Petals of Blood

The final part of the text opens first with a quote by Walt Whitman, again from his poem “Europe (The 72nd and 73rd Years of These States).” This section of the poem discusses dead martyrs of revolution; although they hang dead, their ideals and goals live on with others. The second is from a speech by Amilcar Cabral, an influential anticolonial leader and pan-Africanist from Bissau-Guinea. It discusses the importance of not only brotherhood but the political choice to be comrades in revolution against colonialism.

In the opening of this section, the Pan-African highway has been built through Ilmorog, which connects all parts of Africa physically but fails to connect them in their ideas and goals of independence. As the children watch the modernization of their village, they learn the names of multinational corporations and sing songs of traveling all across Africa without really understanding these places or their histories.

At the center of Ilmorog’s growth and development is Abdulla’s shop. With Wanja’s help, it has expanded to sell meat and Theng’eta, first to construction workers and then to travelers. They eventually add five rooms in which people can stay.

Nderi wa Riera arrives in Ilmorog, claiming credit for the new road and explaining future ideas including ranches, wheat fields, and a tourist center.