The First Grader Page #5

the deputy chairman?

- No.

- Oh... alright.

Then I'm afraid you'll have to wait.

I don't want to wait.

You're gonna have to.

Hey, Jacquie, I need the chairman

to sign this.

No, sorry, he's in a meeting

and I cannot disturb him.

But I need it right now.

OK, do this... leave it with me,

then I'll see what I can do.

- OK, but make it ASAP.

- Sure.

Hey, sir! Wait! Please wait!

So, where do we go from here?

Mr. Chairman, I still insist

that we should go to Kilifi.

We have the money!

Wait, sir!

Old man, you can't go in...

I am so sorry, Mr. Chairman.

I'm gonna go and call security.

What is this?

Sir, this is Mzee Maruge.

Mr. Maruge.

What can we do for you?

I'm here for a teacher.

- Sir, shall I...

- No, that's alright. Thank you.

You have our attention, sir.

I was in the detention camps

with our founding fathers.

These men sacrificed everything

for your generation.

Without them, you'd not be here.

Before, it was only

the Queen's face there.

The British did this to me.

They cracked my skull.

They chopped off my toes.

Mr. Chairman...

Mr. Maruge, that's enough.

We have to learn

from our past.

We must not forget.

But we must be better.

We need good teachers.

We reap what we sow with our children.

Bring her back.

Thank you.

Welcome back.

- Who is it?

- It's Teacher Jane!

Teacher! Teacher Jane is here.

Can we go to her?

Welcome back!

Oh, we missed you so much.

Welcome!

Welcome back!

Ohh!

I hear you have been writing.

Is it true you have been writing?

Alright, back to class! OK, come.

Let's go back to class.

I hope you're back for good.

OK, so let's decide

which books are going...

Yes, Maruge?

- We're busy, Maruge.

- No, it's OK.

The letter. 'Tis too hard.

You must read it for me now.

Please.

Come, Maruge.

You read it for Maruge.

Sit down, Maruge.

"Dear honoured prisoner number 4339,

"On behalf of the Republic of Kenya

"I would like to inform you that you have

been judged eligible for compensation

"for the ill-treatment you endured while

imprisoned under British colonial rule

"in Hola camp from 1951 to 1953,

"Langata camp from 1953 to 1955...

"...Manyani camp from 1955 to 1957,

"and Embakasi camp

from 1957 to 1959."

"It is recorded hereby

that prisoner number 4339

"suffered cruel and inhuman treatment

in captivity

"because of his sustained refusal

to renounce the oath of allegiance.

"With gratitude for your heroic sacrifice

in liberating our country,

"His Excellency, the President

of the Republic of Kenya."

We're here because of you, Maruge.

Shall we go, Maruge?

This is not the end, you know?

I want to continue learning.

I want to become a vet.

A vet, Maruge?

But you know you'll be

about 100 years old?

I'll learn until I have

soil in my ears.

Yes, Maruge. You will. You will.

My people, my people,

teacher, my teacher, wow!

Now, word has spread, officially,

that Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge

has actually made it all the way

to the United States of America

all by himself,

speaking to the UN,

to talk to the politicians.

This is unbelievable!

I... I cannot even...

Maruge in the United States,

speaking to the UN!

Can you... Can you believe that?

You know, I'm now...

I'm now beginning to believe

that one day, a Kenyan...

a Kenyan! ...will go to the White House.

But for now...

...according to me,

Kimani Maruge is

the headmaster of the world!

Yes, we can!

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