Podcast
Questions and Answers
Why did the smugglers choose a cloudy, moonless night?
Why did the smugglers choose a cloudy, moonless night?
- To have a better view of the stars
- To enjoy the cool breeze
- To make the journey more romantic
- To increase their chances of not being seen by the Greek Coast Guard (correct)
What was the main problem the people on the dinghy were facing?
What was the main problem the people on the dinghy were facing?
- They were lost and had no map
- They were arguing about directions
- They were running out of snacks
- The boat was deflating and the motor wouldn't start (correct)
What did Ahmed's father give him?
What did Ahmed's father give him?
- A toy boat
- A life jacket
- A map
- A stainless-steel watch (correct)
What did Ahmed's father sling over his shoulder?
What did Ahmed's father sling over his shoulder?
What was Ahmed's concern about his life jacket?
What was Ahmed's concern about his life jacket?
Where were the people in the dinghy trying to reach?
Where were the people in the dinghy trying to reach?
What was Ahmed's great-grandfather's watch called?
What was Ahmed's great-grandfather's watch called?
What was Ahmed's response to his father's attempt to comfort him?
What was Ahmed's response to his father's attempt to comfort him?
What does Ahmed say that he cannot do?
What does Ahmed say that he cannot do?
What is the setting of the story?
What is the setting of the story?
What was Ahmed feeling on his sneakers?
What was Ahmed feeling on his sneakers?
What did people throw into the sea?
What did people throw into the sea?
What was the woman in front of Ahmed holding?
What was the woman in front of Ahmed holding?
What did Ahmed's father put around Ahmed?
What did Ahmed's father put around Ahmed?
What did Ahmed's father do after putting the inner tube on Ahmed?
What did Ahmed's father do after putting the inner tube on Ahmed?
What did Ahmed's father ask the passengers?
What did Ahmed's father ask the passengers?
What did the man who could swim take off?
What did the man who could swim take off?
What did the woman do with the man's clothes?
What did the woman do with the man's clothes?
What was the captain's background?
What was the captain's background?
What did the captain receive for his 'thankless duty'?
What did the captain receive for his 'thankless duty'?
What item did Ahmed throw into the sea?
What item did Ahmed throw into the sea?
Why did Ahmed's father not want the inner tube back?
Why did Ahmed's father not want the inner tube back?
Where did the men swim to on the boat?
Where did the men swim to on the boat?
What did the men use to pull the boat?
What did the men use to pull the boat?
What did passengers do to lighten the boat?
What did passengers do to lighten the boat?
What replaced Ahmed's fear as he emptied bottles?
What replaced Ahmed's fear as he emptied bottles?
What memory did seeing his father lead the swimmers bring back to Ahmed?
What memory did seeing his father lead the swimmers bring back to Ahmed?
What caused Ahmed to be jolted from his memories?
What caused Ahmed to be jolted from his memories?
What started to fall from the sky as the waves grew?
What started to fall from the sky as the waves grew?
What happened to the buoy after the sideways wave?
What happened to the buoy after the sideways wave?
Flashcards
Dinghy
Dinghy
A small, inflatable boat often used for short distances.
Panic
Panic
The feeling of intense fear or anxiety.
Defective
Defective
Not working correctly or having flaws.
Powerlessness
Powerlessness
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False words of comfort
False words of comfort
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Lesbos
Lesbos
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Ironic
Ironic
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Silhouettes
Silhouettes
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Drown
Drown
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Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
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Bailing Water
Bailing Water
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"Allahu Akbar"
"Allahu Akbar"
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Inner Tube
Inner Tube
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Treading Water
Treading Water
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Medley
Medley
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Smuggler
Smuggler
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Buoy
Buoy
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Life Jacket
Life Jacket
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Ashamed
Ashamed
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Overcrowded
Overcrowded
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Conferring (hushed tones)
Conferring (hushed tones)
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Taut
Taut
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Jerked
Jerked
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Ebb
Ebb
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Dabke
Dabke
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Choppy waves
Choppy waves
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Whitecaps
Whitecaps
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Pitched
Pitched
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Bucked
Bucked
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Study Notes
- The story takes place on a cloudy, moonless July night in the Aegean Sea.
- Smugglers are transporting eighteen men, three women, and four children in an inflatable rubber dinghy.
- The dinghy has lost air and is sitting low in the water, only about 10 centimeters above the surface.
- The passengers are crammed together, with ill-fitting life jackets, and few know how to swim.
Ahmed's Fears
- Ahmed, a fourteen-year-old boy, remembers stories of defective life jackets that cause people to sink.
- He notices the smell of unwashed bodies, sweat, terrified gazes, and the sickly tossing of the sea.
- Ahmed realizes the boat is deflating and fears they will drown if the motor doesn't start.
Distance and Despair
- They are less than ten kilometers from the Greek island of Lesbos.
- Ahmed cannot see any lights from land, boats, or stars.
- Ahmed wears his great-grandfather's Omega Seamaster watch.
- The name of the watch seems ironic given the situation.
- Ahmed confesses to his father that he cannot swim.
Sacrifices to Lighten the Load
- Water soaks Ahmed's sneakers as the boat takes on water.
- People throw bags overboard to lighten the load, and some try to bail water with plastic bottles.
- A woman in front of Ahmed begins to cry, revealing she is holding a baby in a sling.
Father's Reassurance and Sacrifice
- Ahmed's father reassures the woman and tells her not to cry.
- He gives Ahmed his inner tube and tells him he must leave him for a moment.
- Ahmed's father jumps into the water to help pull the boat.
Seeking Help
- Ahmed asks his father where he is going.
- His father asks if anyone else can swim.
- The passengers are from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
- None of them can swim.
- A man speaks up in Iraqi-accented Arabic and says he can swim.
More Join the Effort
- The wiry man takes off his jacket and shirt and hands them to the woman beside him.
- The engineering student from Homs, chosen to pilot the boat, says he can swim.
- The captain seemed ashamed about the stalled motor.
- The captain was given an orange buoy and he dives in after it.
Pulling Together
- The swimmers loop the boat's towrope around the buoy and grab onto the rope.
- They kick and paddle with their free arms.
- Ahmed's father swims in front, with the other two men behind him.
- The passengers cheer and shout, "Praise be to God!".
- Those in the center of the boat use bottles to scoop water and pour it out.
Memories of Better Times
- Ahmed remembers weekends before the war in Aleppo, barbecuing, picnicking, and dancing the dabke with his family.
- His father would be in charge leading the line of dancers.
Storm and Loss
- The wind picks up and choppy waves rock the dinghy.
- A hard summer rain begins, stirring up the sea even more, and drenching them.
- The swimmers pull the dinghy straight into the waves.
The Sideways Wave
- The boat is hit by a sideways wave causing a shock.
- Thinking they will be flipped Ahmed sucks in air.
- Instead, the wave sweeps over the swimmers, who vanished completely.
- The wave rips the buoy off the rope and tosses it away.
- Passengers shine lights across the water asking where they went.
- The Iraqi surfaces holding the rope.
Disappearance
- The captain sputtered to the surface.
- Ahmed looks for his father.
- He thinks he sees his father's head bobbing to the surface.
- He shouts "Baba!".
- There is no response.
- Only whitecap waves are visible.
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Description
A refugee dinghy navigates the Aegean Sea, carrying men, women and children to Lesbos. Ahmed, a young boy, confronts the immediate dangers of the journey, including a deflating boat and inadequate safety equipment. He reflects on the irony of his great-grandfather's Omega Seamaster watch amidst their perilous situation.
