I wonder how much he feels now. There is no want to kill me?’ And I told him, ‘I’m not your response is disbelief – he must be making emotion showing. son, don’t call me your son,’ and I gave him the story up to get attention. But he has had another shot and he died. And then I went precious little of that, and Richard Cole His story darkens further. “When I joined the into the house. There I met my grandmother assures me that the young boy’s account is rebels, the commander killed his own praying and then I shot her. She was blind.” perfectly credible because, he says, it is Sitting opposite me, Civilian continues. parents in my presence. And he said that we She was blid. While I reflect on the actually unremarkable. Unremarkable? “Yes, because so many should do likewise. We should not have words, Civilian has made a circle with his sympathy for anybody. The rebels then killed thumb and forefinger and is blowing invisible boys and girls have been put in this situa- my own mother and father.” bubbles around the room, his lips tion,” Cole says. He explains why the boy got raspberrying them into life. the nickname Civilian – when he first came The boy was asked if there were any other members of his family in the area. His grandparents, he said. So he was told to kill them. He explained, “I went to their house “How do you feel now, when you look to the school, if he ever say a person in uniform he would become hysterical.”We all back?” He shrugs at my question, always the had to run up to him, shouting,’Civilian, and met my grandfather first. He was child.”Now I just pray,’Father God, have Civilian, you are Civilian’ to calm him preparing to go for prayers. I said ‘Grandfat- mercy on me, forgive me. I’m not going to do down.” 60 her, we have been told that we should not it again. I pray and ask God to have mercy on spare anybody we meet, and this time there me.” I search for feeling in his words, but is no sympathy.’ And I shot him in the back.” still cannot hear any. His grandfather fell down, dying. Civilian says, “He shouted,’Oh, my son, why do you It’s difficult to know how to react to what this young boy is saying. The first 60 Vine, J. – Rebels without a cause, High Life, September 1999, p. 34–35. Right to Education Primers No. 3 41