Voila! Finally, the I Dreamed Of Africa
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the movie starring Kim
Basinger. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of I Dreamed Of Africa. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
- Let's go there.
- I want to go dancing!
And now? Where shall we go?
Great job. Oh, no, I know where we'll go.
Let's go to Harry's Bar.
Yeah, come on, come on!
I'll buy you all a drink at Harry's Bar.
But there's no room for Kuki.
Kuki, come on.
Come in our car. Hurry now.
Take Gabriella.
She won't fit in the Alfa anymore.
Come here. Come in.
Come on.
Let's go!
What are you going to call it,
this bump here?
If it's a girl, Valentina.
It won't be long now, Gabriella.
I know. Eleven weeks, three days.
Not that she's counting.
Do you have children?
Emanuele. He's seven.
Oh, Emanuele! What a lovely name.
- Hey, look at the truck!
- What's he doing?
He's coming straight at us!
He's going to hit us!
My baby.
- Help me.
- Please, God.
Help us.
Somebody.
Marina.
Oh, God! Marina!
Kuki! I don't see Kuki.
- I'll stop the bleeding.
- Just help!
No. No!
Hi, Pep.
What happened to it?
Does it look frightful?
It looks like this, only bigger.
Remember when Christian broke his leg?
That's what happened to your mother.
When will you be home?
It won't be long.
Not for a few weeks, though.
You can come see me every day.
Even school days?
Sure.
We can do your homework together.
Are you in pain?
Not too bad.
I'm so sorry.
It was...
This shouldn't have happened to you.
- I don't know how to help or...
- It's nobody's fault.
It's nobody's fault.
Nurse.
She's in pain. Please do something.
You should go home.
Is there someone there with you?
Yes. Thank you.
For a while, I couldn't remember
who else was in the car.
Go home.
"Gravity.
Gravity holds objects on the ground.
"It is called gravity.
Gravity is very important."
- You need to get drunk.
- That's not what I heard.
Look, that's the blanket
your mother gave her.
Sweet, huh?
- She is so beautiful.
- I know, I know.
Well, she's not so beautiful
at : in the morning.
Emanuele must miss you.
He's been here almost every day.
That's his snake.
It's a full moon tonight. Can you see it?
No.
May I?
Of course.
May I turn off the light?
Have they found the driver?
The police...
...have given up.
Can you see it now?
Not quite.
There.
It's beautiful.
It's : in the morning.
I can hear the traffic in the street below.The doctors say that next week
I'll be leaving.But for now I do nothing
but lie here and think.I am divorced, raising a child on my own.I feel a terrible sense of failure.Everyone tells me I'm lucky to be alive.I know this is a chance to find meaning
in my life, to give it value.But I'm afraid that I'm only a dreamer
who hasn't the courage to change.But there's always Ema.At least I got that right.
I was nearby. A bridge repair in Treviso.
Come in.
If it's no trouble.
No, no, of course not.
It must be great to be home at last.
He remarried. I think they're in the States.
And he keeps in touch with Emanuele?
Not even when we were married.
So you came back to live here?
It seemed easiest.
I run things here for my mother.
She's too busy between the museum
and the university.
And I like to be home for Ema.
You know, when he gets out of school.
That's Lake Rudolf. And is that you?
That's me.
My father spent a lot of time in Africa
when he was younger.
He wanted me to see
all the places he loved.
I was managing a ranch there
with my brother.
Really?
Near Kilimanjaro.
He had an accident out there.
What happened?
I'll tell you one day.
Anyway, the idea was to learn the ropes,
buy a place.
I felt I belonged there. I was at peace.
After the accident,
I told myself all the usual things.
How lucky I was to be alive.
Pep, Pep! Come quickly.
Excuse me.
Bad dream.
You know how to get rid of bad dreams?
You draw it.
Now tear it up.
And again.
Yes.
Now give it to me.
Don't set fire to the bed.
'Bye.
That's how you get rid of bad dreams.
- Says who?
- Says me.
You think you're the only one
who has them?
