Chapters 5 through 8 of Part I Summary

In Chapter 5, on his way to the interview, the rickshaw Chiko travels in avoids hitting children in the street. They should be in school but schools are closed more than they are open. He feels he can qualify for a teaching position even though he doesn't have any formal training. He's tutored many kids in the past. The line of young people waiting for interviews is long. A brother and sister in front of him have been waiting for hours. Just when they are discussing whether it was a ruse and they should leave, a door flies open and everyone is being waved into a room by men waving rifles. Now Chiko is sure that it was a trap.

The soldiers push and shove the boys into the room and yell at the girls to...