Nowhere Boy

They transfer to another train that will take them to Hungary. They cross the border and then see a conductor walking down the aisle checking passports. Max speaks to the conductor and hands him their passports. The conductor speaks roughly to Ahmed but hands them back their passports and moves on. As they arrive at the train station, Ahmed notices the conductor coming back down the aisle toward them with a Hungarian police officer. Max and Ahmed run the other way, pushing past people who are starting to stand up in preparation to leave the train. They run through the whole train before reaching the last compartment.

Max freezes, knowing that they have nowhere to go. Suddenly, he realizes that the train has stopped moving, and he grabs Ahmed to run toward one of the exits. They run out of the train station into a park. Ahmed grabs Max, and they hide in the bushes at the park, gasping for air. They hear voices and footsteps, but before long, they realize they are safe. Ahmed tells him that every public transportation area will be looking for them now. Max has an idea and tells Ahmed he needs to find a computer.

Max finds a business center and uses the computer to find the phone number of the refugee rights group helping Baba. They call, and the group sends a woman to pick them up in a car. Although Ahmed feels nervous getting in a car with a stranger, he relaxes as the woman, Reka, gives them food and water. On the drive to the town where the detention center is located, Reka asks about the boys’ plans and offers to accompany them to the center in the morning. She makes Max promise to call his parents once Ahmed and Baba are reunited.

As they arrive at the detention center, Max comments that the building looks more like a prison, and Reka agrees. In the waiting area, Reka discusses Baba’s case file with Ahmed, and Ahmed worries that his fake Belgian ID is going to become a problem for both him and his father. Suddenly, guards come out of the office and grab Ahmed. Reka speaks to the guards in Hungarian while Max holds onto Ahmed, trying to take him from the guards. Inspector Fontaine walks out of the door and tells Max to let Ahmed go. He tells Reka that Ahmed forged his documents and that he “stayed in Belgium illegally” (318). Max starts yelling that Ahmed is not a terrorist, which Inspector Fontaine agrees is correct, but he says that Ahmed still cannot come back to Belgium. Fontaine tells Max that he needs to return him to his parents, but Max clings to Ahmed. Ahmed tells Max to take care of the orchids before they take him away.

As Ahmed goes through the doors with the guards, he hears Reka calling after him to say that she will try to help him. A uniformed man asks Ahmed his name, nationality, and age before the guards take him into the detention center.

Max stares out the plane window, refusing to acknowledge Inspector Fontaine sitting next to him. During the flight, Max asks Inspector Fontaine how he found them so quickly. Fontaine tells him that he spoke to Oscar, who denied making the forged ID card. Then, Madame Pauline told him Farah’s name, but she also denied knowing anything about the card. Fontaine found a search on Oscar’s mother’s computer at the commune for Ibrahim’s address, and Ibrahim told them about Ahmed’s father. Max asks Inspector Fontaine how he could believe that Ahmed was a terrorist. Fontaine does not defend himself but tells Max that he could not understand such things because he has never lived through a war. He worries that the refugees will disrupt the unity that Europe rebuilt after WWII. Max tells him that the horrors of WWII should make him more accepting of Ahmed. Inspector Fontaine tells Max that no matter what he feels for Ahmed, he broke the law, and without the law, society would fall apart. Max asks him, “What if the law is wrong?” (326). Fontaine claims that Max’s heart could be just as wrong as the law. Max tells him that he should have given Ahmed a chance, but Fontaine claims that Max thinks this way just because he is young.

The guards lock Ahmed in a dark room. He sees a man in the corner and realizes that it is Baba. Baba runs to him and hugs him, and they both cry together. Ahmed knows that no matter their situation, he is safe with his father. Ahmed tries to give him his watch back, but Baba tells him that it is his watch now.

As they near baggage claim, Inspector Fontaine tells Max that his parents are waiting for him. When his parents see him, they hug him. Max’s parents tell him that he is in trouble, but they are also proud of him for risking himself to help Ahmed.

Although the conditions at the detention center are not good, Ahmed feels happy to be with Baba. Ahmed emails Max whenever the guards give him time at the computer.

At school, Oscar welcomes Max back and tells him that he is glad that Ahmed found his dad. He tells Max that he always secretly hoped that his father was still alive. Farah comes up to them and asks Max about Ahmed. Max tells them that Reka reached out and said that the detention center can only hold them for 30 days.

One day, the supervisors bring Ahmed and Baba into their office, where Reka waits for them. Reka tells them that once they are set free, the detention center will deport them to Greece. Ahmed has an idea to help them and asks if he can use the computer to email Max.

Max sits in front of his computer and types into a Word document. Claire comes into his room and apologizes to him, acknowledging that she made the wrong choice in reporting Ahmed to Fontaine. As she leaves, Max asks for her help reading over his work. Claire reads Max’s description of the story of Albert Jonnart and Ralph Mayer. She reads about how Mayer returned to Jonnart’s house and gave his wife flowers every year after Jonnart’s death. Claire reads about Ahmed’s story and how he changed Max’s life for the better. Claire tells Max that the story is perfect.

After 50 days in the detention center, Ahmed worries that the Jewish organization Max wrote to will not help them. Baba tells Ahmed that he must be patient. Later in May, Baba tells him with excitement that the detention center approved their petition and that they are sending them to America. He shows Ahmed the letter from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society: The organization received Max’s letter and wants to help Ahmed and Baba enter the United States. Ahmed feels excited because he knows that Max will be in America by then. Baba tells him that they are moving them to Charlottesville, Virginia, which is only three hours from Washington, DC, where Max lives. Ahmed tells his father that for the first time in a long time, he feels hopeful.