‘I’m not. I’m telling you that you can’t dump a load of money in Kenya to make yourself feel better.’

He leans back in his chair and throws the napkin on the tray.

‘Kiama?’

‘I hear you,’ he sighs. ‘I hear you.’

Outside the market stalls are being packed up, as the evening draws closer. The arrangement was that they meet Joe back at Purity’s house for six and then drive onto Lake Nakuru. Yvonne hoped the plan would stick whether Purity was there or not. They had already spent a whole night and day off-track because of her; Yvonne wasn’t keen to do the same again.

‘Last chance to get your Obama sweatshirt,’ Kiama jokes as they pass by the stalls.

‘Ha ha.’

They stop outside a chemist and Yvonne runs in to get Kiama some cream for his ringworm, when she comes out he’s frowning.

‘What?’

‘Can I ask you something?’

She hands him the small paper bag of cream and nods.

‘If someone would have given Mum a ton of money when she was my age, what would she have done?’

Yvonne can picture Emma, flirting her way from booth to booth in the student bar, getting everyone to sign a petition or put money in a pot. She was always crusading for some cause or charity.

‘Honest answer, please,’ he says.

‘Your mum would have thrown it at the first cause to catch her eye, dolphins, battered women, Bangladeshi flash flood victims.’

He smiles. This wasn’t the desired reaction.

‘After the Boxing Day Tsunami, she gave a month’s wages to the Red Cross.’

‘That’s amazing.’

‘No, it was reckless. She was broke and her parents had to bail her out. She ate boiled rice and ketchup for a week. Also, you’re not your mum. This money is for you to start your life.’

‘But I don’t want it,’ he says. ‘I don’t want to build my life on this money.’

‘You’re set on doing this, aren’t you? Giving it all away?’

‘Dad lost a lot of money a few years ago,’ he says suddenly. ‘He and my Uncle Danny almost went bankrupt on some restaurant franchise. And the trampoline park feels like it’s heading for closure. So, I can’t talk to my family about money. But you’re obviously good with it. I’m asking you to help me. I need support on how to make a plan, how to allocate it properly. You must know how.’

‘I’m not sure. It’s not my area of expertise. Though, I think it’s a great idea to pack up some toiletries and leave them at the Kindred Kenya offices. We should definitely do that.’

Kiama shakes his head. ‘Whatever. I’ll find someone else.’

They were starting to get close, he was opening up to her and now she’s taking them back to square one. She’s ruining things.