Summary of the Book: Part 3

The boys sadly bury their friend, but with the belief that a much hoped-for joy is just around the corner. They meet a man, Gasemu, whom Ishmael recognizes from home. Gasemu tells him that his family is just over the next hill. But when the group finally mounts the rise, they look down to see fires raging through the village. The air erupts with the sounds of gunshots and screams. The rebels have gotten there first.
Everywhere there are bodies, burnt or riddled with bullets. The soil of the town is red with blood. Ishmael runs from body to body, looking for something he doesn't want to see. Gasemu points out the house where his family was staying-it is a blackened husk. Devastated, Ishmael punches the still-smoldering walls in rage and despair. There is no chance that his family has survived. The boys seek safety in Yele, where the government troops are headquartered. One day, Lieutenant Jabati lines up all the boys and announces, "This is your time to revenge the death of your families and to make sure more children do not lose their families." Each boy-ranging in age from seven to seventeen (Ishmael is now thirteen)-is handed an AK-47 and their training as soldiers begins. They are told that the rebels "have lost everything that makes them human. They do not deserve to live. That is why we must kill every single one of them. Think of it as destroying a great evil. It is the highest service you can perform for your country." The boys practice stabbing banana trees while a corporal chants, "visualize the enemy, the rebels who killed your parents, your family, and those who are responsible for everything that has happened to you."