There were a few boys in my group who knew how to find wild fruits that were good to eat and others who could hunt wild birds. Some days we had food to share, but most days there was no food to be found. We often ate leaves and bark from trees.

Finding food was not the only problem. Many days it was hot and dry and we were very thirsty. Sometimes we had to drink our urine to get moisture in our bodies. There were times when we got very sick. We made sure to rest often so the weaker boys could keep up.

We did many things to help us forget our hunger and our aching bodies. We played games and told stories. We made animal figures from mud, mostly cattle. I told Chuti how I used to care for calves. He was so impressed, he insisted I sculpt a herd of cattle for him.

I was glad Chuti liked the cattle, even if they were just made of mud.

One evening as we were walking on the road, I heard Chuti crying. I picked him up and asked him what was wrong.

“I’m scared you will leave me like my mother and father,” Chuti sobbed.

“Chuti, your mother and father did not want to leave you. They loved you very much. They lost you when war came. Don’t worry, I will take care of you,” I said. “But for now, daylight is coming and we must find a shady place to sleep. We need our strength to cross the border into Ethiopia tomorrow.”

I put Chuti down under a tree. He was so tired from crying that he fell right to sleep. As I lay down beside him, I thought of my own parents and how much I missed them.