A Long Walk to Water Chapter 10 




Southern Sudan, 2008

Nya watched the strange men leave their meeting.  The men walked past Nya's house and stopped by a tree to talk to her uncle.  Nya could hear the men talking, but they were speaking in a languae she didn't understand.  Nya heard one of the men say "This is the spot.  We will find water here". 

Nya was confused because she had walked past that spot many times and had never seen a drop of water there. 

 



Southern Sudan, 1985 

Salva reached for his water to give to the people he saw laying on the ground dying of thirst.  Uncle said "No, Salva you are too small, and not strong enough yet.  Without water you will not survive the rest of the walk".  Salva knew Uncle was right and did not give the people any water. 

Some of the older members of Salva's group gave the people some water and they were able to stand and join the group.  However, five of the people were already dead. 



It was the group's third day in the desert.  By sunset, Salva hoped they would be out of the Desert and then soon they would be at the Itang refugee camp in Ethiopia.  

As they walked, Salva was able to talk to his Uncle.  Salva told his uncle how worried he was that once they got to Ethiopia his parents would never be able to find him again.  Uncle says, "We believe that the village of Loun-Ariik was attacked and probably burned.  Your family..."  Uncle stopped and looked at Salva sadly.  He said, "Your family probably died in the attack, but at least you will have me in Ethiopia". 

 

 


Salva was very upset by the news that Uncle told him. Salva told himself that he must be strong and not cry or act like a baby.  He finally made Uncle promise that if there was a chance his family was alive and Uncle found them one day he would tell them where Salva was.  

 

 



No one in Salva's group had eaten anything for two days and they were running out of water.  The only thing that kept them going was knowing they were almost out of the desert.  

Finally, as the day was ending they started to see that the desert was ending and someone in Salva's group caught a bird to eat! Salva could hardly wait to eat.  



All of a sudden men in Salva's group began shouting and yelling.  Salva saw men with guns coming towards their group saying "sit down!" "Hands on your head!" "All of you! Now!".

Salva was scared and did what the men said right away.  One of the men with guns stopped in front of Uncle.  They asked him "are you with the rebels?"  Uncle said no and that they were only trying to get to Ethiopia to the refugee camp.  

Then, the men took Uncle and tied him to a tree.  Salva watched and was terrified.  Then, he saw them aim a gun at Uncle and shoot him three times.  The men ran away laughing.