The First Grader Page #2

Malisa, Malisa, Malisa.

Should I help you

to hear a little bit better?

Like this, Maruge.

Maruge? Let's get you some air.

- What's wrong with him?

- Stay with my class.

It wasn't me!

What's wrong, Maruge?

I think this is all too much for you

at your age, Maruge.

Maybe you shouldn't be here.

It won't happen again.

What is that?

I was in the camps.

You were Mau Mau?

Yes.

Tell me what happened

in the classroom, Maruge.

Then I can help you.

I must go back to class

to finish my work.

I was a prisoner.

The British stole our land,

so we said they must give it back.

They told us to be quiet.

So we spoke very loud.

To some,

in 1963.

That was uhuru.

What does 'uhuru' mean?

It's 'freedom'.

Freedom!

Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Uhuru!

- Uhuru!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Uhuru!

- Uhuru!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Uhuru!

- Uhuru!

- Uhuru!

- Uhuru!

- Freedom!

- Freedom!

- Uhuru!

- Uhuru!

What is this?

He's going to be a problem, for all of us.

Come on! Come outside

and start working.

Listen, my friend.

It doesn't have to be like this.

Renounce your oath

and you can go home.

Renounce the oath!

Again.

People, my people.

I'm hearing rumblings

that an old man

has actually gone back to school.

An old man going back to school!

Unbelievable.

Excellent work.

Come, Kamau.

Let's see what you have done.

Your one's very good.

Very good, very good.

Your fives again, Kamau.

Did we not go over this? Yes.

So why have you written them

the wrong way again?

Hm?

You have to write them again, Kamau.

- Sawa?

- Yes, Miss.

Maruge?

Excellent.

You are good with your numbers,

Maruge.

Excellent work.

Very good. I'm very happy with you.

Come, Francis.

Let's take a look at what you have done.

Oh, I like that.

Your work is always very neat.

You're a very clever boy.

OK. Excellent.

Because you have done so well,

you're going to get a star.

Ow! You're hurting me!

Ow!

Maruge!

You do not hit him!

Honestly, ladies tell me

Kikuyus have mad blood,

but their back story's another one.

Kikuyus work like stallions.

They're very...

Maruge, stop it! Maruge!

- Stop it!

- Hey!

Hey, hey, hey! What's going on here?

I couldn't believe my ears

when I got a phone call from the press

telling me about an old man

in one of my primary schools!

Who is he? Why is he

in school uniform?

His name is Maruge.

Mzee.

He wanted to come to school,

so I let him.

What do you mean?

This is a primary school.

Sir, the government said

everybody has the right to go to school.

Just because our politicians are stupid

doesn't mean we have to be as well!

He can't stay here.

Adults must go to the adult school.

Now, see to it that he leaves here now.

Sir, he fought the British.

- He was imprisoned in the camps.

- Oh, Mau Mau, huh?

Typical Kikuyu.

I should have known.

Excuse me?

I thought tribalism was over.

This has nothing to do with tribalism.

It's about doing

what's right for the school.

An old man like him does not belong

in a classroom full of children.

Now, we'll continue this conversation

in the office.

Maruge...

He's a bloody Kalenjin.

You too, Maruge?

You know, after independence,

we all became Kenyans.

The Kalenjins were loyalists!

So were my family loyal to the British!

So was everybody

if they wanted to stay alive!

And don't look at me like that.

The British never gave people a choice.

You were either for them

or you were against them,

and if you were against them,

they killed you.

I had children.

Two children!

I had a family!

The British killed them.

We chose.

The Kikuyus chose.

And we paid.

We paid!

Come to class. Come to class,

come to class, come to class.

Go to class, go to class.

He says I've got to get rid of Maruge.

He's sending him off to the adult school.

Where is his compassion?

Jane, Jane, just stop.

That's not what he's saying.

He's just saying Maruge cannot go

to children's school.

Why are you defending him?

The British killed his family.

We have a duty to help him.

The Mau Mau killed people too, OK?

But that's got nothing to do with an old

man going to a children's school.

Fine.

No-one's going to fight

for Maruge, so I will.

OK, please do not go over

Kipruto's head.

I work with these people

and I know how they are.

They won't take kindly to this.

You know I'm always on your side.

- Love you.

- 'Bye.

I appreciate your concern,

but my hands are tied.

Maruge is such a hard worker.

He's a great role model

for the children.

If we let Maruge in,

how can we refuse others?

Our schools could be flooded

with old people.

This would be taking away

from the precious resources

we need for our children.

Thank you for your time,

Madam Secretary.

You're welcome.

Mrs. Obinchu, one of the consultants

working with the Danish Government,

Charles Obinchu.

Charles is my husband.

- Give him my best.

- I will.

Mrs. Obinchu, the children

are Kenya's future.

I'm sorry, Maruge.

I have no money, no money.

There's nothing for free.

You cannot go, you're too old.

So today we're focusing

on singular and plural.

Let's start with 'bed', alright?

So, 'bed', the plural for 'bed' is 'beds'.

That's B-E-D-S.

Alright, so you just add an 'S'.

Alright, now, the plural for 'lamp'...

Please.

The plural for 'lamp'...

Alright, how about 'death'?

The plural for 'death'...

- Kwa heri!

- Asante!

See you later, Teacher.

Maruge, what are you

doing here?

Come inside.

I took the oath to get our land back

from the British.

Maruge, you don't have to

tell me this.

What is Kikuyu

without land?

The Masai, it's cattle.

But for us, it's land.

That's why

we were fighting.

But we are nothing if we cannot read.

We are useless.

When I was a boy,

there was no money for education.

I worked on a white man's farm.

Then came the fight for freedom.

Maruge...

I have a letter.

What do you mean?

That's why I came to the school.

I must read it for myself.

I have to understand.

Please.

Teach me to read, Mrs. Obinchu.

Well, I know we've had this conversation

many times before about Maruge,

but I was wondering if you might

be willing to reconsider.

Mr. Kipruto, they just mess around

at the adult school.

He didn't learn a thing.

Yes.

Yes, of course I'm grateful.

Kwa heri.

Maruge, I'm very sorry.

I've done everything...

That bloody Kipruto

can go to hell!

The adult school

is better than nothing...

I'm not going!

He's Kalenjin. His people were in bed

with the British.

Bloody loyalist!

I'm not going. Not me!

Let him go to the other school himself!

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Now, class, please sit down.

I came to say goodbye.

I told them a goat cannot read.

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