He does not. Ishmel is visiting Mattru Jong when the rebels attack Mogbwemo, his home town. Many refugees flee to Mattru Jong, and therefore, Ishmael and his friends wait for the incoming people and look for their families. When no one arrives after several hours the children decide to go back to Mogbwemo. However, along the way, they start to see the first evidence of the devastation of the war. The children eventually decide that Mogbwemo is not livable anymore, and they return to Mattru Jong.
