Duma Page #3

you ever see.

That is a place I never want to

go to again. Do you understand?

My mother probably hates me.

Because I left her.

Mothers never stop loving their children.

What do you know about mothers?

I am a father.

This is dinner.

This way, this way.

Quickly, come. He's got him.

We are not going to eat tonight.

Now, that food...

...that will be an easy catch.

Maybe.

You have any ideas?

Yeah.

- Only blue one I've seen.

- You look, and I'll focus.

A green-breasted fluffy tail.

No, I think it's fluffy-breasted, isn't it?

- You're wrong. Quite wrong.

- And now. What do I do now?

You're quite wrong.

I think it's an African red-eyed bulbul.

You are ready?

Yeah.

No, no, you're quite wrong.

No, I'm talking about the...

That's a water bird, darling.

Well, I don't see anything there at all.

- Are your contacts in?

- They're in.

Help me.

It bit me.

- It bit me.

- What bit you?

- What bit you?

- This.

It's a black mamba!

That's right, lad.

Eat.

You will go far, Xan.

As long as you stay out of jail, eh?

I want you to have this.

What is that?

It's for helping me.

No. I can't.

I want you to have it.

I don't want it.

You don't understand, Xan.

People die for that stuff.

I can't take it.

Okay.

Then the water has it.

Five, four, three, two, one...

Okay, okay, okay.

I am sure I'm going to help you

at least one more time, eh?

I will safe-keep it.

Come.

Look.

You see this?

These pretty little stones...

...I found when I had to dig myself out.

Do you remember?

It's okay.

Take them.

I want you to remember

your friend Ripkuna.

I'll remember you, Rip.

But I hope you remember me.

Because now I'm gonna say goodbye.

Xan?

Xan. What you are do...?

Wake up, Xan.

Xan. Don't do that. That was not funny.

I'll kill you myself next time.

Stupid boy with no ass. Get on.

You wish.

What is that noise you are making?

When two cheetahs are lost,

and they're looking for each other...

...they make that sound.

Hey.

Lions. Not so long ago.

Come on, Duma. You're being selfish.

Leave him.

Remember, it's what you wanted.

That meat is in his bones from way back.

It's all right.

My grandfather would bring me to this place

when I was younger than you.

The old ones...

...they talk to me.

See how they lived, feared...

...who they loved.

Their world is gone.

But we are not so different.

You know, nobody comes here anymore.

They are all forgotten.

I myself am no better. My own father,

I do not know whether he lives or not.

My father...

...he died recently.

How can someone

just disappear like that...

...forever?

Yebo...

...l, too, would be angry.

You know, Xan...

...people go when they are ready to go.

Not when you are.

We are all just...

...travelers on the same river.

Grandparents, parents,

their sons and daughters.

We all have our time on the river.

We just...

We do what we can before we disappear.

This is your time, Xan.

Duma's.

And mine.

Very soon we will be

where Duma is going.

After...

...I am going to go and see my family.

See if they welcome me or not.

And you can go and see your mother.

Your father is dead for her too.

Everything's changed.

It's not the same.

- It's different.

- That's it, Xan.

Change, yeah.

That's what happens.

All the time.

The little boy that left home...

...is not the little boy

that is with me now, eh?

See?

Change.

Xan, can you see?

- Above that cliff, in the canyon.

- Yeah.

A village. My village.

Xan, stop.

- What is it?

- Tsetse.

Do what I say, yeah?

You have to run.

Hey. Wait. Wait!

Now, breathe.

Keep breathing.

Rip, what is wrong?

I'm sorry, Xan.

Long time ago, got very sick from tsetse.

Was bad.

Real bad.

We hurry now.

Fire. We have to build a fire.

They see us. They are coming down now.

Yeah, yeah.

- It's going. Up a bit.

- Yes.

It's too wet.

Hold it up.

I can't hold it. My hands don't work.

Look. That is it.

See, they are still dry.

Easy come, easy go. Take it.

Burn it.

Yes, yes.

Very good.

Duma, you have to stay here.

Rip.

Hang on. I'm gonna get help.

Hello?

Is anybody here?

My friend is sick. I need your help.

Duma.

Duma.

Rip. Ripkuna.

Ripkuna.

Otorno.

Otorno.

Ainu.

Ainu.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Xan.

I want you to meet my family.

This is Ainu.

Otorno, my son.

Melika, my wife.

I said we have been

on a long journey together.

That you are a mad-cat boy.

That we are family. All of us together.

Duma.

Duma.

He's a wild animal. Remember?

His wildness is something...

...he knows without even knowing it.

It's in his blood, his bones.

Like a memory, yeah?

You and I will take him up next week.

Okay? Camp out, do a bit of fishing.

It'll be lekker, man, send him off.

Hey, you.

You got it, boy.

Found a buddy and everything.

You take care of yourself.

I'm gonna miss you.

There are things you know

without knowing.

For Duma, it was his wildness.

For Rip, his family.

For me, it was my dad.

Everything he was,

everything he believed in...

...is now part of me.

I was taking Duma home,

but he took me somewhere too.

Finding Duma's true home

brought me back to mine...

...and showed me that love doesn't stop

when time passes...

...or you live in different places,

or somebody's gone.

That's how it was with me and Duma.

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