I Dreamed of Africa Page #3

You don't have to do everything yourself.

Apparently I do.

I never know if you'll be here,

so I'd better know how to light lamps...

...drive tractors, speak Swahili,

fix everything in the house...

...fight off lions, shoot our dog!

- It's not what you expected.

- What?

Africa.

You regret it, don't you?

Coming here.

Is that what you think?

It was just a fantasy.

My fantasy.

I love it here.

I've never seen Ema so happy.

I've never been more alive in my life.

I just want a piece of you

away from the hunting and your friends.

We have a child...

...who needs a father.

What was that?

No!

- Damn you!

- Kuki! Wait!

They're out there again!

Get out of my garden! Get out!

Be careful!

Move! Move!

Clear off! Right now!

Go! Move!

Move!

Get the hell away!

You maniac. You're insane!

- We'll put it right tomorrow.

- Months of work.

- A different rhythm.

- No!

- Say it! "A different rhythm!"

- No!

Paolo, I chased away an elephant!

- Yes, you did!

- A big elephant. Did you see him?

Yep. Big one, isn't it?

The generator is off for the night.

I picked this up at a farm auction.

Paolo asked me to keep an eye out

for one for you.

Being on your own so much, he thought...

I'll pop it inside.

We need a Christmas tree.

It won't be Christmas without a tree.

We'll get one. There's plenty of time.

Pep, Nonna's here.

- I'll get the bag.

- Oh, it's so good to see you!

Quick, to the house.

- It's been a long time.

- Come see my room.

So this is Africa.

We haven't had rain in six months.

Come on.

Happy Christmas.

Mother. How can you part with it?

And you've loved it all this time.

It's beautiful. It's beautiful.

It'll look wonderful here...

...in Africa.

Shouldn't we go back?

We might get stuck.

Don't worry so much.

The heavy rains don't come until April.

Careful, there's a hole.

God, Kuki, what is that?

What is that? Is it a dog?

- That is not a dog.

- No, it's a wart hog.

Are you sure this is the right road?

I've lived here a year.

I know the roads by now.

Are we stuck?

Well, we're stuck.

All right, I'll walk back and get Paolo

to help pull us out.

- You two can stay in the jeep.

- Alone?

- It's easier if I go.

- We're staying together. We'll walk back...

But it's easier if I go alone.

- It's only a few kilometres.

- I don't care.

- We are not staying alone. It'll get dark.

- They'll tow us out soon.

- I'm not staying here alone.

- Okay, Mother.

But be quiet.

What do you mean, "Be quiet"?

The animals.

My new Guccis!

I'm stuck. I'm stuck.

I can't get out!

I told you we'd get stuck.

I stop, you stop.

What's that noise?

Don't talk.

Gordon, come back, boy.

Come on.

"Good King Wenceslas looked out

"On the feast of Stephen

"When the snow lay round about

"Deep and crisp and even

"Brightly shone the moon that night"

"Sixth day of Christmas

"My true love sent to me

"Six geese a-laying

"Five golden rings"

Thank God. There's the house.

Mother, don't run.

Thanks for pulling us out, Declan.

May I have a word with you?

Look.

You, Ema, your mother...

...Gordon and one, two lions. Very big.

From the tracks,

they were stalking you the whole way.

You're lucky to be alive.

Thank you, darling. Just what I wanted.

Did you see the frangipani?

Look. Just about to blossom.

- What is it called?

- Frangipani.

Beautiful tree, isn't it?

These three weeks have gone so fast.

You'll make the cricket team

this year, right?

- Yes?

- Yes.

That's wonderful.

I'm going to miss you.

Next time we'll go fishing.

If the sun comes out.

Don't forget your Guccis next time.

Oh, what a tease!

Could you bring me, like,

- 'Bye, darling.

- I love you. 'Bye.

- Okay, you be sure to write, now.

- Careful of the road.

From the western border of OI Ari Nyiro...

... the land falls away into the Rift Valley.

I look out and back

across all of human time on earth.

I am alone.

Over the years,

I've become good at being alone.

And yet, I am never alone.

I'm surrounded by Africa.

I'm surrounded by life.

It is a gift I did not expect.

A buffalo's gored Paolo!

We'll take him to the house!

Son of a b*tch!

Buffalo just came out of nowhere.

Hold him.

Water!

A buffalo took a shot in the shoulder,

then gored him.

Kuki, get back here.

Hold the two together. That's it.

Another inch...

...would have got his artery.

Fettuccine.

Bravo.

What's going on?

Luka tracked the wounded bull

to the Mukatan.

We've got to get him

before he gets someone else.

Declan can do it.

He's in Mombasa. Cattle auction.

- Luka can't go alone?

- That bastard won't get away again.

- Let's go.

- Nothing will stop you.

Go ahead, kill yourself.

Let's go.

That's so I don't hit you with it.

Listen.

- What if one day you don't come back?

- But I always do.

And you'll always go again and again.

I can't be in one place every day,

not even this place.

Out there, there's just the moment.

One error of judgement, one lapse

in concentration, and it's your last!

I need that! I can't explain it.

It's not fair to you, but I need it!

We came here to change things,

to change our lives.

I'm doing the best I can, Kuki.

But...

Go.

Go.

"Through the years

"We do our best to serve the rest

"And cast aside our fears"

Choir practice on Saturday

will be postponed...

... until Monday at 4:00

to allow time for exam revision.

The Atticus meeting will not take place

in the clubhouse...

...due to an infestation of cockroaches.

You will convene

in the gymnasium instead.

And finally, this afternoon's cricket match

with the second eleven:

Hit them for six, Pembroke!

"Hit them for six, Pembroke!"

Over here!

Be careful!

Pull!

When did he grow up, this son of ours?

When did he become a young man?

He must have grown three inches

since I saw him at Easter.

I hold him

and try to remember the little boy...

... who ran wild

when we first came to Africa.

Ema is more like Paolo every day.

The same smile.

The same gestures.

The same need for excitement.

And like his father,

he can talk me into anything.

There is an auction next week in Nairobi.

I really want that bull.

For you.

Thanks, Paolo.

Pep, look.

- Nice, huh? We'll try it tomorrow.

- All right.

You like it?

Poachers.

It's a snare. It cuts off the blood supply

till the animal can't walk.

And then the poachers,

they just come along and pick it off.

The last one...

...he's Pokot. Isn't he?

Yeah.

Bastards!

Bastards.

It's over.

It's not. It's getting worse.

Butchers.

I am looking for the Gilgil Road.

- On the left, back at the last...

- Get out of the car.

I said, "Get out of the car!"

Get out!

Here he goes again.

Hello, you.

Mrs. Gallmann.

Mr. Gallmann.

Some people don't like you and your wife

chasing poachers off your land.

I've put a message in it for you.

But to get the message,

you must first break the egg.

Open it whenever you want.

The message will be there

waiting for you...

...when the time is right.

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