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“We came to the quarters every other weekend to study that kind of music on television…I loved the dance, and particularly enjoyed learning the lyrics, because they were poetic and it improved my vocabulary”
"When the Cassette player was brought, the cheif put the cassette in a pressed "play." ...I rewound the taped, mimed, and danced to "OPP" barefoot in the sand...The chief explained to everyone that there had been a misunderstanding and that we were only children looking for safety...He gave me back my cassettes and we were on our way."
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The moment Ishmael's childhood was taken away was when he became a child soldier.
“As I was putting on my new army shorts, a soldier took my old pants and threw them into a blazing fire that had been set to burn out old belongings. I ran toward the fire, but the cassettes had already started to melt. Tears formed in my eyes, and my lips shook as I turned away”
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Ishmael's childhood and freedom came back when he was given the new cassettes.
“She was looking at me, waiting for me to open it. When I unwrapped it, I jumped up and hugged her…”