The Summoning

Lamu is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It is like something out of the past, hidden in a dream. That is not to say that the island is without flaws. There are open sewers, thousands of feral cats, arid saltpans, and tourists. Yet it has a charm of its own, an old and magic charm that radiates from the fourteenth century buildings that still stand. The magic pours from the mosques during the call to prayer. The magic builds each early evening, as the sun touches the ocean in a blinding green flash.
This evening was no different. As the stars came out, a heady scent filled the air. Night blooming Jasmine opened its flowers. The pwani was filled with the sounds of fishermen setting out for the night. There was the creak and slap of wooden ships, the calls of the sailors, punctuated with the occasional donkey bray. All seemed well in Lamu town.