'Night.
- Lf you're out this way...
- Thank you.
Thank your mother for me.
Of course.
No more cast.
No more cast.
This man has come into our lives,
and for the first time in many years...... I feel a sense of hope, of life returning.He loves Emanuele. My son adores him.But there is a restlessness in him.He's afraid I won't understand, but I do.I understand that most of all.
These last few months,
you, me and Paolo...
...we've been happy, right?
Paolo's selling his house.
He's giving up his job.
He wants you and I to go to Africa
and live with him.
He wants to take care of us.
You mean leave here?
Leave Nonna and Grandpapa?
Wouldn't it be fun to make a new start
in a new place?
Yeah.
You see...
Ema, look at me.
I've stopped growing.
Out you go.
Well?
- Will there be elephants where we live?
- There might be.
Go to bed.
- And giraffes?
- Bed. Now!
I'll never go to bed in Africa.
It's Paolo.
I'm not surprised.
We're talking about going to Kenya
to live...
...after we're married.
I know it seems sudden to you.
It's not Venice.
I mean,
have you given any thought at all to...
...how it would be for you and Ema
actually living in Africa?
I mean, it's so unpredictable.
You were always the one that said
I was afraid of a challenge.
Well, not all challenges
are worth accepting.
I'm not afraid.
Well, then you should be!
You're not thinking about the hardship
and the risks.
You are responsible for a child now.
It's the experience of a lifetime for Ema.
He'll find happiness and freedom!
You say freedom to make it sound noble,
but it's just your willfulness.
And you never think things through.
Listen to me, Kuki, because I love you.
Because you're afraid of being Ionely.
And you don't want me to take Ema away.
I am afraid. And who isn't?
- And I don't want you to take...
- Madam.
Not now, Gregorio.
I don't want you to take Ema away.
But just listen to me.
I adore Paolo.
But now you're planning to...
You are planning to go off to Africa
with a man you hardly know.
I love him, Mother.
- I really do.
- Do you?
We're not easy people, you and I.
I haven't gone out of my way
to make it easy.
'Bye. Nonna! I love you!
Come and see us!
Zebras, down there.
Africa!
Look, vultures.
Vultures.
What kind of people do this?
Poachers, for the ivory.
They probably did this
while it was still alive.
Butchers.
They'll destroy everything.
Let's get Ema away from here.
Come into my tent.
Your son seems so happy.
Why the tents?
Everyone lives so far away, when we have
a party they seem to stay for days.
You'll get used to it.
Life has a different rhythm here in Kenya.
Whoa, look at that plane.
I tell them not to do that.
Duncan!
This is a precision instrument.
You might want to try looking
at the Cameron place.
Old Harry's getting tired
of fighting off the poachers.
Come on, Mike, give it a go.
Well, there's another place at Kipini
near Ras en Nogomeni.
- It's...
- On the coast.
I'd rather be above feet.
- Ready, Duncan?
- Yeah, let's give it a go.
Damn!
There's another at Laikipla.
- Good cattle country.
- OI Ari Nyiro.
It's owned by a consortium of bankers.
It's in terrible condition.
It's been on the market a month or so.
Ready?
Go.
Good shot.
God, it's good to be back.
OI Ari Nyiro.
Look, Ema. Over there.
Behind those hills.
That's the Great Rift Valley.
- It's almost derelict.
- I'll say.
That's why it's such a good price.
The work it needs!
What a view.
Look! Wildebeest!
Look.
Impalas.
Very good.
- I'm going to explore.
- What a view.
Paolo says there's a waterhole.
Kuki Gallmann.
Emanuele.
Simon.
I am Mrs. Gallmann.
Wanjiku.
Wanjiku.
Second ball, all right? I'll come in.
That must be Declan.
The ranch manager.
- 'Morning.
- 'Morning.
Paolo Gallmann.
- How you doing?
- Fine.
- Are you Declan?
- Yeah. This is Mirimuk.
My wife and son.
- Could you help me with that?
- Sure. Come in.
Can you put the map here?
