By the time Martin has to return to school from his semester break, his mother’s health has improved. At school, Martin learns that the September 11 terrorist attacks have taken place in the US. While he and many of the students are not aware of what the Twin Towers are, Mr. Muzawazi explains that these buildings represent the financial capital of the US. Mr. Muzawazi also adds that there has been an attack in Pennsylvania. Concerned that Caitlin and her family may be affected, Martin asks for more information. When he is told that the attack has been on a plane, Martin is relieved, as he knows Caitlin would have been at school during the time of the attacks and not on a plane.

As a result of the September 11 attacks, the US and Britain start to impose sanctions on countries they suspect of having been involved in the attacks. This includes Zimbabwe. Martin worries about how this might affect his relationship with Caitlin.

When Martin returns home from Christmas break, he is relieved to find a letter from Caitlin, in which she reassures him that she is safe. She also includes a $20 bill, so that Martin can begin saving for a passport to eventually study abroad in the US.

After the September 11 attacks, Caitlin comes to the realization that she wants to be a nurse. When she tells her parents this news, they are elated and remark that she “will always have a job” and that she has “the right disposition” (288). They also joke that she may have the opportunity to work with Martin one day, when he becomes a doctor. When Caitlin tells her guidance counselor the news, Caitlin is elated to learn that she can enter a dual-degree program to become a nurse. This means that she will only have to take two courses in her final year of high school and begin taking classes at the nearby Montgomery County Community College toward her nursing degree. She will still have to take the SAT, but her scores will not impact her status toward her nursing degree. Caitlin is thrilled and agrees to sign up for the dual-degree program.

Martin receives a letter from Caitlin’s mother, who offers to help him apply to international scholarships so that he can go to college in the US. To do so, she tells him that he has to find access to a computer so that he can register for the SATs and conduct research on colleges. Martin asks for advice from his friend, Wallace, who is another student at the Marist Brothers school. Wallace advises him to ask Mr. Muzawazi if he can use his computer during after-work hours to conduct research on schools and correspond more easily with his American benefactors. Martin takes Wallace’s advice and makes this request to Mr. Muzawazi. Although Mr. Muzawazi is reluctant at first, Martin tells him that he does not have access to a computer like the rest of his classmates due to his family’s poverty. This moves Mr. Muzawazi to agree to allow him access to his computer during after-work hours so long as he does not share this privilege with anyone. Martin sends an email to Caitlin and her mother and starts to conduct research on different colleges. By the end of his first day on the computer, he has already compiled two handwritten pages of notes.