A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is a novel that interweaves two true stories from Sudan: Salva Dut’s journey as a “Lost Boy” refugee during the Second Sudanese Civil War (starting in 1985) and Nya’s daily struggle to fetch water in 2008. The dual narrative follows Salva’s incredible perseverance as he walks across Africa seeking safety and Nya’s arduous, eight-hour daily trek to a pond, with their stories eventually converging to highlight themes of survival, hope, and the impact of clean water.
CHAPTER ONE
Southern Sudan, 2008
Going was easy.
Going, the big plastic container held only air. Tall f or her eleven
years, Nya could switch the handle from one hand to the other, swing
the container by her side, or cradle it in both arms. She could even drag
it behind her, bumping it against the ground and raising a tiny cloud of
dust with each step.
There was little weight, going. There was only heat, the sun already
baking the air, even though it was long before noon. It would take her
half the morning if she didn't stop on the way.
Heat. Time. And thorns.
Southern Sudan, 1985
Salva sat cross-legged on the bench. He kept his head turned toward the
front, hands folded, back perfectly straight. Everything about him was
paying attention to the teacher—everything except his eyes and his mind.
His eyes kept flicking toward the window, through which he could see
the road. The road home. Just a little while longer—a few minutes more—
and he would be walking on that road.
The teacher droned on with the lesson, about the Arabic language.
Salva spoke the language of his Dinka tribe at home. But in school he
learned Arabic, the official language of the Sudanese government far away
to the north. Eleven years old on his last birthday, Salva was a good
student. He already knew the lesson, which was why he was letting his
mind wander down the road ahead of his body.
Salva was well aware of how lucky he was to be able to go to school.
He could not attend the entire year, because during the dry season his
family moved away from their village. But during the rainy season, he
could walk to the school, which was only half an hour from his home.
Salva's father was a successful man. He owned many head of cattle and
worked as their village's judge—an honored, respected position. Salva had
three brothers and two sisters. As each boy reached the age of about ten
years, he was sent off to school. Salva's older brothers, Ariik and Ring, had
gone to school before him; last year, it had been Salva's turn. His two
sisters, A kit and Agnath, did not go to school. Like the other girls in the
village, they stayed home and learned from their mother how to keep
house.
Most of the time, Salva was glad to be able to go to school. But some
days he wished he were still back at home herding cattle.
He and his brothers, along with the sons of his father's other wives,
would walk with the herds to the water holes, where there was good
grazing. Their responsibilities depended on how old they were. Salva's
younger brother, Kuol, was taking care of just one cow; like his brothers
before him, he would be in charge of more cows every year. Before Salva
had begun going to school, he had helped look after the entire herd, and
his younger brother as well.
The boys had to keep an eye on the cows, but the cows did not really
need much care. That left plenty of time to play.
Salva and the other boys made cows out of clay. The more cows you
made, the richer you were. But they had to be fine, healthy animals. It
took time to make a lump of clay look like a good cow. The boys would
challenge each other to see who could make the most and best cows.
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