It's an old map.
The cattle stations aren't marked.
Here and here...
...is even better water.
I think he wants us to come with him.
Let's go see.
No one's put any capital
in the place for years.
Hurry.
We've arrived.
- How many places have you seen?
- We looked at the place at Kipini.
- Yes, the Stroud place.
- I think so.
Well, that's quite a sad story.
Why?
They were a young English couple.
They got into a lot of debt.
Things got very bad.
They shot their two children
and then they shot themselves.
You're lucky to have Simon.
He's a Turkana.
He turned up four years ago
out of the blue.
Something makes him stay.
This just isn't a place for amateurs.
Looking into the night,
I can see eyes staring back at me.In the dark, something is moving.I am afraid, but I am also happy.I have never been here before,
and yet I feel like I have returned.I am at peace.
I hear noises.
Come in.
Come on.
Listen.
We call that the go-away bird.
And that...
...nightjars.
Elephant.
Hey, Pep. Snake.
- What is it?
- Get away from it!
It's only a python. It's not poisonous.
Can I keep it? Please, Pep.
I'll call him Kaa...
...like in the Kipling story.
Remember, Pep?
Touch it. He'll like it.
Paolo, you be careful!
I'm fine! We'll have fresh water soon!
Finally.
You're looking very godlike this morning.
Me?
My beautiful wife. Kiss me!
It's Duncan.
I'll go and meet him.
I packed a few crates of scotch.
Should be enough for a week.
Duncan, don't forget my. .
- We won't keep him long.
- It's not him we want.
It's Luka.
He's the best tracker in the country.
You'll be okay?
Of course. We'll be fine.
Thanks for all the supplies you brought us.
- It's the way life's lived here.
- It's a different rhythm.
Take care of your mom.
Takes some getting used to.
Simon and Wanjiku
will take good care of us.
Well, let's get going.
Come on, Romeo.
Easy, boy.
We'll be back in a few days.
- I'm going to catch some frogs for Kaa.
- Luka, come on!
This is Kaa, my python.
Where?
Stay there.
Come back!
He was just trying to protect us.
Go to bed. I'll be there soon.
Paolo's been gone five days now...... and there is still no word from him.Ema keeps asking where he is,
and I keep making excuses.What have I gotten myself into?What have I gotten my son into?
What happened?
Ema, no!
And then you shot the wart hog.
Two shots to the back of the head.
Bam, bam.
- And where did you go after that?
- Up north, to Lake Turkana.
We hired a boat and did some fishing.
Paolo caught some Nile perch.
Huge great thing, pounds,
maybe more.
Don't start, please.
- The meat, do we hang it like venison?
- Not in this climate.
Yes, thank you.
Wonderful coffee.
Great food, Kuki. Just the job.
Yes, magnificent.
- You're a lucky man, Paolo.
- Next time you and Emanuele must come.
Yeah, please?
You were gone days, Paolo.
I'm sorry.
What happened to checking out
the ranch like you talked about?
Come on.
- Well, look.
- What?
No watch.
Took it off when the plane landed in
Nairobi, and haven't put it on since.
Things have a different rhythm here.
You'll get used to it.
So I keep hearing.
There are things to do here.
This isn't Italy.
It takes time. You can't just pick up
a phone and make it happen.
I didn't know where you were.
Fine. I'm sorry.
Next time I'll get word to you.
I'm sorry.
You have two minutes to get dressed.
We're going fishing.
- We'll go down to the coast.
- Fishing?
How many did we lose?
- About four this week.
- And six last week.
They're picking up infections somewhere.
I'll check the waterholes.
I'll tell you what. We'll dip them tonight.
Wow! Look at the size of those horns.
You must be especially careful of Kaa.
Mapengo will help you.
You mustn't overfeed them.
I wish I could take them with me.
- Are you going to be all right?
- Sure.
And you know what else?
Charlie says there's a lake for rowing.
You'll be great at that.
I'm going to miss you, too.
