"For my father" "THE HEART'S CRY" "Who could be more free than an eagle?" "Man is, Grandfather..." "Man is as free as an eagle, man can do everything." "Water, please." "You smoke too much, Grandfather." "I know." "Thank you." " Coming, Moctar?" " No, Mother's waiting for me!" "The postman's here!" "Onadja Madja..." "Ouedraogo Tassere..." "Saffi Sow..." "Moctar, come here!" "Guess what your father has written..." "We're going to France." "Who will look after you, Grandfather?" "Don't worry, the aunts and uncles in the village will look after me." "Go now, your mother's waiting." "You'll miss the bus..." " You'll bring something back?" " I won't forget you, Adissa." " For your husband." " Thanks, he'll be pleased." "Where's Moctar?" "Just like in Dad's postcards..." "He took me with my mouth open..." "Do you think that's funny?" " Anything else?" " A pencil case." "And a bag, too." "That one..." "Ibrahim, aren't these nice?" " It's all ours?" " You haven't seen everything." "My workers..." "My office..." "I'm proud of you, you're a success." "Everyone laughed at us." "They said you'd never send for us." "They even thought you'd married a white girl." "What did they know?" "I worked hard night and day for all this." "Yet I had to borrow to set this up." "But now you're here, everything's fine." "Really?" "How many times were you unfaithful to me?" "And how many times were you unfaithful?" "Let's go home." "Are there hyenas in France?" "I saw one at the garage." "In the garage?" "The only hyenas in France are in zoos." " Now it's you and me." " You must catch me first!" " Ibrahim, what are you doing?" " No one can see." "25 times 12... 5 times 2, 2 times 2, plus..." "The new one's clever..." " Mum says Africans use magic charms." " She talks through her hat." "Very good, Moctar." "Sit down." "Now, page 25 of the textbook." "Ibrahim, you old rogue." "I'm not joking, Mustapha." "If you can get that job for my wife, it'll help out." "Times are hard..." "You're telling me." "I'll call you when I have news." "I knew I could count on you." "Good evening, Moctar." "Did your father call?" "No." " Have you eaten?" " There was pasta in the fridge." " Any dessert?" " No." "I'm getting a rise, isn't that good?" "You're tired, you work too much." "I'm doing it for you, you know..." "I know." "Your father wants you to go far..." "You'll be a doctor, the first doctor from our village." "Kingsley Ofusu is not European, he is Ghanaian." "You've seen him on television, the sole survivor from the Mac Ruby." "The cargo boat's Ukrainian crew discovered eight stowaways..." " You can copy from me, if you like." " No, thank you." " Moctar, what's the matter?" " A hyena!" "Where did you see a hyena?" "There aren't any." "I tell you there are no hyenas in France." "Hyenas live in the wild, they need heat and prey." "They live in Africa." "You're eleven, you're a man." "Even a lion shouldn't frighten you." "At your age I was cutting wood, ask your mother." "You're different, make the most of it." "Father's right, Moctar, this is France, not Africa." "No hyenas here." "Hyena in France..." "Where has he got this from?" "He'll forget it by tomorrow." "Watch out for kids!" " He's not hurt!" " You needn't drive like a maniac." "Was Napoleon honest when he promised freedom to the inhabitants of Haiti?" "A hyena, right in front of me." "I swear it's true." "But there aren't hyenas in France." "That's what my father said, but what about my knee?" "Isn't that proof?" "You two, tell me what this vital conversation is about?" "It wasn't me." "It was me." "Mamadou, how are things with you?" "My family's been here a month now." "Not like that." "With this..." "Don't worry, everything's fine." "Give my love to everyone." "Benoit, you must lift it." "Give me the spanner." "Monsieur Guerin, it's about Moctar, it's very serious..." "He said that saw a hyena." "All right, go back to class." "I'll let you know." "I keep repairing your car, and you keep telling the same story..." ""My wife's ill, my kid's ill, I'm ill"." "Do you think I'm the social service?" "I swear on my mother's head I'll pay." "When you pay, you can take the car." "Benoit, Jean, the car stays here." "Monsieur Sow?" "I'm Paul Guerin, a psychologist." "It's about your son." "A strange question, but has he ever talked about hyenas?" "You're bothered about that?" "A kid's nightmare?" "A nightmare that has upset him." "Moctar is convinced that he has really seen a hyena." "He made it up to get attention." "That's just the problem: he made it up." "But why a hyena?" "There are much nicer animals..." "At home in Africa they're common, lots of them." "I'm afraid that your son has not managed to adapt yet." "He will, depend on me, he'll adapt." "Why does he tell everyone such things?" "We've enough problems as it is." "We're foreigners here, lie low." "The slightest thing can cause trouble." "No more hyena stories." "But I did see it." "Put yourself in his place." "It's not easy for him." "Do you think it was easy for me?" "Five years of sacrifice!" "You'll drive your father mad." "Forget the hyena." "There are no hyenas in France." "This is France, not Africa." "I don't understand how he thought up such