the kite runner-第123章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


mes　you　have　to　stand　up　to　them。　What　you　did　to　that　man　is　what　I　should　have　done　to　him　all　those　years　ago。　You　gave　him　what　he　deserved；　and　he　deserved　even　more。　
　Do　you　think　Father　is　disappointed　in　me？　
　I　know　he　s　not；　　I　said。　　You　saved　my　life　in　Kabul。　I　know　he　is　very　proud　of　you　for　that。　
He　wiped　his　face　with　the　sleeve　of　his　shirt。　It　burst　a　bubble　of　spittle　that　had　formed　on　his　lips。　He　buried　his　face　in　his　hands　and　wept　a　long　time　before　he　spoke　again。　　I　miss　Father；　and　Mother　too；　　he　croaked。　　And　I　miss　Sasa　and　Rahim　Khan　sahib。　But　sometimes　I　m　glad　they　re　not　。。。　they　re　not　here　anymore。　
　Why？　　I　touched　his　arm。　He　drew　back。
　Because……　　he　said；　gasping　and　hitching　between　sobs；　　because　I　don　t　want　them　to　see　me。。。　I　m　so　dirty。　　He　sucked　in　his　breath　and　let　it　out　in　a　long；　wheezy　cry。　　I　m　so　dirty　and　full　of　sin。　
　You　re　not　dirty；　Sohrab；　　I　said。
　Those　men……　
　You　re　not　dirty　at　all。　
　……they　did　things。。。　the　bad　man　and　the　other　two。。。　they　did　things。。。　did　things　to　me。　
　You　re　not　dirty；　and　you　re　not　full　of　sin。　　I　touched　his　arm　again　and　he　drew　away。　I　reached　again；　gently；　and　pulled　him　to　me。　　I　won　t　hurt　you；　　I　whispered。　　I　promise。　　He　resisted　a　lit　tle。　Slackened。　He　let　me　draw　him　to　me　and　rested　his　head　on　my　chest。　His　little　body　convulsed　in　my　arms　with　each　sob。
A　kinship　exists　between　people　who　ve　fed　from　the　same　breast。　Now；　as　the　boy　s　pain　soaked　through　my　shirt；　I　saw　that　a　kinship　had　taken　root　between　us　too。　What　had　happened　in　that　room　with　Assef　had　irrevocably　bound　us。
I　d　been　looking　for　the　right　time；　the　right　moment；　to　ask　the　question　that　had　been　buzzing　around　in　my　head　and　keep　ing　me　up　at　night。　I　decided　the　moment　was　now；　right　here；　right　now；　with　the　bright　lights　of　the　house　of　God　shining　on　us。
　Would　you　like　to　e　live　in　America　with　me　and　my　wife？　
He　didn　t　answer。　He　sobbed　into　my　shirt　and　I　let　him。
FOR　A　WEEK；　neither　one　of　us　mentioned　what　I　had　asked　him；　as　if　the　question　hadn　t　been　posed　at　all。　Then　one　day；　Sohrab　and　I　took　a　taxicab　to　the　Daman…e…Koh　Viewpoint……or　　the　hem　of　the　mountain。　　Perched　midway　up　the　Margalla　Hills；　it　gives　a　panoramic　view　of　Islamabad；　its　rows　of　clean；　tree…lined　avenues　and　white　houses。　The　driver　told　us　we　could　see　the　presidential　palace　from　up　there。　　If　it　has　rained　and　the　air　is　clear；　you　can　even　see　past　Rawalpindi；　　he　said。　I　saw　his　eyes　in　his　rearview　mirror；　skipping　from　Sohrab　to　me；　back　and　forth；　back　and　forth。　I　saw　my　own　face　too。　It　wasn　t　as　swollen　as　before；　but　it　had　taken　on　a　yellow　tint　from　my　assortment　of　fading　bruises。
We　sat　on　a　bench　in　one　of　the　picnic　areas；　in　the　shade　of　a　gum　tree。　It　was　a　warm　day；　the　sun　perched　high　in　a　topaz　blue　sky。　On　benches　nearby；　families　snacked　on　samosas　and　pakoras。　Somewhere；　a　radio　played　a　Hindi　song　I　thought　I　remembered　from　an　old　movie；　maybe　Pakeeza。　Kids；　many　of　them　Sohrab　s　age；　chased　soccer　balls；　giggling；　yelling。　I　thought　about　the　orphanage　in　Karteh…Seh；　thought　about　the　rat　that　had　scurried　between　my　feet　in　Zaman　s　office。　My　chest　tightened　with　a　surge　of　unexpected　anger　at　the　way　my　countrymen　were　destroying　their　own　land。
　What？　　Sohrab　asked。　I　forced　a　smile　and　told　him　it　wasn　t　important。
We　unrolled　one　of　the　hotel　s　bathroom　towels　on　the　picnic　table　and　played　panjpar　on　it。　It　felt　good　being　there；　with　my　half　brother　s　son；　playing
cards；　the　warmth　of　the　sun　patting　the　back　of　my　neck。　The　song　ended　and　another　one　started；　one　I　didn　t　recognize。
　Look；　　Sohrab　said。　He　was　pointing　to　the　sky　with　his　cards。　I　looked　up；　saw　a　hawk　circling　in　the　broad　seamless　sky。　　Didn　t　know　there　were　hawks　in　Islamabad；　　I　said。
　Me　neither；　　he　said；　his　eyes　tracing　the　bird　s　circular　flight。　　Do　they　have　them　where　you　live？　
　San　Francisco？　I　guess　so。　I　can　t　say　I　ve　seen　too　many；　though。　
　Oh；　　he　said。　I　was　hoping　he　d　ask　more；　but　he　dealt　another　hand　and　asked　if　we　could　eat。　I　opened　the　pap