A narrow escape

As time went on in Uganda, the poeple that helped put Amin in power (the Biritsh) eventually struggles to help to bring him out of power. In the Novel Stone who at first is unliked by Garrigan, becomes Garrigan's only allie. Garrigan waited to long before he finally decided it was time to get out of Uganda, he was lucky Stone and Englishman was willing to help him flee the country. Garrigan finally realized that he was just out of place in Uganda, the African's way of life was too different from his own. Things that white people held in value weren't important, and small things, material things were too important. Garrigan had no choice but to trust Stone. Once again there seems to be an underlying battle of races, the Brits, (whites) against Amin and the Africans. All in all the book was very difficult to read, it had interesting material, yet the downright naiveness of Garrigan is almost to much to handle.

Garrigan remains blind

At the start of Garrigans job with Amin things seems to be working out fine, nothing very excting happens, small events that give off a feeling of trust, and then contrasting events that seem to pull Amin and Garrigan apart. Example of this is Amin putting Garrigan in charge of running the hospital in Kampala, in contrast Garrigan puts himself in an awkward situation when he openly disagrees with the way Amin treats his family. I can plainly see the volatile nature of Amin through these events, but still it does not seem to affect Garrigan. It seems to be inevitable that things will shortly turn for the worse for Garrigan. Even as people close to Amin begin to be killed and disappear like Minister Waswa, Garrigan fails to blame Amin, he is blind to the events happening around him, this is very frustrating for someone reading this book. Garrigan quickly needs to find out who he can really trust.

After looking up certain reviews on this book, I read an article that looks at the point when Garrigan accepts his job as personal physician. The article gives two opinions from a white missionary in Africa and his Kenyan firend, they both agree Garrigan should not have taken the job, but each for different reasons. Both reasons make sense, and I believe the difference in them shows the different thinking of African people in general. The white man states that he should have denyed the job simply because of the temptations that it would inevitably provide him, the Kenyan, becuase Garrigan was a white outsider, and had absolutley no understanding of African people or they what he was getting himself into.

Garrigan meets Amin

This is the start of unfortunate events that seem to plague the rest of the book. Garrigan first meets Amin on the side of the road next to Amin's Mazaratti. Amin has just collided with a cow and Garrigan is the closest doctor available to bandage Amin's sprained hand. Soon after this Garrigan is invited to the presidents palace where he is offered to be Amin's personal physician. Amin immediately trusts Garrigan becasue he feels a certain tie to the Scots because he feels they share the same enemny, the British. Garrigan, ultimately accepts the job, after first refusing, he states because he feels he can not say no to Amin as the reason. After looking deeper into this, as it is one of the most important events in the book, I feel Garrigan in happy to take the job mostly because it is a much better life than the one he has been living in Mbarara. Garrigan fails, to see the danger of his decision, and only focuses on the benefits.

First Day in Mbarara

Garrigan finally arrives in Mbarara, the town where he will be stationed as a doctor. At first he has trouble finding Dr Merrit and his wife, but eventually he does find them and they offer to let him stay with them for the night. The next day is the first day of Nicholas's actually job, he spends the day with Merrit touring the fcilities and getting acquainted with the procedures. He notices that the diseases here are much different than he is used to, and, the technologie and availability of certain medicines are not as good, he can tell from the first day that practicing here will be a challenge.

Bus ride

Stone tells Garrigan that the bus ride to the village of Mbarara may be dangerous, Garrigan has no other way of reaching the village, so he ends up taking the bus. He describes the Bus as so old that it should be placed in a museum as an antique. The spings point through the seats and the there is almost no padding left. The bus is also cramped, with every seat filled as well as luggage, and a few far animals. Almost imediateley after the start of the trip the bus is pulled over by soldiers. One soldier climbs aboard the bus and checks id's, when he comes to Garrigan (the only white man on the bus) he motions for him to come with him. The man next to Garrigan tells Garrigan to pay the soldier or else something bad might happen. Garrigan pays the soldier and all is well. The soldier next stops next to a man dressed in a suit and carrying a suitcase, the only wealthy man, as Garrigan points out. The Soldier tries to take the suitcase from the man, who refuses because he states that his papers are in order and that he is a representative from the Kenyan government. The soldier begins to shout and the Kenyan shouts bad you have no right. The soldier beats uo the Kenyan and takes his briefcase, all of this seamingly no reason. Upon seeing this Garrigan offers to help the bloody Kenyan who quickly refuses, stating that Garrigan should have helped before when the soldier was beating him up. The kenyan says that he is a white man and that he has that responsibility. Garrigan baffled by the words of the Kenyan, shrinks into his seat. The bus ride shows how truly unsettled Uganda is. Also it shows one way that the African people are quick to judge and to reliable on the whiteman.

Stone

Before Dr. Garrigan can leave to Mabara, the town where he is to practice, he must stop by the British Embassy to register, and so that the British can know where he is, more or less for his safety. At the embassy he meats Stone, who was part part of the Colonial force that had ruled in Uganda. Stone collects his information and the topic of conversation turns to the current event of Amin overthrowing Obote. Stone explains, that although the British are not in power in Uganda, it remains their job to oversee the country. Stone explains how in the city of Kampala far removed from the rest of the country, which remains more or less in a jungle, that important happenings that lead to uprisings among tribes and ideals can be missed. In a way Stone places Amin's overthrow of Obote on the Britains shoulders, although he also states that Amin might be good for Uganda, and the Brits because he grew up in the British Army, and as he put it not very bright. Anyways, the point being Stone tells Garrigan to keep an eye out for anything unusual because rebellions often start in small towns, and escalate far beyond control by the time the news of thier existence reaches Kampala. Garrigan, stupidly or naively doesn't grasp the meaning of Stone's request and unfortunatley is not in touch with how Africa has been and will continue to be a dangerous place.