. “Why was there a whole box of condoms ineachbackpack? Did you think this would be like spring break or something? We are almost all middle-aged and married.”
Nicole shook her head. “You’re never too old, or too committed, for safe sex.”
Shelina snorted. “Yeah, but—”
“You can donate them,” Nicole said. “Leave them with the front desk at the hotel and they’ll give them to the local village.”
“If we’re going to donate, let’s do it right,” Asha said. “Giving them a handful of boxes of condoms seems cheap. I wonder if we can get a shipment here from home.”
Finally, a topic that Jana knew how to talk about. “I worked with an organization that promoted sexual and reproductive health in Kenya. Maybe we can partner with them.”
“Yes!” Anil said. “I know that clinic! They’re based out of Mombasa, right?”
Jana nodded, and she and Anil told the others details about the sexual health clinic she’d worked with in Kenya many years ago. “Maybe they can help us find something similar here? We could make a donation in the wedding’s name.” Jana pulled out her phone to see if she had their contact information.
“What kind of work did they do?” Nicole asked.
After explaining the scope of the clinic and the tangible differences they were able to see in southeastern Kenya, Jana and Anil answered some more questions about the most effective ways to donate to reproductive health causes here. It was strange for them to be explaining their work together like this. Like a team.
Strange, but it oddly felt normal, too.
“You really are the coolest one here, Jana,” Kamila said.
Jana shook her head. She was so far from cool. But then she noticed that Anil was looking at her with an unreadable expression. It was the same look he had after watching her dance, like she’d surprised him. Jana felt exposed. She looked down at her phone.
