When Broken Glass Floats

In summer 1978 Athy works near their village, returning at night to Chea and Map. The leaders search their hut for forbidden material and find books that Chea has kept. However, Chea shaves her head and tells them she only uses it as toilet paper, hoping that if she “looks crazy and ugly enough, the Khmer Rouge might not harm [her]” (229). The ruse works, but Chea gets very ill.

Ra returns from the labor camp, and Ry from the hospital, to care for her, just as Athy is assigned to a different camp. Luckily, Athy’s leader is still the same kind woman as before, and Athy can visit Chea at night. Chea dies, and Athy promises to become a doctor in her honor. Athy dreams of Chea in a home filled with people dressed all in white; Chea is happy and healthy, and Athy asks her to wait for her before being awakened by Ry.

The Khmer Rouge announce that young adults must marry and produce children to repopulate the country. Those who don’t will be sent to the battlefields. Athy’s sister Ra decides to marry; she is terrified of being killed, having already been jailed and tortured for running away from a camp.