chapter 15

Ishmael says, “My squad is my family, my gun is my provider, and protector, and my rule is to kill or be killed.” His childhood has gone by without his knowing and it seems as if his heart has frozen. However, everything is about to change He is fifteen years old. He, Alhaji, Kanai, and twenty members of his squad leave one morning for Bauya, a small town a day’s walk away. They are excited to see Jumah, who is stationed there. Ishmael is also looking forward to seeing the lieutenant who might find some time to talk about shakespeare. They find Jumah sitting in a hammock on the verandah of a cement house. His face seems older and he no longer nods nervously as he talks. Later that night, they gathered in the yard at the center of town where it is a social event for the commanders to mingle with everyone else. Ishmael is amazed at his lieutenant who has managed to stay alive even after most of his commander friends have been killed.