rubbish." "Forget about it." "He may never have seen a hyena in Africa." "Surely, but what I do know is that your father spoiled him." "No one could rise their voice to Moctar, the old man would flare up." "You know how your father is." "He was very hard on me, never satisfied." ""Ibrahim do this." "Ibrahim do that"." "He drove me crazy." "I think we work too much." "It's as though we're still apart, in two different worlds." "Not now." "Aren't things better?" "We hardly have a moment to ourselves." "I hate to see you like this." "Go back to your pals now." "Moctar, you've gone dotty!" "Leave him alone!" "Shut up, traitor!" " Down in the dumps?" " Everyone thinks I'm lying." " What does your father do?" " He has a garage." " Do you like it here?" " I don't know." "What do you do?" "That's much too long a story." "I'll show you a trick." "Watch closely." "Are you a magician?" "I'll do it again." "Watch closely." "Deborah, come on!" "Your wife?" "Sort of." "It depends..." "Don't go overboard on some strange kid." "That's life, too, poppet." "I've seen Moctar again." "It seems he has hallucinations." "I'm afraid I'm not competent to deal with that." "See a psychiatrist." "What do you mean?" "My son isn't mad." "Say something, Ibrahim." "Look at me." "Have I really changed?" "Moctar is my blood, I love him as you do, but he is ill, he must be cured." "No one says he's mad." "What's happened to us?" "I just want to understand." "But I'm here..." "Don't you trust me?" "We'll do what you say." "We'll see the psychiatrist." "Don't tell me you saw it again." "Let's go home." "Sometimes you think you recognize someone, but it's a stranger you've never seen before." "Our imagination plays tricks on us." "Maybe it was a big cat..." "Maybe... maybe..." "They're fantastic!" "I'd like to please you, but to say I saw a hyena..." "I'd be thought mad." "Sorry, that's not what I meant to say." " You don't believe me, either." " Of course I do." "Deborah, when she's had a few she sees pink elephants, herds of pink elephants." "Of course I believe you." "You were born in France?" "Yes, but Mother and I went back to Africa when I was five because Father couldn't afford to feed us all." "That's where I live..." "As a kid, I dreamed of working in a circus; all those lights and costumes..." "Always on the move, too." "My father said it was too dangerous." "Even a cat put the wind up him." "He wasn't very brave." "It was ignorance, rather." "The less you know, the more things scare you." "My grandfather says that dogs are the only animal worthy of a man." " He's a very wise man." " Everyone in the village says so." "But he's ill." "He coughs a lot." "You're a nice lad, but I doubt if I'll visit your country." "You're into little darkies now?" "What are you on about, arsehole?" "He's insulted us!" "Well, they weren't mucking about." "Since when have you been a softie?" "I'll make coffee." "I warned you." "That kid is nothing but trouble." "He needs me." "I need you, too." "He's got parents, hasn't he?" "Don't think you can wipe out your past so easily." " Where are you going?" " No idea..." "Hello, Grandfather." "Open it." "I'm sure you'll like it." " Tell him now." "You promised." " You're the man." "It's not my job." "Thank you..." "Why such a face?" "Everything's fine." "Let's have a man to man talk." "Moctar, that rocking is getting on my nerves." "I told you, the trip will do you good." " Goodnight." " Goodnight, Moctar." "Sleep well, son." "You can do that later..." "There's uncle Mamadou." "How he's aged..." "You sing badly..." "I'm fed up here, it's deserted." "You'll be rested here, for sure." "Not bad, eh?" "I'm going for a pee..." "When you last saw Saffi she was no taller than her son." "How is my old friend Karim these days?" "One-eyed Karim?" "A crocodile ate him." "Karim is dead?" "Crocodiles are sly." "It must have come up to Karim from behind." "I told you never to speak to strangers." "Do you know him?" "Look after Moctar and don't be late back." " They seem to get on together." " Adama wants a kid brother." " So why not give him one?" " Talk to Mamadou about that!" "Let me try..." "What's it like there, in Mali?" "You've never been there?" "I don't believe it." "Tell me..." "It's never cold there, and everyone knows everyone else." "Here, too..." "You can see further..." "Have you seen the hyenas?" " What?" " A hyena." "There are no hyenas in France." "But you must have seen lots in Africa." "Here, too..." " He's having you on?" " No, he said he saw a hyena." " A hyena in France?" " That's what he told me." "What's this about your son seeing hyenas everywhere?" "Ibrahim doesn't want it talked about." "I can understand him being ashamed to tell others, but why not tell me?" " He didn't want to bother you." " I'll see about that..." " There's no problem..." " Oh, sure!" "I haven't seen you, you're not there..." "You don't exist..." "Why are you crying?" "What's the matter?" "Stop crying." "Tell me..." "You'll wake the house..." "Don't bottle it up..." "Did you see the hyena again?" "I want to go home." "Let's say the hyena is real and you really did see it..." "That's no reason to be so afraid..." "Hyenas are timid animals." "Grandfather