"WHITE LIGHT" "FOR MAMMA" "Daddy..." "Daddy, my drawing..." "My drawing's getting wet." " Never mind." "Look, it's for Mamma." "Mamma will love it, because you drew it." "Sorry, Mummy." "Thomas!" "Thomas!" "Daddy!" "Where are my football things?" "I have gym today." "Abu, the corn." "Abu, I have a surprise for you." "Daddy!" "Wake up." "Where are my football things?" "You see this?" "But it has no electricity!" " I know." "It's mahogany." "It's durable wood." "Daddy, you're the best!" "Mummy!" "Game station!" "That's nice." "Come on, let's go." "Bye, Daddy." "Bye Abu." "Bring me a nice treat." " Okay." "Can I go and see Tommy now?" "Bye Mummy." " Bye." "Shoot, shoot, shoot..." "Tommy!" "Abu!" "Goodbye." " Goodbye." "I have detention." " Detention?" "Mr Zuiderwijk?" "I'm Agnes van Dam, legal attaché at the Dutch Embassy." "May I have a few words with you?" " Sure." "Alfred Hellman... doesn't ring a bell." "Pierre van Steenhoven?" "Mr Hellman uses several aliases." "Or Stijn van Kalenberg?" "Van Kalenberg?" "Good evening, Mrs Zuiderwijk." " Lovely to see you." "You should show your face inside." " I look awful." "You look great and smell delicious: of fish!" "You are..." " Van Kalenberg's the name." "Yes, Mr Van Kalenberg." " No, not now." "Not so loud." "You know him well?" " He's in bulbs, isn't he?" "Does he come often?" "Once or twice a year." "A weird guy." "He comes into the kitchen and wants his meat red." "Do you have photos or credit-card receipts to prove he came here?" "No..." "I think he made a booking." "Here, Van Kalenberg, end of the month." "A party for 20." "If there's any change to the date then let me know." "But what's with Mr van Kalenberg?" "The less you know, the happier you are." "Bye, Mr Zuiderwijk." "Abu, you have to go to bed." "Let me take you to bed." "Abu..." " Yes, Mum?" "What's this?" " I was too late." "It's a t-shirt." "What's wrong with your eyes?" "Give it to me." "Van Nistelrooij." " What?" "BEDTIME STORIES" "Sorry Thomas, here I am." "Did you chose a book?" "Penalty!" "Don't make so much noise." "Consider the neighbours." "Daddy!" "Stay in the car please, Thomas." "Asshole!" "Are you crazy?" " Idiot!" "Daddy, Daddy..." "Look..." "That girl found my shoe." "But where's Abu?" " I don't know..." "Hurry, hurry!" "You're sure Abu isn't dead?" "I don't know." "I don't think so." "Let's talk about it tonight." "So where is he?" "I told you, Thomas." "I don't know." "Let's not talk about it here." "You want some chocolate?" "Sir, the prisoners are here." "Daddy..." "Daddy, I can't sleep." " I won't be long." "You said that before." "Daddy..." " Not right now, Thomas." "Daddy, at school they say Abu is dead and being eaten." "He's been taken by rebels." " Abu doesn't want to fight." "Of course not, nor do you." " So why not rescue him from them?" "It's impossible." " Why?" "The rebels hide." " We can look for them." "Listen, go to bed and we'll talk later." "I don't want Abu dead and eaten!" "Thomas?" "Wake up, boy!" "Wake up!" "Get up, boy!" "Walk!" "Are you afraid?" "Thomas!" "Hello, this is Eduard." "Is Thomas with you?" "No?" "Okay." "Have you seen Thomas?" "Not with you?" "I'll call later." "Eduard speaking?" "The little one's crying?" "Yes..." "You sound so sombre." "Anything wrong?" "I just don't know anymore." "You're still not convinced?" "A woman knows whose child she wants to bear." "That's how nature works." "Someone who's able to protect her and the children." "Darling..." "You'll be the sweetest, warmest and best daddy any child could want." "It would be different if you or your own child was victim." "Then we could exert international pressure." "Be nice to Mafillu." "Hold this." "I'll be back in a week." "Some aid organisations in the East focus on child soldiers." "It's called African Child Rescue." "If they can't help, nor can I, Thomas." "Okay..." "Oh no." "Oh yes." "That's that." "Come on." "It's an 8- or 9-hour drive." "Did Abu have to walk all this way?" "I don't know if he's there." "It's a refugee camp." "There are lots of people." "AII I know is that maybe someone there can help