Alwg

In the coming days, Beah and his companions encounter varying levels of hospitality at each of the villages they approach. Many are still afraid and hostile, but in some villages the boys are greeted kindly and offered food and rest.

At one village, the boys are invited to join a hunting party. They do so, and the hunt is successful; they return to the village with their game and a feast - complete with music and dancing - occurs that night.

At another village, the owner of the house comes out to help. He tries to wake Saidu, but concludes that the boy is dead. The village holds a funeral for Saidu, but there is difficulty getting it underway at first since none of the other boys is related to him. Kanei knows Saidu’s family, so he stands in for them at the funeral. The boys are assured by the villagers that they have a place to belong to now, and they will always know where their friend is buried. Beah accepts their kindness while hiding the bitter sense that they boys have no control over their futures, and so have little chance of ever returning to their friend’s gravesite.