didn't say that..." "He told me they could be dangerous and death always follows them." "Him and his stories..." "Don't forget to write..." "I'm sure he saw it again..." "He said so?" "How do you know?" "He's my son, I sense such things." "Open your eyes..." "Can't you see this isn't the place for us?" "You mean I shouldn't have sent for you..." "I was wrong to want us to be together?" "Did you see a hyena?" "So don't you go on about it, too..." "Allright, be unsympathetic..." "Let's stop this arguing." "You know what we'll do about Moctar?" "Moctar, stay there." "Don't talk to him like that..." "Remember what the doctor said." "Has it happened before?" "You've no idea what the reason could be?" "We went to the doctor, then the chemist's..." "What about it?" "There's no connection." " No connection?" "Tell him the truth." " That's not the point." "We really don't know the reason." "Do you want us to find him, or not?" "Don't worry, they'll find him." "I won't bother you..." "Take no notice of me." "But you can't stay here." "Think of your parents, you can't leave them." "What can I do with you?" "You can't vanish just like that..." "You'll break my heart." "Chuck him out, or I'll call the cops!" "Had your say?" "Back to your faxhole, then..." "It's my fault..." "Don't worry..." "What can he do, he doesn't know anyone here." "He'll come back." "You're so stolid..." "Nothing seems to affect you." "But did you ever wonder if we liked this place the rain, the cold?" "You've had time to get used to it, but Moctar is still a child." "He's not the only one to have left home for France." "All I ask is that he does well at school." "Do you want me to give everything up and go back to Africa?" "You know that's not the question." "Be more understanding..." "If he comes back, don't tell him off." " Promise?" " I promise." "We'll see tomorrow." "Now you have two homes." "Deborah will get over it." "And don't worry about your beast." "Millions believe in the Virgin Mary." "Those who've seen her have statues." "So you see hyenas, that's all." " See you tomorrow..." " Bye!" "Is it a curfew or something?" "Can't we suffer in peace?" "That will help you sleep." "Shall we go home?" "Do you know what Moctar asked me?" " What?" " Whether you were my wife." "What did you tell him?" "Yes..." "Till death us do part." "Liar..." "Will you give me a baby?" "I promise he'll be as good as your friend Moctar." "As good as Moctar?" "Let's set about it, then." "That's good..." "No hard feelings?" "No hard feelings." "Come out..." "All right?" "The medicines make me sleep all the time." "Never mind..." "Look who I've brought to see you." "Can you do it again?" "The show is over." "Now it's time for bed." "A closing number?" " Won't you help me?" " No need to shout." "You must help me to get rid of that rotten beast." " Why come here?" " I'm sure this is its lair." "You're the expert..." "Over there..." "Moctar, I've been thinking..." "Listen..." "It's the rain!" "I drove my lorry all over Europe." "I even went to Pakistan." "Then eleven years ago, when you were hardly born a kid ran in front of me on the road to Marseilles." "He ran after his ball..." "A red ball with black stripes." "I braked like mad..." "I avoided the ball but not the boy." "Are you asleep?" "Moctar, wake up." " It didn't come." " You ought to be happy." "Because of the rain..." "No, it's afraid of us." "It knows you're going to stop it." "But I must catch it." "We won't let it get away next time..." " Agreed?" " Agreed." "I am sorry..." "You've done well..." "What wouldn't I do for you?" "Mattress, matches, petrol it's up to you now." "Rotten beast..." "You've had it today..." "See, I saved its life." "Now do you believe it's real?" "I didn't see, I was asleep." "Never mind, now it will protect you for ever." "Grandfather!" "He's not here." "Where can you see your grandfather?" "Never repeat that to anyone, or they're bound to put you in hospital." "There's no grandfather here." "Monsieur Paulo..." " Have you adjusted that carburettor?" " Yes, it's ready, isn't it, lads?" "Let's go for a stroll..." "Your father's funny." "He yells about nothing, says nothing about something." "He's always like that." "Guess what he did once..." "What's the matter?" "I'm sure you can do it." "You're sure?" "You were right, I can!" "I think I'll go back to driving." "How's that for style?" "Your grandfather has died." "It's not true!" "He was ill for months and no one let me know." "It's five years since I saw him." "Just imagine... five years." "I'll never see him again." "Calm down..." "I heard about your grandfather." "It reminds me of a story I read once, when I used to read." "It was a poem about an African writer." "It was about life, death..." "No, more about death and life." "Something like..." "You know, Moctar..." "People who die haven't left us." "They're the embers that re-ignite the fire..." "The dead are never dead, Moctar." "They're in the weeping grass, They're in the running water." "They're in still waters, In the forests, in the home." "The dead never leave us." "You see, Moctar?" "The dead are never dead." "Let's be going..." "Paulo, watch closely..." "You're the greatest!"