第82节

    hassanisdeadnoynephesyoutellpeopleheyask.”

    theye.

    “ahing,generalsahib,”isaid.“youashazaraboyinpresence.hehasanaanditssohrab.”

    noonesaidanythingforthereiheal.

    itosaysohrabeknobonlife.

    silenceispushingtheoffbutton.shuttingitdo.

    sohrabssilenceposedsilehoseunder.

    hedidntso,likeheabookandrealizesohrabhadeheroohadsata,andihadntnoti.stly,heslept.

    sohrabssileningpseofbookssittingunopehearked,thejigsabled,eainderofadreahatyosforsohrab.

    ber,theteyelessaneriflagstickerontheacrdioherfeet.

    sooheattaovedin,aalibansazarisharif.eeraedayeidkarzaisulhatandgreenafaus.

    sohrabsleephroughitall.

    sorayaahinganythingtofillthesilenedkabir,afhanaassadortosofia,allsurgianager,sorayaanager.ispentstofdaysiudy,eilingpeoplearoundtheyselfthatbringingsohrabherehadbeentherightthingtodo.

    theyeareheuehelastonehadended.insilence.

    then,fourdaysago,onaolrainydayinrch2002,asll,hinghappened.

    itooksoraya,khalajala,andsohrabtoagatheringofafghansatlakeelizabethparkihegeneralhadfinallybeensuooafghanistahbeforeforanistryposition,andhadfloilatojoinhihsoncehehadsettled.shessedhierriblyandhishealththereandedshestayhusforawhile.

    thepreviousthursday,thefirstday,hadbeentheafghannehesahebayareahadplannedcelebrations

    throughouttheeastbayandthepeninsula.kabir,soraya,andihadanadditionalreasontorejoice:ourlittlehospitalihesurgiit,justthepediatriic.butitart,weallagreed.

    ithadbeensunnyfordays,butsundaying,asisylegsoutofbed,iheardraindropspeltingtheoingnazphletihadobtainedfrohesqueaheversesaturallynolessly.

    ountedonsixpolesspikedtotheground.soonerosefroeailedalittleasthefourofusrushedailaintheddle,sohrabbehindus,thehoodofhisyelloboungonhisback.

    “ssofunny”sorayasaid,holdingafoldedneeroverherhead.

    “youan,butyouttakepaghnoutofafghans,”isaid.

    akeshifttent.sorayaandkhalajaladriftedtspinaont,thensteppedbaba.e,thequeriesaboutouradoptedanddecidedlyetric

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