us." "Daddy, can we give them a lift?" "Or they'll have to walk too." "Here, hold this." "How much longer?" "We're nearly there." "Push, push, push!" "What if it doesn't work?" " It will, come on." "Daddy..." "What's the matter?" " You're sure nothing can happen?" "The doors are locked." "Sleep tight." "Just go to sleep." "I'm putting this special oil on your forehead." "If you try and run away or hide' then I'll find you, always." "This special oil will make me hear your thoughts, always." "I'll hear all your thoughts." "Everywhere." "I'll hear your thoughts everywhere." "I'll hear everything." "Kill her!" "Kill him." "Kill him!" "Daddy, what's this?" "Daddy has to pay some money." "Are we going home?" "No many roads lead to Rome." " Rome?" "Daddy!" " We won't let them stop us." "Come on." "Does Abu live in this village?" "It's not a village, but a refugee camp." "They all fled from the rebels." "This way, Thomas." "Look, Daddy." " I can see." "Come on." "He's my best friend." "I can see that." "No." "He's not with us." "Last week two girls fled from the bush." "They're doing well and I could ask them." "When was he taken?" " More than two weeks ago." "Can I keep the photo to scan and send to the other camps to be sure?" "How was the road." " Not bad." "Francois Lama, a reporter travelling alone." "We have met before." " We shook hands." "I'm fine." "You too?" "Okay." "I'll take care of it." " What's best for me to do?" "Best for what?" "To find the kid." "Daddy, can I join in the soccer?" "Of course." "Go on." "Go on then." "They didn't see this on TV or in a film." "Most of them have never seen TV." "I have more... drawers full." "Even hundreds of drawers it wouldn't help." "No economic importance' so no news value." "A madman in the jungle terrorizes 2 million people for 10 years." "So don't ask me what's best." "I've spent 4 years doing what I think best." "It may not be enough." " May I sit down?" "Do you know where the rebels are?" "Is there a base camp?" "I'm sure." "You want to drop in for coffee?" "Maybe." "I want to speak to Obeke." "Maybe I can persuade him to free Abu and other kids." "God!" "Christ, yes, no..." "Great idea!" "Why didn't we think of that?" "What are we up to?" "Sure we can ask him to free the children." "Should I introduce you to children whose lips were cut off fir talking too much?" "Or their ears for not listening?" "Come this way." "I know Obeke." "I know him quite well." "My father had just died and I took over the restaurant." "Obeke was defense minister and ate every Thursday with his wife and friends." "He sat there for hours." "I even taught him whist." "Nice!" "Yes..." "That was before the coup." "He loves vanilla ice cream." ""Coupe Eduard. "" "Coconut and vanilla ice cream with extra red fruit." "And sparklers." "I'm "my friend the cook"." "Daddy, shall we play pool?" "Thomas, let's go." "Do you speak Acholi?" "No, Luganda." "Quiet!" "Go ahead." "Good morning." " Good morning." "Sleep well?" "Not bad." "There isn't much for breakfast' apart from peanut butter." "You like it?" " Sure." "It was in my Christmas hamper." "I meant swimming." "Oh yes." "Every morning and every evening regular as clockwork, to wash off the day." "I understand." "You know it's not easy to understand." "Most kids here have killed more people than the average American serial killer." "Sometimes with a rifle' often with sticks and stones or machetes." "I don't think I'll ever understand." "If they manage to escape and reach us their next battle starts." "Villages are terrified of them." "Parents don't want their kids back bewitched." "Dad!" "They have a pool!" "Can I have a swim, Daddy?" "Cannonball!" "We try to let them be children again." "So they learn to play, dare to talk' go to school." "And we teach them to forgive themselves." "It wasn't "your" fault." ""You can start afresh. "" "Start afresh?" "It can be done." "I was a psychologist with a multinational." "Cosmetics." " If only..." "Eduard..." "Come and see..." "I have a surprise..." "Can't you see it?" "New dress, new hat?" "He's Abu." " Mafillu's