Trust Issues: Journal five, Carmen

During chapter 18 Beah is asked to be the spokesperson for the rehabilitation center he tells people that there is hope and that people of the war can be helped. he meets up with his childhood friend Mohamed. we also find out that leslie found Beah's uncle and Beah's uncle is going to take Beah in as his own. Beah learns to trust his uncle and is happy that he finally gets his chance to be a child.

I feel like the theme of this chapter is the trust that Beah shows with everyone. He gets to know his uncle with open mind. He understand that this is his chance to make it out of the center and start over. Though he is hesitant in the beginning he keeps an open mind and this leads to him being welcomed into his new family with open arms. this hesitant action is only is because Beah has been taught to trust no one but his gun. This change is hard for him but he feels like this man could be his salvation. The children in this family do not know of his past but are his cousins that also ended up with his uncle after the war.

The theme of this chapter can connect to me in many ways but the one memory that comes to me the strongest is that after losing my aunt four years ago my entire family was frightened to let anyone into our home. My aunt had been murdered by a drug lord and he threatened our lives as well. One time a person connected to him broke into my home when my mother wasn't home but never came upstairs to where my sister and I were hiding with our friends. After this incident my sister and I had to keep weapons in our room in case something like this happened again. Nothing ever happened like that again but I still question why people may want in my house and get scared whenever I hear the doorknob jiggle on the front door. I understand why Beah is hesitant to trust this man that he doesn't know.

Its so sad how small these kids were no wonder they have PTSD.