I am a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down...
"(...) My daughter, she has no use for night runners. You know, her first language is not Luo. Not even Swahili. It is english. When I listen to her talk with her friends, it sounds like gibberish to me. They take bits and pieces of everything - English, Swahili, German, Luo. Sometimes, I get fed up with this. Learn to speak one language properly, I tell them." Rukia laughed to herself. "But I am beggining to resign myself - there's nothing really to do. They live in a mixed-up world. It's just as well, I suppose. In the end, I'm less interested in a daughter who's authentically African than one who is authentically herself." It was getting late; we thanked Rukia for her hospitality and went on our way. But her words would stay with me, bringing into focus my own lingering questions.
Comentários
Estas frases têm de ser resgatadas. Já não é muito frequente alguém reconhecer a importância de algumas pessoas em determinados momentos da vida, nem ter o hábito ou discernimento de identificar esses momentos (exceptuando os artistas, aos quais fica bem ter vários momentos de inflexão durante a vida). Estou a falar em capacidades, mas há ainda o factor gratidão.