child." "I want one too, with you." "Preferably a little black." " I'm at work." "Not right now..." "If she doesn't want to talk, she won't." " I understand" "A compatriot." "Holland, trading land:" "slaves, flowers, weapons." "And charity." " Van Kalenberg." "Hellman." "Alfred Hellman." "Christ!" "Another friend from the restaurant?" "Okay." "We're finished." "Thanks." "Alfred Hellman is throwing a party at the end of the month?" "You really choose your guests!" "Does a doctor know his patients, crimes?" "I make good food for anyone." " Be careful." "I'm a cook, damn it!" " careful with those drawings." "I hate it when people..." "There are limits..." "I hate it when people..." " Yes, sure." "I got the message." "Eduard!" "This is wrong." "I want to know where it is." " You can'tjust storm in." "Refugee highway..." " Thanks." "Daddy, where are you?" "SORRY ABOUT THE CAR" "Thomas..." "Daddy is going away for a few days." "Stay here with Valerie." "Be good." "I know what you're up to." "Sleep tight..." "Valerie, can we play soccer again?" " Sure." "Let's go!" "Hurry!" "Open up!" "It'll explode right here." "Turn round." "What's that?" " A car, let's go Fat Boy!" "Rocky Five, a car is coming!" "You come here." "The car's coming from the other side." "I think I saw Abu." "They're very close." "Eduard!" "Stop!" "Drop him." "Show me your hands." "Show me your hands now!" "Cut your nails." "Get out of here!" "Soldier Lion, now you're Officer Lion." "Well done." " I didn't do anything." "I have meant nothing to anyone!" "Nothing at all." "You have a son." "A living son and you mean everything to him." "We have to go back now, if only for him." "Not empty handed." "Tomorrow morning I arranged for Bosco to pick us up at Nagitu." "You're my responsibility here." "I forbid you to go any further." "No..." "Nothing will stop you, will it?" "There's water for two days in the backpack and maps of the area." "You'll need them." "Thank you." "Shit!" " You forgot the cakes?" "Yes." " They can do without dessert." "Give Daddy a kiss." " I promised to take them." "Did you say who'd take them?" "It's Petro's day off." "Anna!" "No, it's dark." "It's 30 minutes on a terrible road." "Thomas doesn't need a story." "60 people are waiting." "I promised." "Okay, where are the car keys?" " In the clog, as usual." "Your Mamma's so beautiful when she's mad." "You'd better make something delicious for me later." "Dad will take you to bed." "I can't come back, darling." "I know." " So why not let me go?" "I tried, but..." "But...?" "We weren't ready to stop loving." " I know." "I see you everywhere." "I see you in the mirror when brushing my teeth." "When I fall asleep I feel your hair tickling my face." "Darling, I am in you." "I'm in Thomas too." "Let me go." "Don't move!" "Who are you?" "What do you want?" "White man!" "Daddy, Daddy." "Prisoner!" "Prisoner!" "Take him up to the top." "The more, the better!" "Chalobe larva." "Squeeze it in his tea." "Daddy, they're coming!" "Prepare the airstrip." "Officer Lion, take our guest to Nagitu." "All the commanders to the airstrip." "Set up smoke flags." "Don't do it." "If you do that, your parents will suffer forever." "Come on, Ama!" "You're bearing our child!" "Don't hurt my baby!" "Give me the grenade!" "Give me the grenade." "Give it to me!" "Kill her!" "I'll shoot you dead!" "Abu, do what they tell you to do." "I can't kill you, Daddy." "I can't." "Go on, boy, do it!" "I don't want to see you die." "I'II close my eyes and when I open them again I'll see the clear white light." "And you will live on ...in this world of God." "Abu, you're the best." "Abu, my big boy!" "Daddy, Valerie, come on!" "Abu!" "Abu!" " Stop!" "Stay here..." "Tommy!" "Abu wants to be a carpenter." "Fat Boy escaped and wants to be a doctor but his family has rejected him." "Every year, hundreds of thousands of children are soldiers in armed conflicts worldwide." "Some survive and some even rediscover their childhood." "Children are flexible, just like the investors, financiers and dealers in cluster-bombs, land-mines and light machine guns..."