What is the What [[chapter 16-20]]

I'm almost done with this book and I don't want it to end!



Finally Achak got rescued by Achor Achor! I was getting a little impatient and bored with his situation at the house. It seemed like no one was ever going to come for him, and he'd be stuck there for a while. I kept thinking: "why can't he just fidget his way out of the telephone cord or something? Is he that weak that he can't get up?" As messed up as that was to think, it just seemed like he could have done more to free himself rather than just wait for someone to find him. Anyways, it was relieving to have him freed by Achor Achor, but it must have been embarassing. Especially after Achor Achor mentioned that Achak ended up peeing on himself. I would have been embarassed. But Achor Achor seems like a nice friend and he and Achak do seem to get along pretty good. Then again, it isn't surprising since they did go through the same experience together.

I was actually surprised at how long Achak had to wait in the ER. Does it really take that long just to get an MRI? Or a simple emergency evaluation for that matter? Its a little unbelievable, and at one moment, I was siding with Achor Achor, assuming that the hospital had no faith in Achak paying or something. 4+ hours just seems a little too long, especially since Achak described the hospital to be surprisingly calm and not occupied at all. I still don't get what took so long.

Anyways, it was nice hearing some experiences of when Achak first came to America. It was something new, and interesting because its curious to see how he would act and react to a new place. A place that's just full of so many things. I think its great that there was a Sudanese relief fund and programs and everythinf for the Sudancese refugees. I thought it was really cool how so many people took an interest in it and were willing to help out, and how many people were willing to be sponsors and everything. I was also surprised, excited, and a bit envious when I read the part where they met Angelina Jolie. I found it funny how Achak was so clueless about her, too. But hearing all that was fun and refreshing, since it was a different experience. I like Achak's sponsors. They helped him so much, even though they hesitated for a while. But they treated Achak really nice, actually, most of the people Achak knew and came to know in America, really took care of Achak and really supported him, like Mary and everyone else. It was like Achak's own support net, or support system. That'd be really comforting to me to know that there were people I could fall back on to help me out during hard situations.

Now back to Achak's childhood. It seems like its been ages, but its only been a few years. And Achak is what? only 12? and he's still going through all this? So young. It made me really happy to know that Moses was alive. And I don't blame Achak for assuming that he was just a hallucination. I think I would have done the same thing, especially after thinking I saw him get shot by the muharaleen. I wouldn't believe it was him, but it was. And it was nice to see Achak happy again and have someone that gave him hope that the rest of the people he knew may have been alive as well. But Moses's story was also sad. I can't imagine having to travel for such a long time on a horse's back and a camel's back. That must've been unbearable and so uncomfortable. But he made it and found Achak, he must have been more than happy to finally find a familiar face.
I find Achak's relationship with Tabitha cute. Tabitha wanted to be with Achak and she ended up leaving Duluma for Achak. How cute! It made Achak really happy, too, and I find the way he acts and describes Tabitha to be cute as well. He treats her with so much respect, despite what the rumors were and what Duluma had told him about Tabitha. I think I'd side with Achak on this one and not believe the rumors about Tabitha, although she does seem like someone who had some mistakes about her past...just not ones so severe as abortion maybe. She moodswings a lot though.
Achak's living in Kakuma, at first seems so hard, and disappointing, and no matter how much they say it got "better", I still don't think it did. No matter what, in the end, its still a desert wasteland thats harsh and unbearable. But Achak got used to living there, even though he didn't want to. Everyone got used to living there, they had no other choice. I found it sad how Achak described their journey to Kakuma, and how they were chased off by the Ethiopians. They just killed and shot people off in the river, with no mercy at all. I would like to think that people aren't this barbaric, but this book makes them sound so heartless. How could people just kill other so recklessly? Its incomprehensible.