I hate it. I hate it.I know Ema has to go off to school.I understand we can't give him
the education he needs on the ranch.I've known it since we decided
to come to Africa.But that doesn't make it any easier.
Come here.
He is my son.He is my friend.
Just be the person you are.
Choose your friends.
Don't let them choose you.
Emanuele, come on!
He has been the one constant in my life.What makes it worse is...... he wants to go.Why does love cost us so much?
Why won't they let us visit
on the weekends? It's inhuman.
It's the British way.
It makes a better man, apparently.
It's ridiculous.
Delta - .
Same problem as last year. Only worse.
I'll speak to you on the sked again tonight.
Delta - out.
- I was going to bring those over later.
- Thanks.
Paolo sent word.
He's going to be another couple of days.
I saw Pokots today with their cattle
near the waterhole.
Yeah, well, they're welcome to the water.
Or they were.
It's just that their water supply
dries up sooner than our lake.
- Your lake.
- So, it's not a problem?
Well, it is. Their cattle are
carrying diseases. They're infecting ours.
We're loosing about head a week.
European?
Yes. From Italy.
When I was a boy...
...the missionaries
taught me your language...
...and told me many stories
about European people.
Now at night,
I tell my children the same stories.
My father did the same
with me as a child...
...except his stories were of Africa.
My people know OI Ari Nyiro
for a long time.
Without its water...
...our cattle will sicken and die.
OI Ari Nyiro cattle pick up disease
from your cattle.
Without water,
the diseases will become much worse.
We have to solve this problem.
What is she doing?
What are you doing?
It's a deep hole, huh?
Building a dam,
that's quite an undertaking, Kuki.
In a couple days, you should be done.
Want us to stay and help finish the job?
We're fine.
It's quite some thing you did for them.
It was for us all.
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,
packs of Roosters?
- '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 bitch!
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 :
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.
You'll know when that is.
I had a dream last night.
I dreamt we had a baby daughter.
Everyone was here to celebrate.
The baby was a dream about life.
It's why we came here, isn't it?
To make a new life.
Move them along! Move them along!
When I'm through in Mombasa,
I'll pick up her cradle.
It should be ready by now.
It will be beautiful. I promise.
Like she will be.
You're so sure it's a girl.
You'll see. You'll see.
She'll be asleep. We'll have to wake her.
There was an accident
on the Shimoni Road.
A truck. They say it was all over in...
It'll go around again.
Paolo always said...
Paolo always said:
"We cannot choose where we are born...
"...but we can choose
where we live, and where we die."
I wrote this for you, Paolo.
"Your eyes were the colour of water.
"Yes, you are the water.
"They were transparent like the air.
"You are the air now.
"You are the sky.
"Your skin was baked by the sun...
"...like the Kenyan earth
you loved so much.
"You are this red dry dust now.
"Forever, Paolo.
"You have become everything."
Sveva.
She is very happy.
He's lit a fire there every night
since Paolo died.
Kuki, for once in your life
just hear us out. Please?
When I go back to Italy...
...I want you and the children
to come home.
You have the baby to think of now,
Kuki, as well as Emanuele.
I know you think I didn't believe in you
when you and Paolo came out here...
...and I was afraid for you.
And maybe I didn't believe in you.
But I was wrong.
And coming here has brought out the best
in you...
...and I love seeing it.
But how could you run this place alone?
Now, with a new baby...
...and Paolo gone?
Soon Ema will go away to college.
You'll have no one.
Please?
Let me take care of you.
See the egg? Paolo put a secret in it.
A message.
Sveva, look.
Poachers are coming into OI Ari Nyiro.
They're killing the animals.
This is not my concern.
The animals on my land are my concern.
They are my responsibility.
Children of my people
who go without food are mine.
Of course your children must be fed.
That's the most important thing.
But this killing must stop.
Your people are great warriors.
I need men like them
to help us keep guard at night.
Okay, boys, let's try again.
Load.
Aim!
Pick your target.
Fire!
Don't insult my intelligence
with excuses, Emanuele.
There is no excuse.
I said, "No poisonous snakes!"
