Out of Africa Page #7

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that Kenya will be losing you.

You have heard of my trouble then?

Yes.

I regret it.

And do you know of my problem now?

Baroness.

This land you want from us.

Will you help me, Sir Joseph?

Baroness, this really isn't the time.

That's quite difficult.

Baroness.

Please, get up.

Kenya is a hard country

for women...

so there is a chivalry here,

of a sort.

You are a powerful man,

and I have no one else to turn to.

Let's discuss this

in the proper way.

You mustn't be embarrassed.

I've lost everything.

It costs me very little to beg you.

Wait.

Give her a moment, please.

This land was theirs, you see.

We took it,

and now they have nowhere else to go.

I'll look into it.

We'll do the best we can.

May I have your word, sir?

You have mine.

Thank you.

I hope you will be happy here.

I was.

I'm sorry I won't know you.

I didn't hear it

until I got to the border.

It seems I'll do almost anything

to get your attention.

I've nearly got you packed.

And my poor family,

I've got them near bankrupt.

Now I have to ask them for more money.

Let me help you.

You would keep me, then?

No. I want to be

worth something now.

What will you do?

After my rummage sale, leave.

Friday for Mombasa, and then...

the boat to Denmark.

Thank you.

You must have them ready to leave

before the rains.

It is good land, enough for all.

But they must not fight about it

or be any trouble to the authorities.

Do you understand?

Or they will lose it.

You must make them understand

that I will not be here...

to speak for them.

This land is far?

Not too far.

How can it be now

with me and yourself?

You will have some money.

Enough, I think.

I do not speak of money.

Do you remember how it was...

on safari?

In the afternoons I would

send you ahead to look for a camp...

and you would wait for me.

You can see the fire...

and come to this place.

Yes.

Well, it will be like that.

Only this time I will go ahead

and wait for you.

It is far,

where you are going?

Yes.

You must make this fire very big...

so I can find you.

Take that out to the lawn.

Have you had dinner?

Yes.

Your things

I packed your things.

I thought I would send them

on to the club.

Is that all right?

This wasn't a very good idea.

I think we should have

had it this way all the time.

I don't know.

I was beginning to like

your things.

And I was beginning to like

living without them.

You've ruined it for me,

you know.

Ruined what?

Being alone.

Have I?

I'd like to come with you

to Mombasa.

Can I fly you there?

Aren't you going away again?

I have some things to do tomorrow

at Tsavo, but I'll be back on Friday.

Will that be all right?

Of course.

I've got this little thing

that I've learned to do lately.

When it gets so bad...

and I think I can't go on...

I try to make it worse.

I make myself think about our camp

on the river...

and Berkeley...

and the first time

that you took me flying.

How good it all was.

And when I'm certain

that I can't stand it...

I go one moment more.

And then I know

I can bear anything.

Would you like to help me?

Yes.

Come dance with me then.

You were right, you know.

The farm never did belong to me.

I may have been wrong.

I had a farm in Africa.

- Friday.

- Yes.

Would you like a drink?

Please.

Denys has been killed.

His plane crashed at Tsavo.

There was a fire.

Can I take you into town, Tanne?

Why did they send you?

I thought I should.

My God, you are brave.

"The sun shall not smite thee by day,

nor the moon at night.

The Lord shall preserve thee

from all evil.

He shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out

and thy coming in.

From this time forth

and even forevermore."

Amen.

"The time you won

your town the race...

we chaired you

through the marketplace.

Man and boy stood cheering by...

as home we brought you,

shoulder high.

Smart lad,

to slip betimes away...

from fields where glory

does not stay.

Early though

the laurel grows...

it withers quicker than a rose.

Now you will not swell the rout...

of lads that wore their honours out.

Runners whom renown outran...

and the name died...

before the man.

And round that early laurelled head...

will flock to gaze

the strengthless dead...

and find unwithered on its curls...

a garland...

briefer than a girl's."

Now take back the soul

of Denys George Finch Hatton...

whom You have shared with us.

He brought us joy...

and we loved him well.

He was not ours.

He was not mine.

If I know a song of Africa...

of the giraffe...

and the African new moon

lying on her back...

of the ploughs in the fields...

and the sweaty faces

of the coffee pickers...

does Africa know a song of me?

Will the air over the plain quiver...

with a colour that I have had on?

Or will the children invent a game...

in which my name is?

Or the full moon throw a shadow...

over the gravel of the drive...

that was like me?

Or will the eagles of the Ngong Hills

look out for me?

You cannot come where I am going.

There is no cooking

where you are going?

You would not like it there.

You must trust me about this.

Letters you can send on

to this address in Denmark.

When you sell the car, if you would

send the cheque to Hunter and Company...

and anything else you don't know

what to do with.

Yes, ma'am.

Baroness, I've been sent to ask

if we may stand you a drink.

Who is "we"?

Well, the members, actually.

All right.

Whiskey, please.

Two whiskys, please.

Baroness?

Rose lipped maidens,

light foot lads.

Hear, hear.

Thank you.

This is very dear to me.

It has helped me to find my way.

Thank you, msabu.

I want to hear you say my name.

You are Karen, msabu.

The mail has come today...

and a friend writes this to me:

"The Masai have reported

to the district commissioner at Ngong...

that many times at sunrise

and sunset...

they have seen lions

on Finch Hatton's grave.

A lion and a lioness

have gone there...

and stood or lain on the grave

for a long time.

After you went away,

the ground around the grave...

was levelled out

into a sort of terrace.

I suppose that the level place

makes a good site for the lions.

From there they have a view

over the plain...

and the cattle and game on it. "

Denys will like that.

I must remember to tell him.

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