Part 1: Chapter 6 Summary

"They returned to Ilmorog, this time driven neither by idealism nor the search for a personal cure but by an overriding necessity to escape." When they arrive, Ilmorog looks like anything but a place to escape to. The land has been struck by drought, and the green fields of their memories have been replaced by sun, dust, and sand.

The first thing they encounter is a group discussion about Abdulla's donkey. The village elders want to kill it to end the drought. Munira, Wanja and Karega take Abdulla's side, arguing that a donkey could not possibly have any effect on the weather. The elders agree to continue to wait for the rain.

School begins, but Munira and Karega are discouraged by the despondency of the children who are suffering greatly from the effects of the drought. When the elders finally come...