In 1941, the narrator reflects on his eleven years of imprisonment, emphasizing his age of thirty-five and the loss of his best years spent confined within a cell or isolation. Despite having only enjoyed seven months of freedom with his Indian tribe, he feels a deep sense of regret for the family life he missed, thinking about the children he might have fathered who would now be eight years old.

This reflection brings a mix of sorrow and disbelief at how quickly the years passed, with each moment of his suffering seeming long and burdensome. The contrast between the fleeting passage of time and his enduring hardship highlights the emotional toll of his experience.