chapter 17

Ishmael has not been to the hospital since he had walked out a few months before. But one afternoon, during a table tennis match, he feels a tap on his shoulder. It is the nurse from the hospital. She gives him a cold Coca-Cola and invites him to come see her anytime he wants. After she leaves, Alhaji teases Ishmael that the nurse likes him. Anyway, Ishmael decides to go to the hospital. There is a chart on the wall with the names of all the boys and checkmarks to show when they have come to the hospital for scheduled appointments. There are no checkmarks by Ishmael’s name. He finally tells her his name when she asks, and she tells him she is Esther. He asks her if she really wants to be friends with him, and surprisingly, she says maybe not. He bitterly notes to himself that it is better she feels this way, because he has come to believe that people befriend others only to exploit them. Ironically, however, her explanation for saying she’s not sure about befriending him is based on whether she will be able to trust him. She softens this by telling him he has a great smile and should use it more often. A few days later, Esther throws a package at Ishmael. It is a Walkman and a rap cassette, and he is amazed that she knows he likes rap music. She makes him sit down for a medical exam while he listens to the cassette. She sees the huge scars on his legs from bullet wounds and asks him to tell her where he got them. He then begins to unfold the story. During the dry season, the soldiers had decided to attack another village where there were more rebels than them. So they returned to base, and it was decided that they would capture the village and make it their new base. They traveled there quickly and set up an ambush, but then they realized that the village was empty. Suspiciously, they continued to watch, and eventually, five gunmen returned. In this chapter is an explanation of how, gradually, Ishmael is finding himself again with the help of such concerned and caring people.