I've said it a dozen times!
They're dangerous if you don't know
how to handle them.
I don't care!
No more!
Look at me when I'm talking to you!
Do you hear me? Do you hear me?
I know what I'm doing.
And I'm not afraid like you are.
How can you say that to me?
There are risks and then there's stupidity.
- Dear God, you've got a little sister here.
- Nothing will happen to Sveva.
Paolo would say what I'm saying.
You know he would.
Ema, please.
Don't do this.
Stanford.
I'm in.
Paolo would be so proud of you.
I'm not going.
I'm not leaving you.
When we first came here...
...I put a plant in the soil...
...I was lucky if it grew.
I didn't know how. I didn't know anything.
We think we run this place but we don't.
It runs us.
Any farm's like that, I guess.
We solve each problem,
but we never get ahead.
Stanford's not going to teach me
how to run a ranch in Kenya.
You want to do more than run this ranch,
a lot more, and you know it.
You have to go away,
so you can come back...
...or we'll have no future here.
It's Karen's birthday.In a few days,
there'll be a going-away party for Ema.He leaves for Stanford next week.Since Paolo's death...... just having Ema here
has been a great comfort.And now he is going halfway
around the world.
Hey, everyone, it's a python. A big one.
God in Heaven!
There's a python!
- It's harmless.
- Right. Then they squeeze you to death.
Quick, we need to measure it.
We have to measure it.
God, it's enormous.
- Get a tape measure.
- Dad, get a tape measure!
Look at it! Isn't it beautiful?
Here's the tape measure. Grab that end.
. feet.
. feet!
Good boy.
Good boy.
- What are you doing?
- Just borrowing this book.
- You going to Charlie's today?
- Yes.
The party's not until : .
'Bye, Sveva. 'Bye, Mom.
'Bye.
What?
- He's been bitten by a snake.
- What kind?
A puff adder.
Declan, can you hear me?
Can you hear me, Declan?
Ema was bitten by a puff adder!
I'll bring him to the airstrip!
Declan, come in!
Get the serum!
Emanuele, what do I do?
Do I cut your hand? Do I cut your arm?
Tell me what to do.
Tell me what to do! Tell me!
- Mama.
- Tell me.
I'm dying.
No!
No!
What do I do? What do I do?
Tell me what to do!
Tell me what to do! Do I cut your arm?
Do I cut your hand? Tell me!
Oh, God! Simon, what do I do?
God, help us!
God, help us!
God! God, please!
Anything but this, please, God!
Check his mouth. Check his mouth.
Quickly. Breathe, breathe.
Go on.
Go, go, go.
Again.
Come on, come on, come on.
Come on.
He's gone.
Kuki, he's gone.
"Only yesterday morning...
"...we were laughing together.
"Today, I am here with your friends
to bury you.
"To bury a husband was hard.
"To bury my son is against nature...
"...and a pain which words cannot tell.
"You died knowing you were dying,
but you were not afraid.
"You were but wise beyond your age...
"...and now you know the answer
to all questions.
"I will look for you.
"I will look for you always.
"I will see you in every flower...
"...in every bird...
"...in every sunset...
"...in every crawling snake.
"Everything of beauty
will forever be you, Emanuele.
"Anything young and proud.
"Anything good and strong.
"For us who are left...
"...remains to wonder
at the reason for such waste.
"Where has all this love gone?
"I hope your journey has been good...
"...because you have already arrived.
"Fly for me, bird of the sun.
"Fly high.
"I love you so."
Load.
Aim.
Fire.
Load.
Aim.
Fire.
Goodbye. I love you.
I love you.
May I come back soon?
I wish you would.
Bless you.
Finally, all we can do
is to let the days instruct us...... and know that the only gift worth having
is the grace to go on with the job...... to be done, the people to love...... and knowing what we love
we can never lose.There is no holding on in this world.
We came to this extraordinary place...... and Africa let us lead extraordinary lives.Then Africa claimed an extraordinary price.That was Africa's privilege.And now it is my privilege
to look after Africa herself.