Chapter 11 Summary

After his mother's meager funeral, Simon arrives, apologizing for being late. Afterwards, the two talk emotionally between themselves. Simon mentions that he will be staying with Jesus and is concerned that his blacksmith shop lies closed with all the tools going to waste, and no one to fix the machinery of the farmers in Ketzah. He asks a favor of Daniel. Will he take over the shop?

Daniel fights tears and thinks everyone he knows in the village has mapped out his future and that he has no say in it. The neighbors, Leah, the doctor, and now Simon all assume he has come home to stay. He feels shackled by his responsibilities, and always by the conflict within himself between what he really wants to do and what himself expects of him by others, and, to a degree. .

Simon goes on to...