CHAPTER 1: HUSBAND'S NEW JOB
Connecting flights within the US to Chicago and a long flight to Paris allowed Robert and me a night to enjoy the food, wine, and atmosphere that city is famous for. Then, another long flight to Africa and a connecting flight by a smaller regional jet deeper into the continent where we were met by a United Africa Corporation representative for a long drive that took several hours from the city. We were exhausted. But, then again ... we were finally in Africa.
My name is Ann Garrett and my husband is Robert. I'm going to relate to you a story, one I continue to live. Being from the States the idea of Africa held widely mixed images of primitive cultures and unlimited potential. And, we were there, exhausted by travel and fighting the impulse to doze in the backseat of the Land Rover as the vehicle left the civilized images of the city and presented the wild landscapes we envisioned in our anticipation.
Robert, at 29 years old, was an accomplished Product Development Manager in the States. When he began to be recruited by United Africa Corporation, he initially brushed it to the side. Robert is an individual with rare focus and intuition at seeing potential and value and developing product marketability and profitability. It was the rare, singular focus on detail and effort that allowed him to rise so quickly within the industry and to signal to others his value. That singular, unshakable focus was also something that could make him seem naive or unaware of other events and happenings around him.
Me? I was without question naive. At 27 years old, Robert took me from the small world where I grew up to expose me to the wonders of big cities and the occasional travel with him across the country as he presented at conferences and attended product shows in places I only dreamed about like New York City, Miami, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Chicago. And, then ... pinch me ... Africa.
The driver's name was Dimka. I didn't know if that was his first name or last name or his only name. When he met us at Baggage Claim, I had to tear my eyes away from staring. Dimka was an imposing figure: coal-black, bald head, deep black eyes, 6'-3" tall, and 220 pounds with an athletic body that the clothes he wore couldn't hide.
I felt tiny next to him. I was. A white, long blonde-haired woman with bright blue eyes, I was 5'-5" tall with an athletic body from frequent time at the gym that weighed a mere 100 pounds. When Robert stood beside him waiting for our two pieces of luggage (everything else had been shipped ahead before our leaving), the comparison was the same. It was a surprise to me, but it was only one of many that would occur to me in the days and time ahead. Robert was 5'-9" tall with a slim, soft body. As I said, he was singularly focused and his focus was work. He had no time for the gym or being active. In truth, he had little time for me but I had a big world exposed to me and we'd been married only five years. But I saw Robert in a new light at that moment in the airport. He was a talented, successful, brilliant man who seemed to have the world by the tail. Wasn't that why we were here? In Africa. But ... was it fair? I saw this exotic hulk of manhood and ... my husband.
Robert was the first white person hired by the corporation. They had facilities throughout the continent and produced a variety of products, many of which were for export. We were headed to Corporate Headquarters, which explained its remote location. This was not where things were produced but where ideas and decisions were made. During the recruitment and interview process, they had been open that it was something of an experiment. The United Africa Corporation had a heritage of pride in the black African culture and diversity of people.
We were rising in the foothills with gentle rolling mountains beyond breaking up vibrant plains. I pinched myself when I looked out the vehicle window to see groups of exotic animals only viewed in zoos back home. Dimka got our attention as we crested a rise. United Africa Corporation. Looking through the front windshield, the building below seemed to fill the small valley below. The larger office and support buildings and parking lots were centered in the valley with residential, clubs, and the company town spreading out from it.
We had only seen pictures of the villa that would be ours as part of the creative compensation package of continuing contractual employment. As Dimka drove us past the center, as it was already late afternoon, I recognized the villa from the pictures as we approached it on the side of the hill. Another shining black Range Rover was parked near the front door and, as we approached up the drive, another large black man in a casual suit exited the house.
This was Mr. Contee, Roberts immediate boss who we had met during the recruitment. Mr. Contee (it seemed all superiors in the Corporation were referred to in that formal way) was another impressive man. Not merely by his title. Robert's department Director was perhaps a decade older. Like Dimka, he was the darkest black with deep black eyes and black, tightly curled hair cut very short. There was another similarity to Dimka that was impressive, his body. He was perhaps only an inch shorter than Dimka and just as imposingly powerfully built. As Robert moved forward to greet his new boss, the comparison was again too striking to pretend I didn't see.
I noticed there was no garage as part of the villa but the question in my mind of transportation was quickly resolved when Mr. Contee announced that Dimka, as our assigned driver, would come for us at 8:00 AM the next morning for initial greetings and orientation. Our driver? Our villa overlooking the valley? Africa? It seemed my whole being was vibrating.
Although our personal belongings were scattered in boxes identified by location within the house, the bed was made with clean linens and covers, the bath was equipped with towels and various soaps, and package toothbrushes and paste. I changed into a negligee I purposefully brought for this first night to hopefully reignite a new passion in this exotic land we were brought to. Robert was too exhausted by travel and too focused on the challenges of work ahead.
Dimka rang our front doorbell exactly at 8:00 AM the next morning. We were delivered to the Administration building where we were processed through initial documentation (Corporation IDs, country documentation and IDs, procedure and information binders - told to become very familiar with, and general welcoming. By late morning we were led to a conference room where Mr. Contee awaited us. We chatted for only a short time when another man entered the conference room without request. This was Mr. Ibori, the Corporation Vice President over groups including the Product Development group. He was about 45 years old, again dark black with a bald head, several inches shorter than Mr. Contee and still taller than Robert, and a trim body under his tailored suit.
We had lunch with the two of them in the Executive Dining Room which was elegant with servers in white outfits. Everyone I encountered at United Africa was not just black, obviously, but dark black.
After lunch, we were taken for more orientation. We sat through a 30-minute video of the Corporation, it's founding, and its drive for being a premier African business run and employed by Africans. And this was where we (Robert more than me, perhaps) became the 'experiment'. As part of the ongoing orientation, we were given headphones equipped with blue-tooth which would contain language lessons to learn rudimentary elements of the local language. We were also informed of TV channels with programming we should watch together each night about the Corporation, regional news and events, and points of interest for visiting. It seemed they had anticipated everything.
