第77节

    【】ybed,askedhiosito.“.faisalthinksthereisaericae,”isaid.

    “hedoes”sohrabsaid,slingfaintlyforthefirsttiindays.“anwego”

    “ighttakealittleyhandonthebaoutside,thecalltoprayerblaredthroughthestreets.

    “howlong”sohrabasked.

    “idontknow.awhile.”

    sohrabshruggedandsled,e.“idontnd.i.itslikethesourapples.”

    “sourapples”

    “oi,bedatreeahesegreen,sourapples.stoothersaidthatifidjustesieershesaidabouttheapples.”

    “sourapples,”isaid.“shallah,yourejustaboutthesrtestlittleguyiveevert,sohrabjan.”hisearsreddenedhablush.

    “etothatredbridgetheohefog”hesaid.

    “absolutely,”isaid.“absolutely.”

    “andhosestreets,theoneshehoodofthedthesky”

    “everysingleohe”isaid.eyesstungaway.

    “isenglishhardtolea”

    “isay,hinayear,youllspeakitaswellasfarsi.”

    “really”

    “yes.”iplacedafingerunderhis,tuedhisfaceuptohereisoherthing,sohrab.”

    “”

    “r.faisalthinksthatiteforkidsforawhile.”

    “hoforkids”hesaid,hisslefading.“youananorphanage”

    “ittlewhile.”

    “no,”hesaid.“no,please.”

    “sohrab,itise.”

    “youprosedyoudihoseplaces,aragha,”hesaid.hisvoiceearspoolinginhiseyes.ifeltlikeaprick.

    “thisisdifferent.itabad,notinkabul.andidvisityouallthetiuntilerica.”

    “pleaseplease,no”heseidonttogo.”

    “nooneisgoingtohurtyou.noteveragain.”

    “yestheyheybuttheylie.theylieplease,god”

    iythu.“sourapples,reeritsjustlikethesourapples,”isaidsoftly.

    “noitsnot.notthatplaixingonhisface.

    “shhh.”ipulledhiaroundhisshakinglittlebody.“shhh.itllbeallright.etogether.youllsee,itllbeallright.”

    hisvoiiseyou”

    hoiseiheldhigainst,heldhiightly,androbles.iuntilhisbreathingsloeeredsothingihadreadsoeago:thatshohterror.theyfallasleep.

    idoyoabad.

    theskysleep.irubbedeyesahebedsidela.itostthreehours.ipickedupthephone.“hello”

    “erica.”.fayyazsboredvoice.

    “thankyou,”isaid.thebathrooightakinghisnightlya:

    “salaashesoued.

    “hoeetinggohthelawyer”

    itoldherarfaisalhadsuggested.“aboutit,”shesaid.“odothat.”

    isatup.“raiwhy,sup”

    “iheardbaadeafeebaanitarianvisa.”

    “nokidding”isaid.“ohthankgodgoodolsharifjan”

    “ikoapplyforanadoptioion.”

    “itsreallygoingtohappen,soraya,huh”

    “itlookslikeit,”shesaid.shesoundedhappy.itoldherilovedherandshesaidshelovedback.ihungup.

    “sohrab”iybed.“ihavegreatnedoor.“sohrabsorayajanjustcalledfroalifoia.eerica”

    ipushedthedooropen.steppedintothebathroo

    suddenlyiyknees,syythroatychestexplode.

    later,theysaidiingbulancearrived.

    tyfive

    theyein.

    iseethehroughasetofdoubledoorsandifolloellofiodineandperoxidehits,butallihavetitoseeistenaningreenhuddlinguey.ayall,bloodyfeetpokeoutfrohesheetahatthebigtoenailofootis.“youstebacktotheenssurgiapsthroughthedoorsnarroangularwindows.

    heleavesiallieerthelasttiifeltthisyselffrohisplaidsueightanddissolvesohere,legsbloyluyofair,throatbuing.thereyeyesandnostrilsfillellsof

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