Z if for Zimbabwe

Leila's father came to the U.S. from Zimbabwe, but she's never been there herself. Lately, though, she's had a jones to visit the land of her ancestors, especially now that she's been to Europe twice already, and she's constantly calling Sylvia and they're talking on the phone for hours about taking a trip out there next Summer. Sylvia's become very taken with the idea, thinking that maybe she can do some travel writing while she's there and chalk off part of her trip as a business expense. She's started bargaining with Leila about the itinerary, though, because all she can take off from Cheshire House is two weeks, and she refuses to go to Africa without stopping in Ethiopia, home of the first coffee plants. Sylvia's father is against the whole idea, thinks she should just do a tour of the States and get to know her own country better. He doesn't say it, but it's obvious that he would worry about her traveling over there. "It's not the most stable place in the world," he says. "The Old Fossil fought through two separate wars and now he's worried about stable places," Sylvia tells me, giving me a look. But she's grateful for his concern.