Guest post+giveaway: Robert Mwangi: The Dream that is Africa {Spring Fling Giveaway Hop}

Who can relate to being an immigrant? Pulled out of your culture and your life as you know it, it takes a lot of you to assimilate into a new culture, and rebuild your life. I know because I am an immigrant myself.

Today I welcome Robert Mwangi to the blog today. He hails from Kenya, calls the US his new home, and he has a story to share that is entrenched in both cultures. He wants to share his story with 3 of my readers -- so check out the giveaway of his new book A Whisper in the Jungle at the end of this post. 

So, tell us all about Africa, Robert!


The Dream that is Africa
by Robert Mwangi

Amazon.com: Paperback | Kindle Edition 

They woke me up at 2 am and told me that it was my turn to keep watch over the fire. A hyena laughed nearby and I groggily threw some wood into the flames. There were five of us sleeping under a huge thorn tree in the middle of the African jungle with no tent. All we had were our sleeping bags and a fire to protect us from the wild animals.

I stood up and paced around the sleeping bundles on the ground. I gripped the stick in my hand and narrowed my eyes into the dark trees. At the age of sixteen, I was afraid of nothing and too young to understand death.

We had seen lion prints on our way into camp and had been advised that they only came out at night. So far, all I had seen were the glowing eyes of the hyenas, excited by the smell of our flesh and the shimmering light of the fire.

At dawn, we cleaned out our camp and got rid of everything that did not belong in the jungle: candy wraps, empty cans and other trash. I stood up and strapped my backpack on, and then scanned the forest and hills around me. Everything was so green, so magical.


With the morning sun rising higher by the minute, five heads leaned over the map and we quickly calculated the distance and direction of our next destination. The coordinates pointed us deeper into the forest and we shuddered with excitement as our journey continued.

Along the way we met buffaloes and laughing monkeys. The gigantic sizes of the giraffes were fascinating but it was the lion prints on the ground that fully caught our attention. The worry moved from our hearts to our faces and our eyes scanned the bushes in fear.

“We have to get to camp before dark!” the scout leader said and we hastened our steps.

I looked up at the sky and knew that we weren't going to make it. The thought of a lion chasing us tilted delicately at the back of my mind.

Late in the evening, the sun dropped behind the clouds; sooner than we had anticipated and shadows appeared in the trees. “Faster!” the scout leader yelled.

A twig cracked in the bushes and we started running. My heart pounded like a drum. I thought about my brothers and sisters, and wished that I had stayed home. In a moment of despair, I was thinking the wrong thoughts.

With our feet pounding the ground, a silhouette suddenly appeared to my right and I gasped. I half turned in fear and scanned the bushes … and then I saw it and I stopped running.

There in the trees, an AK 47 rifle at ready to protect us was a game ranger. In the dim dusk light, he made a thump up sign at me and then vanished just as quickly as he had appeared. I walked the rest of the way to camp, my heart at peace, the fear gone from my face.

Many years later, I look back to my jungle days with a lot of fondness. These were the same jungles that my ancestors had hunted, that my father had grown up in: and now, the trees whisper to me in my dreams and in my every waking moment... to not forget about Africa.

About Robert Mwangi
Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Robert Mwangi was born under the hills of Mt. Kenya. In a post-colonial Africa, his mother moved to the city in search of work and it was here that Robert was introduced into the new Africa: a blend between African traditions and Western culture. While teachers encouraged kids to read books about Africa, Robert Mwangi occasionally stole under a tree with a Robert Ludlum, Danielle Steel or Enid Blyton. These books transported him to worlds across oceans and expanded his imagination.

Giveaway!

Robert is giving away 3 copies (Paperback or Kindle Edition)

Open International!

Please use Rafflecopter below
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Amazon.com: Paperback | Kindle Edition

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Synopsis: Deep in the African jungle where even the bravest are afraid to venture, lies a truth that will propel James through his improbable American journey, if he can come out alive. James a village boy in Africa receives a scholarship to go and study in America and he becomes the envy of the whole village. His girlfriend Janny is however skeptical of what a long distance relationship can do to love. But when Janny vanishes from the village, James and his dog Simba plunge into the belligerent forest at the risk of his life and his American dream. Love transcends all. A Whisper In The Jungle is a suspense story full of love, humor, adventure and mystery.

Check out the rest of the blogs in this hop and maybe get some new reads!