He knelt down and examined the hole, drawing from it the bottom of the mine. "Chinese," he muttered, "anti personnel. "Captain David is right. This isn't a left over from these people's fighting! It couldn't be. This was planted here recently, deliberately, so someone digging in the rubble would come upon it."
He rose and handed the piece to the Somali with him, then began to examine the rest of the pile. He suddenly stopped, knelt again, and with a piece of stick began to brush away debris. He carefully exposed three metal prongs.
"Another!" the Somali gasped."
"Yes," Samuel answered, rising, "another! Get everyone out of here!" he called. "Clear the area. There are more mines! Everyone out of here!"
The yard was quickly emptied. Volunteers were gathered, and it was searched inch by inch. Two more of the deadly devices were found.
"Have any strangers been around?" Samuel asked the yard's foreman.
"Only some Ziarans," the man explained. "They worked in the yard yesterday afternoon. They needed money for fuel to get home."
Samuel nodded, got a full description of the four men and had it distributed. But they were long gone.
Little Sam's funeral became an affair of state. The president and all of his cabinet came down. The procession to the cremation was led by him and he delivered the eulogy.
"I barely knew this little soldier," he began, "but he filled me with joy. He was a beam of light on a dark night, a happy song that lights a troubled soul. His parents came here to help us, to help us mend our differences, to protect us until we are again capable of protecting ourselves. They came to keep the peace and had barely gotten here when our troubles took from them one of their greatest treasures.
I vow, on behalf of The Somali People, that this loss will not be in vain, that what they have given to us will be treasured and remembered forever. We will honor this lost child by making what his parents came here to do a reality. This child's legacy will be a peaceful, united Somalia!
We will become one people again, one nation so that this innocent blood shed on our soil will have meaning. If I must give my life to make it so, whatever I can give I will give. I SWEAR, by The Prophet and by Almighty God, that this life will not have been lost in vain. And, I call upon every Somali that hears my voice to do the same!
We must forget our differences and strive to rebuild a nation that will be a proud place for this little solder to rest. Please, God, let it be!"
He left the pulpit, came down, motioned Samuel to rise, embraced him warmly, then returned to his seat as the speaker returned to the pulpit and closed the service. Sam's body was cremated and his ashes interred in a new crypt at the cemetery. The president stayed for a couple of days.
"If there's anything," he asked, "anything at all I can get for you, ask it."
"Well," Samuel admitted, "I could desperately use another vehicle, a car to make my rounds of the construction sites in, and, a driver. I could also use some clerks to work here at our base, so that I could put more of our men into the field. But I know your people are as strapped for personnel as mine are."
The President drove his right fist into the palm of his left hand. "True," he remarked, "but too long we expect your people to do so much with so little. Give me time. I will do SOMETHING!"
A week later a bus pulled into their compound, and ten young men climbed off. Samuel came out asking who they were.
"Volunteers," their leader announced. "We were told you need clerks. We all have experience in those duties. We are to work for room and board. We will receive a small allowance from our government. In exchange, when we are not doing our clerking duties you will teach us how to be better soldiers."
"Certainly!" Samuel agreed.
That evening a car pulled in to the grounds. It's driver, a burly Somali with a heavy accent that made the Spiritist very hard to understand, asked to see Samuel.
"What do you want?" Samuel asked.
"This vehicle is yours," the driver announced, "I am yours!"
Samuel examined the car. It was not a cheap one, by any means! "Excellent!" he praised, "my gratitudes to your president. I will arrange quarters for you in the barracks."
"I am your personal servant," the driver announced. "I should be quartered in your home. I am ordered to see to all your needs. My employer INSISTS on that!"
"Very well!" Samuel agreed. "There's plenty of room in my house. What is your name, sir?"
"I am Sahid," the Somali answered.
"Good!" Samuel praised, "Come along! I'll introduce you to the family."
Sahid proved to be almost indispensable! When not on the road with Samuel seeing to his every need, he was Sharon's help mate at home. He taught her how to shop in the Somali markets, how to prepare Somali food. He became like a second father to Joy, taking her places when Samuel didn't have time.
One day Samuel asked him to thank the president for sending him. "Oh, the president did not send me," Sahid answered,,,, "he only mentioned your need. My employer is someone else, but that person wishes to remain

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