FRANCESCHI: Terrorism, by Stephanie

In Summary

• Franceschi: I asked my students to express last week’s terror. I gave them two conditions: It must come from the heart, and it must lead to forgiveness.

By Lui Franceschi

A moment of panic, a moment of shock; a moment of…

What could I call it? What could I call it?

Confusion, memories, tears, fear, regrets, wishes, prayer…

All crammed in a second

Bodies…around me;

And then I look at the face

Of this person…

As he raises his gun, and raises it at me

Steel myself; steel myself…

And all of a sudden, I mean…I couldn’t, really couldn’t explain it to you—

Calm; I felt calm…

I remembered where I came from

I remembered what I stood for

And I knew it was worthy

What would my Kenya make of this?

And the answer, clear as daylight…

My Kenya would uphold its dignity,

My Kenya would enforce justice by law—and not justice by man…true justice

My Kenya would use my death, and the death of these around me

To come together;

To beautifully come together

In warm embraces and reassuring glances,

Holding hands in togetherness

Comforting…comforting each other in a glorious display of grace

REIGNITE KENYAN FLAME

As I feel—feel the pain; as I feel, feel the blast through my chest,

I know I die a worthy death

If this will serve to reignite the Kenyan flame of peace, love and unity…

If my people would forget themselves and their differences and come together as one—due to my death?

Gladly…gladly I would leave for so great a feat

I think of my daughter and her smile

I think of my wife Adut and her eyes

I think of my Kenya and her life

Liveliness, cheer, hope, excitement…Kenya

And I hope, hope against hope,

That my Kenya would not take my death to fuel its anger against everyone who looks like this person who kills me now,

That my Kenya would keep what it has that sets it a mark above its enemies—

Peace, love, unity

And as I think upon these things

GOOD HANDS

As I think about the strength, and the beauty and passion of such a people as I am proud to be a part of…

I…I close my eyes;

And know my wife Adut, and my daughter, and my people…

Are in good hands,

The hands of my Kenya

Black…red…white…green…

Kenya! Make me proud!

I have no words to describe the terror the country went through last week. I had no words to say thanks to the police, army and the whole government, for the great job they did.

I have no words to say thanks to my old friend Manoah Esipisu, whom I first met almost 20 years ago, for the amazing professionalism with which he has undertaken his job as Spokesman.

LEAD TO FORGIVENESS

I have no words to thank Mathew Saisi, whom I was supposed to meet at the Westgate Mall at 12.30pm on Saturday September, 21. He called me just before I went into the Mall and shouted "get-out!". I do not know where I would be if he hadn’t called.

I am short of words to express so many things in a short article. So, I asked my students to express last week’s terror. I gave them two conditions: It must come from the heart, and it must lead to forgiveness.

Stephanie Wanga, a brilliant and poetic first year law student, impressed me with the poem I have reproduced above. She called it: The Four Colours!

I unite myself with Stephanie and all her classmates’ feelings and dedicate this piece, on behalf of these brilliant young minds, to all the victims and their families.

May this also help misled terrorist souls to convert from their evil ways and find some sense in the beauty of a life well lived.