Sugar rots the teeth.
Take this, Iwegbuna.
No more picture. Go home!
We'll catch another movie next month.
Your mother wants us back at the shop soon anyhow.
Chioke.
Careful, my little cowboys.
This is a big horse.
Brother! I am rounding everyone up to come talk to you.
How are you?
Fine. Fine.
Tell me the truth.
I am surviving.
You're the first Ikeji to touch America.
Must be lonely.
But remember the plan.
Go to school.
Get a degree.
Come back home.
You'll soon be back here where you belong.
Running Dad's shop beside me.
He's smiling at us from heaven.
Iwegbuna! Hello!
Gramma's talking.
Mma, you don't have to dress up in order to send a tape.
I will dress for my son.
I sent you some cloth I wove!
It's been selling out in the store.
Know that God is keeping us well.
There has been some fighting
between soldiers and the president,
but it doesn't sound too bad.
I want to see you.
Save up faster so you can come home.
Move away from the recorder now.
I'm talking with--
Iwegbuna. I had to tape this immediately!
It is too funny.
Your cousin Eno's wedding is in three days
and I wanted to cook.
Your brother bought me a live goat for stew.
But this goat is too smart.
It does not want to die.
It ran away from him into the house--
It's in here, Chioke!
I'm telling you! Your brother is a herdsman!
Bad goat!
Nothing you're doing over there is as crazy as what is happening here.
I need some help.
No, not me.
I'm too old for goat games.
My son.
Listen to me.
I want you to experience something there
before you return home.
Yes, Mma.
You are too smart to be this naive.
People are so scared right now,
they are moving all their money out of Nigerian banks.
If I were you, I'd call home.
Chioke!
Chioke! Speak up!
You know the line is bad.
Brother,
it's so good to hear your voice.
I wish I could see your face.
What is happening?
Listen.
There's talk of a military takeover!
You hear me?
What are they doing now?
No one knows.
We are fine.
We're packing up the business...
just in case they try to take everything.
What? I should come home.
Tell him no.
How long now? Wrap it up.
I have just enough for a one-way.
-I am coming home. -No!
-But the plan was-- -No, no, no!
Plans change!
There's no way to build anything in Nigeria right now.
You are over there.
Make something of yourself where you can.
That's how you will help us.
Family!
Chioke, how are you?
Mma, I hope you're still dressing up for me.
We can't even trust what the newspaper tells us anymore.
Stop looking at that.
Come listen to your brother's tape.
I have been wanting to send you something
to cheer us all up.
Some goodgood, sweetsweet news.
Your pride and joy, Iwegbuna Ikeji,
has landed a job.
I am a teacher's assistant to Professor Robbins
in the graduate economics department.
And next semester, I will lead a course on understanding
economies of developing nation-states.
Wow.
Chioke, you know I've rediscovered something?
Cowboys.
Cowboys are real.
I've seen them.
In fact, I'm watching them now while talking to you.
I want to see them myself. I wish I could.
One day
I will fly you all here so you can meet them.
It's a hard life for cowboys,
but they survive it. Just like us.
The business may be gone,
but your brilliant mind will come up with another plan.
Don't worry too much.
I'll be fine here. I promise.
I'm going to let the tape record to the end.
So you can hear the cows.