Overland Journal – August 01, 2019

OVERLAND JOURNAL FALL 2019

119

S

it here,”hesaid.A directorderfroma customs
officialinEastAfricais notunusual,but this
particularrequestwas.“Doyoutypequickly?”
“Yes,I supposeI do.”
“Excellent.Thenyousithereandcompletethisform.
Canyouhelpmewiththeprinter?”
Inthisway,ona veryhumidChristmasEve,inthe
liminalspacebetweenKenyaandUganda,I foundmyself
seatedat thedeskof theKenyaRevenueAuthority.The
dustymonitordisplayedthetemporaryimportpermit
formweneededtomoveourLandRoverontothenext
country.TheancientDelltowercreakedandwhirredat my
leftkneeas I graspedthestickymousein myrighthand.
Don’tmessthisup,I mutteredtomyself,as I typedas
“quickly”asI couldwithoutgivingawaymyinevitable
mistakes,andwithoutdoinganythingirreparableto the
customssoftwareof anentirenation.
Ourvehicle’sinformationeventuallymadeitsway
safelyintothesystem,and,aftera fewreboots,there -
quireddocumentscamewhirringfromthelaserprinter,
halfspillingonthefloor.Thecustomsofficialopeneda
hugepaperledger,wherewescribbledinlonghandour
passportnumbersandaddress.Signedandsealed,the
customsofficial—hisnamewasPatrick—thencracked
a broad smile and wished us a very Merry Christmas.

“

BySteveEdwards

PhotographybyJulie Edwards

and Scott Brady

Another Day,

Another Border

Preparation, the right attitude,

and shared information can

make a difference.