Readers of The Wrong Way Home may remember a bloke called Keith who went into Afghanistan with me. The fact that he was from Tasmania helped us get a letter from the local Muhajeddin that in turn helped us get an Afghani visa. (That’s him circled on the right outside a restaurant in Jalalabad – I’m wearing the brown Chitral cap.) Well, he’s in London at the moment, camped out in my lounge room.
Keith’s in town getting supplies for his latest enterprise – becoming a gentleman farmer in Nigeria. He has joined a bunch of displaced Zimbabwean farmers in Kwara State hoping to turn a quid growing stuff to feed the masses. Apparently Nigeria imports most of its food despite having the potential to become a major exporter.
Of course it’s all a bit Wild West out there at the moment. The first thing Keith has to do each morning is chase out all the snakes from his house. And scorpions are a bit of a problem too. But Keith tells me that he’s getting on top of things. A local lad is showing him how to train hedgehogs to find and kill scorpions. When they’re fully trained they’ll scout the perimeter and snuffle up any scorpions before they get the chance to get in.
He’s promised to bring me a pair next time he comes to the UK.
This is where you'll find everything you need to know about me and my books.
