You have said a lot in just a few words. It is a poetic narrative, it awakens longing and creates images. The question of "what if?" resonates and so does the answer that it could have been worse :)

I have never been to Africa and can't say anything about it, except that I have seen countless documentaries and films which - how could it be otherwise - never managed to show the whole reality. That Africa cannot be tamed is a metaphor that speaks to the untamable in each of us. Sometimes you want to be it rather than actually being it. HaHa!

I see you are still writing with great passion and joy.