chapter 12

The boys walk for days, but Ishmael couldnt remember how many. Suddenly they are stopped by two government soldiers with rifles who take them to another village. Along the way, they see two dead bodies that make Ishmael want to vomit. And one of the soldiers smiles and says, “You will get used to it. Everybody does.” They are taken downriver to Yele, which is filled with the military. In the beginning it seemed that they have finally found safety. The village is always full of chatter and laughter, and all that ever darkens it for Ishmael is the sight of orphaned children. Apart from this, there are no indications that their childhood is threatened, much less that they will be robbed of it. The boys are given jobs working in the kitchen and Ishmael is glad for the work that distracts him from thoughts of his family. He was suffering severe migraines since finding his family dead in the village. Everyone else settles in to every day life, Then one morning the atmosphere in the village became suddenly tense. All the soldiers assembled in the square in their uniforms and were addressed for hours by Lieutenant Jacobi.