chapter 21. .ITS THE END.

Some evenings, now that he has returned home, Ishmael will tell his family stories about his experiences in New York City. Afterwards, his uncle would respond by saying that it seemed like a strange trip. To Ishmael, it seems like something that had happened in his mind. Soon, he and Mohamed begin school again at St. Edward’s Secondary School. Ishmael is excited, because he has forgotten what it is like to be a student, to sit in class, to take notes, do homework, make friends and even provoke other students. He is eager to return, but is downcast when all the other students sit apart from them. They want to avoid Ishmael, because he had been a boy soldier. Their lives are tainted by their experiences, but Ishmael is confident that nothing could get any worse than it has been and that makes him smile. Then, on May 25, 1997, the war comes to Freetown. Gunshots erupt from around the State House and the House of Parliament, and they can see soldiers and army trucks everywhere. Ishmael and Mohamed look at each other as if to say, “Not again.” Then, they set the prisoners free from the central prisons and these criminals immediately set to find the lawyers and judges who had put them there. They tortured and killed them and their families. Someone comes on the radio and announces that his name is Johnny Paul Koroma and he is the new president of Sierra Leone. Somehow, the army has overthrown a democratically elected president. Later, they learn that the RUF (the rebels) have collaborated with the military to oust the civilian government. The whole country has now crumbled into lawlessness. Ishmael knows that he can’t return to his previous life, because he doesn’t think that now he can make it out alive. The “Sobels” (soldiers/rebels) begin looting the money in banks, halting, searching, and stealing from people on the streets, and occupying the secondary schools and campuses. Day by day, it becomes top dangerous to be out in the open and maybe take a stray bullet. Unfortunately, the Sobels also loot all the available food and so, going out in search of food becomes necessary. Ishmael has heard of a secret market where unavailable food items are being sold to civilians. So he and Mohamed head for this market and soon have many items they desperately need. Unfortunately, as they are about to leave, a Land Rover roars up and with a megaphone, a soldier orders them to put down their bags of goods and lie down on the ground with their hands on their heads. One woman tries to run and is shot in the head. This causes a general panic, and people begin running everywhere. Ishmael and Mohamed crouch and run, keeping their goods with them. Ishmael finally realizes that he cannot stay in Sierra Leone, so his long, arduous journey out of his country.
To be continued in next post.