KB is my Nigerian housemate. He rents a room in Mrs Finch's house and attends the diploma course in tropical medicine with me. He is primarily interested in malaria because he directs a malaria control project in Nigeria. We have some discussion over breakfast and hit the road walking at 0800 to make our 0900 first class. The weather here is chilly and wet. He normally drives to work at home where he says the roads are hot and dusty. If he is walking, then a countryman will stop and say"Here doctor, please ride with me." We talk about the salaries of doctors in our countries and how much it costs to buy a car or send your children to college.
The day after I arrived, I bought an Oyster card for a month of unlimited travel on London's tube system. But once we'd settled in our routine, I had the card changed to "pay as you go" and placed 50 pounds on my card. About a week after we had been walking, I developed swelling and pain above my left ankle with crepitance(a squeaky feeling when I moved my foot up and down). Pitiful I know. The treatment is rest and anti-inflammatory medicine. I am taking the ibuprofen but I am continuing my 45 minute concrete surfaced, wet and chilly walks. Doesn't seem right somehow to use my oyster card though I'm sure KB wouldn't mind and probably insist I take the tube should I ask him. I doubt he'd allow me to purchase his tube ticket to accompany me though again I've not asked.
Sometimes it's about the "us" not the "me" or the "you". Tiny, trivial but tangible and a bit of a taste of things to come.
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