KAREEM: Episode 3 – The Stranger in the Trees
The Stranger in the Trees
In Episode 3, Kareem retreats from the chaos of Nairobi to find peace in Ngong Forest. There, he meets Julius, a stranger whose calm presence sparks reflection and connection. Through shared stories and silence, Kareem rediscovers hope, faith, and the first sense of belonging he’s felt in a long time.
The hospital bed faded into memory, but the pain lingered. Kareem returned home with stitched skin and heavier thoughts. For seven days, he barely spoke. The world outside his window moved on — buses sped past, kids played, radios blasted — but Kareem sat still. Watching. Thinking.
His leg was healing, but his heart wasn’t. Dreams of football felt distant. The laughter he once had on the matatu stage now felt fake. Every “bro” who once smiled at him now wore a mask. He replayed it all — the betrayal, the knife, the blood, the pretending. Every step outside the gate felt like stepping into a storm. Noise in his head. A knot in his chest. A quiet whisper: you don’t belong here.
But Kareem was still Kareem — smart, thoughtful, more mature than most adults he knew. He realized something: the world outside might never change, but he could choose how to face it.
One cool morning, with no plan and no destination, Kareem wore his hoodie, tucked his hands in his pocket, and walked. Feet guided by instinct, not maps. He found himself at the edge of Ngong Forest, a sanctuary of green breathing just beyond the city chaos. As he stepped beneath the canopy of towering trees, something shifted. The air was cooler, gentler. The chirping of birds replaced the shouting of matatu touts. The wind hummed through leaves like a lullaby. Kareem stood still. He listened.
The birds sang freely. The trees danced gently. He looked to the sky, its blue stretching endlessly through the branches, and whispered aloud — not to anyone, not even himself —
“How did God create all this?”
For the first time in his life, Kareem wondered about God — not from a church pew, but from awe. It was as if the forest had opened his soul.
He walked deeper, kicking stones, picking flowers, letting nature speak in silence. Then, along a winding trail, he saw him — a man, maybe mid-30s, seated on a log by the path. Dressed in Olympic running pants, he looked like he had paused mid-jog, sipping an energy drink and watching the trees breathe. Kareem approached slowly, unsure.
“Then, along a winding trail, he saw him — a man, maybe mid-30s, seated on a log by the path. Dressed in Olympic running pants”
He smiled politely and asked in Swahili,
“Niaje bro, uneza nipa maji kidogo?”
The man looked up, surprised by the soft tone, then nodded. “Chukua, bro.”
Kareem drank — gulped — and emptied the bottle.
The man raised an eyebrow. “Eeh, we ni nani na uko sawa kweli?”
Kareem wiped his lips with his sleeve. “Kareem. Niko tu… nimechoka. Nilitaka tu utulivu.”
The man stood up, dusted off his hands, and extended one. “Mimi ni Julius. Si tutembee kiasi basi, nafeel nmechoka adi?”
And just like that, two strangers walked side by side, surrounded by nature. What started as a jog turned into a quiet stroll. For the next hour and a half, they shared stories. Not just words, but experiences. Kareem spoke of Nairobi’s noise, of betrayal, of pain, of questions he couldn’t ask and answers no one gave.
Julius listened.
He didn’t interrupt. Didn’t judge. He only nodded, offering occasional wisdom.
“Watu huchoma bridges zao, alafu wanakula moshi.”
People burn their bridges and then complain about the smoke.
Kareem chuckled at that. First laugh in weeks.
In Julius, Kareem found something he never expected — a stranger who became family.
The kind of man who didn’t need to know your past to believe in your future.
[End of Episode 3]
Next Episode Preview: Julius opens Kareem’s world to something new — something beyond the Nairobi chaos. A spark lights in Kareem’s eyes once again... but is it strong enough to burn through his past?
