Left to Tell: Chapter 6 Summary & Analysis

Immaculée’s family, along with Augustine, spend the entire day of April 7th, 1994 listening to the radio. The Rwandan radio stations encourage Hutus to attack Tutsis with machetes. Just before evening, Immaculée finally leaves the radio and begins studying for her exams. Damascene is stunned by Immaculée’s ability to do so; Immaculée pretends to be strong and calm, when in reality she is simply doing anything to try to  take her mind off what is going on around her. At one point, a foreign radio station plays a message from Paul Kagame, the leader of the RPF. He promises that if the massacre of Tutsis continues, the RPF will reinvade Rwanda and “fight to the death to protect their fellow Tutsis.”

The next day, the BBC plays an interview with Agathe Uwilingiyimana, the moderate Hutu prime minister, who says that she and her family are trapped inside their house in Kigali. During the interview, the line goes dead, and Immaculée later learns that soldiers broke into her house and assassinated her while she was on air. Rose, who is in a “kind of trance,” packs the family’s belongings in suitcases. Yet Leonard insists that the RPF will stop the killings. For one of the only times in her life, Immaculée tells her father that he is wrong. Meanwhile, despite Immaculée’s assurances, Damascene remains convinced that he has “no future” and is going to die.

That night, the family hears that the ten Belgian UN peacekeepers who had been guarding Uwilingiyimana were also shot, and that the lives of all Belgians in Rwanda are under threat. In the morning, two dozen members of the Interahamwe throw grenades into houses in Mataba, killing those who try to escape with machetes. Immaculée’s family watches in horror as one of their neighbors is hacked to death in front of their eyes. Within a few hours, a couple of thousand villagers gather outside Immaculée’s house, waiting for guidance from Leonard. The scene almost resembles a “family picnic,” yet with the sound of grenade explosions in the background. Leonard assures his neighbors that they should stay calm and that they will find a solution together.

That night, Leonard tells Immaculée that she needs to sleep and promises that he will protect her. Immaculée goes to bed but secretly cradles a small radio, which transmits worse and worse news as the night progresses. In the middle of the night, Immaculée goes downstairs to find that Rose has fallen asleep while guarding the door. Draped in a white sheet, she looks like a corpse, and this sight makes Immaculée burst into tears for the first time since the genocide began. She cries out to God about the injustice of the situation. However, she then tells herself that she needs to “save” her tears because things will surely get a lot worse.

In the early morning, Immaculée gently wakes Rose and assures her that everything is ok. She is shocked to see 10,000 Tutsis now camped out around her family home. Leonard, who has not slept, is assuring everyone that they will be ok. He encourages those gathered to trust God and know that “love will always conquer hatred.” However, Leonard also adds that if the government has taken the side of the killers, then it is likely they will all die. He encourages those listening to repent and pray for forgiveness. Leonard lifts his rosary in the air and declares that it does not matter whether they live or die; all that matters is that they stay strong and resist evil.

Only a few hours later, Interahamwe attack the crowd outside Immaculée’s home. Leonard and a hundred other Tutsi men chase away the killers, but it is certain that this is only a momentary victory. After the attack Immaculée puts on her scapular, which Catholics wear in order to help ensure their passage to heaven. She brings it to Leonard and asks him to wear it. In return, Leonard gives her his rosary. Immaculée promises that she will always keep it with her.

Suddenly there are shouts announcing that the killers are back. Leonard runs toward them carrying his spear, while Rose runs after him screaming that if he goes alone he will certainly be killed. She shouts at the other Tutsi men in the crowd, asking why they are not supporting Leonard. While Rose and Leonard argue, the killers leave, perhaps because they saw the vast number of Tutsis gathered around the house. However, Immaculée knows that they will be back soon.

Damascene instructs Immaculée to stay with Pastor Murinzi, warning her that if the killers catch her, not only will she be murdered but also raped. At first Immaculée refuses to the leave the family, but Leonard agrees that, as a young woman, she must go. On Leonard’s suggestion, Immaculée takes Augustine with her. Leonard promises to come and collect Pastor Murnizi when the tensions blow over. These are the last words he will ever say to her.

Pastor Murinzi lives five miles away from Immaculée’s family. While Augustine and Immaculée are walking, they pass a crowd of Hutus carrying weapons, and Immaculée feels certain that they are about to be killed. However, God is watching over them. A Hutu friend of Leonard’s who is standing nearby warns the crowd not to hurt Immaculée or Augustine. Momentarily safe, they continue on their way.