chapter 13

One Sunday morning, the corporal gives them the day off. He says, “If you are religious, I mean a Christian, worship your Lord today, because you might not have another chance.” The boys go to the square and play soccer and later go to the river to swim. Then, the corporal suddenly calls them back. In the square, they are told to quickly service their guns and then to pack up ammunition, making sure not to take too much so they can run fast. Some of the boys continued to laugh and play, thinking this is just more training. However, Ishmael begins to shake, because he knows this is the real thing. The lieutenant has them all stand up for inspection and then hands them all green head ties, telling them, “If you see anyone without a head tie of this color or a helmet like mine, shoot him.” They then sit down on the ground to wait, their thoughts wandering into their own feelings. Sheku and Josiah sit close to Ishmael, their eyes watery and dull. A soldier comes by with a plastic bag with some kind of white capsules that every one of the boys is told to take to “boost their energy.” They are given no other information. In this chapter, Ishmael has his first taste of war as a soldier and It is ugly and mind numbing.