Long Walk to Water Chapter Read
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Hello, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mr Kaiser, and I'm going to be reading Chapter 10 of a long walk to water. You know, Chapter 10, Southern Susan, Sudan, 2008. The men finished their meeting. They all stood and walked past Nyah's house. Nyah joined the crowd of Children following them. A few minutes walk beyond her house. There was a tree. The men stopped at the tree and the strangers talk to Nyah's Uncle Sam. Or there was another tree some 50 paces past the first one, with Neha's uncle beside him. One of the men stopped at the halfway point. The other man walked the rest of the way and examined the second tree. The first man called out to his friend in a language Nyah did not understand. The friend answered in the same language, but as he walked back toward the group, he translated for the chief and Naya could hear him. This is the spot halfway between the two largest trees. We will find the water here. Nyah shook her head. What were they talking about? She knew that place like the back of her own hand. It was there between the two trees that the village sometimes gathered to sing and talk around a big fire. There wasn't a single drop of water on that spot unless it was raining southern Sudan 1985. Salva reached for his Gord. Gord is like a melon. He knew it to be half full, but suddenly it felt much lighter, as if there was hardly any water left in it. Uncle Joe were must have guessed what he was thinking. No, Salva, he murmured. You are too small and not strong enough yet. Without water, you will not survive the rest of the walk. Some of the others they will be able to manage better than you. Sure enough, there were now three women giving water to the men on the ground like a miracle. The small amounts of water revived them. They were able to stagger to their feet and join the group as the walking continued. But they're five dead companions were left behind. There were no tools with which to dig. And besides, burying the dead men would have taken too much time. Salva tried not to look as he walked past the bodies, but his eyes were drawn in their direction. He knew what would happen. Vultures would find the bodies and stripped them of their rotting flesh until only the bones remain. He felt sick at the thought of those men first dying in such a horrible way and then having even their corpses ravaged. If he were older and stronger, would he have given water to those men? Or would he, like most of the group, have kept his water for himself. It was the group's third day in the desert. By sunset, they would be out of the desert, and after that it would not be far to the E Tang refugee camp in Ethiopia. As they trudged through the heat, Salva finally had a chance to talk about a worry that had been growing like a long shadow across his thoughts. Uncle, if I am in Ethiopia, how will my parents ever find me? When will I be able to go back to Luna? Reek. I have talked to the others here, Uncle said. We believe that the village of Luna Rick was attacked and probably burned. Your family uncle paused and looked away when he looked back again. His face was solemn. Salva, few people survived the attack on the village. Anyone still alive would have fled into the bush, and no one knows where they are now. Salva was silent for a moment. Then he said, At least you will be there with me. In Ethiopia. Uncle's voice was gentle. No, Salva, I am going to take you to the refugee camp. But then I will return to Sudan to fight in the war, Salva stopped walking and clutched at uncle's arm. But Uncle, I will have no one who will be my family. Uncle gently loosened salvors grip so he could take the boy's hand in his. There will be many other people in the camp. You will become friends with some of them. You will make a kind of family there. They too, will need people they can depend on. Salva shook his head, unable to imagine what life would be like in the camp without uncle. He squeezed uncles hand tightly. Uncle stood quietly and said, nothing more. He knows it will be hard for me, Salva realized. He does not want to leave me there, but he has to go back and fight for our people. I mustn't act like a baby. I must try to be strong. Salva swallowed hard. Uncle, when you go back to Sudan, you might meet my parents somewhere. You could tell them where I am or you could talk to those you meet and ask where the people of Luna Re car now uncle did not answer right away. Then he said, Of course I will do that. Nephew Salva felt a tiny spark of hope. With uncle looking for his family. There was a chance they might all be together again. One day, no one in the group had eaten anything. For two days. Their water was nearly gone. On Lee. The vision of leaving the desert kept them moving through the heat and the dust. Early that afternoon, they came across the first evidence that the desert was receding a few stunted trees near a shallow pool of muddy water. The water was unfit to drink, but a dead stork lay by the pond's edge. Immediately, the group again to make preparations. To cook and eat the bird, Salva helped gather twigs of the fire as the bird roasted. Salva could hardly keep his eyes off it. There would only be enough for a bite or two for each person. But he could hardly wait. Then he heard loud voices along with the rest of the group. He turned and saw six men coming toward them. As the men approached, he could see they were armed with guns and machetes. The men began shouting, Sit down! Hands on your heads, All of you! Now everyone in the group sat down at once. Salva was afraid of the weapons and he could see that the others were too. One of the men walked among the group and stopped in front of Uncle Salva Could tell by the ritual scarring on the man's face that he was from the Nuer tribe. Are you with the rebels? The man asked. No, Uncle answered. Where have you come from? Where are you going? We come from the west of the Nile. Uncle said we're going to eat Tang The refugee camp. The man told uncle to get up and leave his gun Where it waas. Two of the other men took uncle to a tree several yards away and tied him to it. Then the men moved among the group. If anyone was carrying a bag. The men opened it and took whatever was in it. They ordered some people to remove their clothing and took that, too. Salva with trembling even in the midst of this fear, he realized that for the first time on the trip, it was a good thing to be the youngest and smallest. The men would not be interested in his clothes. When the men had finished their looting, they picked up uncles gun. Then they walked to the tree where uncle was tied up. Maybe they will leave us alone now that they have robbed us self. I thought he heard them laughing. That's a Salva watched. One of the men aimed has gone at uncle. Three shots rang out. Then the men ran away.