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Back The Year the Maps Changed Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Map
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

I couldn’t say anything. I could only nod my head and wonder at what Mr. Khouri had just said, and what it all meant.

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53

Detention Center

Luca hadn’t been back at work since the rescue. The station said he needed rest and had to take some sick days. He was home when Sam and I got back from school, after a whole day of us thinking on what Mr. Khouri had said.

“Merjeme and Arta got sent back to Kosovo.”

Luca looked up from where he was sitting on the couch, and without saying a word he opened his arms and I crawled into them.

“I know, I know,” he said.

I heard a noise and looked up. Anika had come out of her room. She had Sam’s face buried in her middle and her arms wrapped around him, one hand running through his curly hair.

“Dorothea called,” Luca said. “She told me what happened.”

“Can we do anything?”

He shook his head.

“They must have been so scared,” Sam said.

I felt the couch dip as Anika and Sam sat beside us.

“What can we do to help?” she finally asked, and I felt Luca shrug.

“There’s nothing we can do. They’re here on temporary visas, and unless they present a compelling case for why their lives would be in danger if they went back, or the minister personally grants them leave to seek permanent asylum . . .”

I lifted myself out of Luca’s arms and looked between him and Anika. “But what about Nora—she’s pregnant!”

I heard Anika’s sharp intake of breath, just as Luca shook his head.

“That may be enough of a medical reason to keep her here for a few months past the deadline.” He sighed. “But she will get sent back. The baby too.”

“Can’t we go and visit her? Make sure she’s applying and writing to the minister?” Anika asked.

Luca leaned forward and looked at each of us. “We have no way of knowing, since we can’t get back in.” And then he said, “You have to understand. The place is no longer a safe haven. It’s a detention center now.”

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54

He Was Ours

Jed and Aidan walked ahead of Sam and me on the way home from school. Aidan had been coming over to both our houses more often since he and his dad hadn’t been getting along so well. His dad didn’t like the way Aidan’s opinions were shaping up, but Aidan thought what he really didn’t like was that they were his own opinions and not his dad’s.

“Do you think we should become a republic?” Sam asked me as we crossed the road from school. The idea had been on the news a lot, and adults were going to vote on it soon. “I mean—if you could vote, what would you choose?”