Afternoon

The exquisite heat of midday in southern Africa ...no respite provided from the breeze or even the fan, like a blow dryer on medium. The direct sunlight is a laser beam singeing my flesh. A cold shower provides temporary relief, but my skin and even my hair dry within minutes. Clean clothes, the chair, the bed, all have become radioactive,  hot to the touch. I'm surrounded by tents filled with my fellow travelers, but we suffer alone. Rendered unable to talk or even move, we attempt fitful sweaty naps, or try to lose ourselves in thought until released from the stifling weight of the afternoon heat.