Leading the Night

Craving for freedom

74 Leading the Night women, she wondered? At that time extra-judicial killings of young men in the villages and cities had not become so rampant. In time it caught world attention. Craving for freedom ZZZaaap! Rei slapped the book on the little table at the corner of the Swiss Bureau in Geneva. He had enjoyed reading A Captive of Time by Olga Ivanskya. It was a great old book about poet Boris Pasternak of Doctor Zhivago’s fame. He enjoyed pronouncing Zhivago. Zzzhivvago. It means living, in Russian, he had learnt. Living; not dying.The thought crossed his mind that it would be a good name for a child, his child. Zhivago. My own child, a daughter or a son, it does not matter, called Zhivago! My own child called Life! Rei thought to himself. May be we could even live in Africa! But all that could wait. Marriage was a seesaw matter in his life. Now it was important, and then it faded perhaps just as one of his many girl friends got serious. He only met women who feared insecurity all over the world and could only live in their home towns. When at work in different places, he had no time for other thoughts. The huge continent stood in his eyes. His gaze focused on Kenya. ‘Time I did real stories, a fine novel, made movies and documentaries,’ Rei said to himself. “I think you just do not have an interest in marriage, you found something worth living for,” his colleague, Louis once told him. “Right. I am passionate about making my impact to change the world. I want to write books that can be turned into great movies; I must get one of the finest novels on earth published!” Rei answered. “Great!” Louis said, in his favorite one word answers. Now, alone in the office, Rei walked from one end to the other and finally to his favorite wall library. Here he caressed the pages of books Leading the Night 75 he took off the shelf at random. Then his eye fell on the section where autobiographies were lined up. He picked up one. Mandela’s kind and determined eyes looked straight into his own from a beautiful photo cover on his book Long Walk to Freedom. Coincidence? Or just funny? He did not laugh. Rei was fascinated looking at the man whom Hugh Masekela, that famous singer, had in a recent show for Mandela’s 90th birthday spoken with so much love! Masekela’s eyes sparkled as he toasted to Mandela. He could see a great scene in a future movie with Masekela playing his trumpet for Mandela and pumping his great spirit into the world. Those who saw Masekela said he looked like he was born singing and blowing from his cheeks right into a trumpet.The power of music filled the air whenever he sang; he and his instrument became one as it happens to a man and woman in love. In different parts of the world, 46664 concerts had been done to fundraise for the HIV/Aids cause in the presence of Prisoner Number 46664, Mandela. Now many HIV positive people received help in the prison of hunger and lack of treatment in his name. In Tromsø Rei had read that the Arctic Party was a great success. Rei had been in London on a trip to cover details of the Blair Commission for Africa in May 2007. 10 Downing Street was action packed. Blair had resigned as Prime Minister. Rei returned in August, the summer of 2007, in time for the big shows for Mandela. 10 Downing Street was action packed. Photo clicks sounded like a million cracks of fireworks. The theatres too were packed with huge audiences when Hugh Masekela and others performed in praise of Mandela. Rei listened to the Sami Choir from Norway with delight. He thought it was fantastic. Sami yodeling songs reminded him of Maasai music. A year later, Rei felt ready to do a challenging story from Africa. He could not explain why. It was more than that passion that took over the mind of an artist from time to time, consuming one. It had to be that story, regardless of the dangers and the demands of time it would 76 Leading the Night make on him. It had to be that story, no matter what criticism he would get from anyone...