A House in the Sky

Lindhout and Nigel face a harsh return to captivity after their escape attempt. Initially placed in a house with a local family, they are quickly moved after the woman of the house expresses her displeasure at their presence. Despite a brief moment of comfort provided by a meal, their situation worsens as Abdullah subjects them to invasive and demeaning questioning about their sexual histories, which reveals his continuing disrespect and objectification.

They are surprisingly taken back to the same house from which they had escaped, known as the Escape House. Lindhout describes being forcibly moved again after a brief stay. She is then subjected to a horrific and violent physical assault under the guise of searching for documents.

Lindhout is stripped of her dignity and privacy, physically attacked, and emotionally tormented in what she describes as a descent into a new territory of brutality by her captors. They justify their actions by discovering scraps of paper with phone numbers in her possession, which they consider contraband.

Lindhout describes her adjustment to life in a new, more oppressive phase of captivity, referred to as the “Dark House.” After the traumatic events in the previous location, the captors move Lindhout and Nigel to a remote house outside of Mogadishu. Here, the conditions are even more stringent and cruel. Lindhout is confined to a dark, windowless room, where, beyond restricting her physical space, the captors also impose severe behavioral constraints. She is not allowed to speak or sit up; she must eat and drink in a prone position, and any deviation results in physical abuse.

Lindhout’s interactions are mostly with her guards who enforce the harsh new rules with violence. She struggles with basic needs like clean water and suffers from health issues exacerbated by unsanitary conditions. Despite the harshness of her environment, she clings to small comforts, such as a shirt from Nigel, which provides a tangible connection to better times and memories of their shared struggle for freedom. Lindhout also notes the presence of a mysterious coughing woman in the house, whose identity and role she can only speculate about.

Lindhout describes enduring prolonged captivity under grim conditions, marked by isolation and routine brutality. Abdullah’s visits are frequent and particularly violent, as he physically and sexually abuses Lindhout, often under the pretense of enforcing Islamic practices regarding body hair. This ongoing abuse leads Lindhout to sometimes contemplate death as a release from her suffering.

Despite the darkness and despair, Lindhout finds solace in constructing mental escapes, where she imagines a better life, far from the horrors of her current reality. Lindhout also clings to moments of past happiness and travels. Amidst the darkness, there are fleeting moments of human connection, such as when a captor named Yusuf shows her an unexpected act of kindness by sharing a piece of papaya with her.

Lindhout’s internal resilience grows as she adopts a ritual of gratitude and mindfulness, focusing on any positive aspect of her day, no matter how minor, and telling herself, “In this exact moment, are you okay?” and answering, “Yes, right now I am still okay” (294). This mantra helps her endure the relentless challenges of captivity and maintain hope for eventual freedom.

Lindhout describes her situation during the extended period of her captivity as her mother and authorities back in Alberta, Canada, handle the complexities of securing her release. Her mother, monitored by RCMP negotiators, adheres to a new strategy that involves ignoring calls from the kidnappers, hoping to reduce emotional manipulation and compel the lead kidnapper, Adam, to deal with professional negotiators.

The ransom negotiations stagnate with the kidnappers demanding $2 million, a slight decrease from their initial $3 million demand. The Canadian and Australian governments make a joint but unsuccessful offer of $250,000, adhering to their policies against paying ransoms. Nigel’s family meanwhile considers a private rescue operation but eventually decides against it.

The chapter also touches on misinformation circulating about Lindhout’s situation, including a baseless rumor that she is pregnant and distorted portrayals of her condition in Somali media. This misinformation adds to her family’s distress but also sometimes inadvertently confirms to them that she is still alive. Moving on, Lindhout describes a brief moment of respite in captivity when she is allowed to wash her clothes, which gives her a rare sense of normalcy and dignity.

The chapter begins with a moment of connection to the outside world when Captain Skids brings a cell phone to Lindhout, allowing her to answer a proof-of-life question from a man at the Somali embassy in Nairobi. This brief interaction with someone outside her immediate circle of captors momentarily lifts her spirits and infuses her with hope, believing it signals the nearing end of her ordeal. This hope fades, however, as days pass without any change in her situation, plunging her into deeper despair.

Lindhout’s mental state deteriorates as she battles intense feelings of isolation and betrayal, particularly toward Nigel, whom she perceives as having a relatively easier captivity. Her narrative describes the psychological torment of sustained captivity, marked by a stark contrast between her fleeting hope and the crushing reality of her situation.

A crucial moment occurs when Abdullah visits her again. Lindhout experiences a sudden, empathetic connection with Abdullah during this encounter, as she resists his advances. This unexpected insight into his traumatic past momentarily transcends her pain and introduces a deep sense of compassion toward her captor.

Lindhout describes a significant move to a new location due to escalating violence near their previous house. Somalia’s political flux and battles among Islamist groups influence her captors’ decision to relocate for safety. The new residence, described as mansion-like, is starkly contrasted to previous environments, which offers a semblance of normality with its cleaner, furnished spaces.

During this transition, Lindhout briefly examines a boy’s passport photo found under a carpet. She names the boy Omar and feels a protective affection toward him, fantasizing about his innocence and the life he might have led.

Lindhout’s reflections are interrupted by a move to another room within the mansion, forcing her to leave behind the photo, a decision that brings her both sadness and a sense of leaving a part of herself behind.

Lindhout discusses her experiences at “Positive House,” where she and Nigel are relocated due to escalating violence in Somalia. This move is necessitated by the deteriorating political climate, including the election of a new president, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, whose initial popularity turned sour as he was seen as too moderate by Lindhout’s captors.

During this time, she observes a shift in her captors’ focus toward the intensifying political and military struggles, slightly easing their treatment of her. This period also introduces a new character, Romeo, a more sophisticated and worldly member of the captors, who interacts with Lindhout and expresses a sort of detached curiosity about her.

Romeo’s presence brings a different dynamic to the hostage situation, offering brief and superficial respites from the constant hostility Lindhout faces. Lindhout’s physical condition continues to deteriorate, however, and despite the psychological and physical torment, she finds solace in a small act of kindness from another prisoner, a Somali woman named Sahro. Sahro’s gesture of providing medicine represents a moment of human connection that deeply moves Lindhout and creates a bond between the two.