Refugee Boy

Sheila and Nicholas arrive the next day and express their condolences. Nicholas asks for Alem’s permission to use Mr. Kelo’s recent letter in court to strengthen their case. Alem asks them if it would be better for him to go home to be with his father instead of fighting for asylum, but Sheila tells him that it is possible that his father has already left Eritrea and that they could miss each other if Alem leaves now. Alem gives the letter to Nicholas to use in his case.

Alem stays home from school for the next few days. Ruth comes into his room and sees him holding the photograph of his family. She takes the picture, scans it, and then uploads it as his desktop picture on his computer in his room.

When Alem returns to school, he tells Robert what happened to his mother. They walk to the Fitzgeralds’ house, and Alem shows Robert the picture of his parents in his room. Robert says that the whole country is full of refugees. He tells Alem that his parents are originally from Chile and that his name is Roberto, even though he goes by Robert. Alem is glad to know that he is not the only person he knows who comes from a different country.

Robert and Alem go to Buck’s house to listen to his band practice. Afterward, Robert takes him to visit his friend named Asher, whom he believes is Ethiopian.

Asher invites them in, and he is excited that Alem is from Ethiopia and Eritrea. He explains that he is Jamaican but that Ethiopia is his true homeland. He discusses Ethiopia with Alem and explains to Robert that “Africa must unite” (183). Robert and Alem leave after a while and make plans to bring their bikes to school the next day.

Robert and Alem bike together after school. After Robert leaves, two boys attack Alem and steal his bike. He tells the Fitzgeralds what happened. They want to call the police, but Alem asks them not to. He goes up to his room and takes a nap, feeling depressed about his bike.

Ruth comes into his room and tells him that she is sorry about his bike but that she has a surprise for him. Alem closes his eyes, and when he opens them, his father is standing in his room. Alem rushes into his father’s arms. After they catch up, Alem shows him the family photo on his computer. Later, Mr. Kelo explains to Alem and the Fitzgeralds that he must go to the Home Office to apply for asylum the next day, but afterward, he would like to come back to their house to visit. The Fitzgeralds offer to have him over for dinner, and Alem tells his father that he wants to make him spaghetti.

After school, Alem rushes home and sees that Mrs. Fitzgerald bought spaghetti for him to cook for his father. Later in the day, the doorbell rings, but instead of Mr. Kelo, Sheila and Mariam stand at the door. Mariam tells them that she accompanied Mr. Kelo to the Home Office, but the authorities arrested him and took him to Campsfield, a detention center for refugees. She tells them that Nicholas will go to Campsfield to try to get Mr. Kelo out.

The next day, Nicholas calls Alem and tells him that they are applying for bail for Mr. Kelo and that he feels confident that they can get him out. Alem goes to his room, and Ruth comes in. She gives him two CDs: one of Eritrean music and one of Ethiopian music. Her gift lifts Alem’s spirits, and he listens to the music for the rest of the day and thinks of his home. Later, Mrs. Fitzgerald tells Alem that Nicholas called and said that Mr. Kelo will appear in court in the next few days.

Alem and the Fitzgeralds learn that the court accepted Mr. Kelo’s bail. Alem is relieved and sees his father after school. Mariam and Pamela are with Mr. Kelo, and they tell them that the adjudicator decided to combine Mr. Kelo’s case with Alem’s, so they will appear in court together in February. In the meantime, Sheila arranges for Mr. Kelo to stay in a hotel since he cannot stay at the Fitzgeralds’ house due to fostering laws.

Alem gives his father a few days to settle into the hotel before he visits him. When Alem arrives at his father’s room, he sees that the hotel is dirty and run-down, but his father does not want to complain. Alem asks his father how his mother died, and Mr. Kelo tells him that it was violent. He starts to cry, and he tells Alem, “Real men cry, real men have feelings” (210). Alem cries too, and his father tells him that Mrs. Kelo had the idea to found EAST because she wanted an organization that encouraged peace rather than conflict. Alem decides that he needs to exemplify his mother’s attitude to carry on her memory.

A few days later, Alem makes his father spaghetti at the Fitzgeralds’ house. Mr. Fitzgerald tells Mr. Kelo that they love Alem, and as a gift, Mr. Fitzgerald gives them tickets to visit the Millennium Dome.

The next day, Alem and Mr. Kelo visit the Dome. Afterward, Mr. Kelo takes Alem to the EAST office in London. Inside, Alem sees Eritreans and Ethiopians speaking together. Mr. Kelo wanted to show Alem the office so he would see that peace between Ethiopians and Eritreans is possible and worth fighting for.