Part 1: Chapter 5 Summary

The year following Wanja's departure was a hard one for the residents of Ilmorog. They were all used to young people deserting them, so it was not so much Wanja's disappearance that troubled them. The weather had been particularly bad that year, with almost no rain, and everyone worried that the crops would not yield enough to sustain them through another year.

They all blamed Abdulla's donkey. Not only did he eat too much grass, leaving nothing for the cows and goats, but they also thought of the donkey as an evil omen that prevented rain from coming to Ilmorog.

At the same time, Munira reopens the school. However, with four classes, he finds that he cannot possibly keep it running without an extra teacher. He decides to go to Mzigo to threaten his resignation if he cannot hire another teacher...