the kite runner-第47章

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hank　you。　It　was　so　gracious　of　you　to　e。　　He　listened　for　a　while。　Nodded。　　I　ll　remember　that；　thank　you。　Is　General　Sahib　home？　　Pause。　　Thank　you。　
His　eyes　flicked　to　me。　I　wanted　to　laugh　for　some　reason。　Or　scream。　I　brought　the　ball　of　my　hand　to　my　mouth　and　bit　on　it。　Baba　laughed　softly　through　his　nose。
　General　Sahib；　Salaam　alaykum。。。　Yes；　much　much　better。。。　Balay。。。　You　re　so　kind。　General　Sahib；　I　m　calling　to　ask　if　I　may　pay　you　and　Khanum　Taheri　a　visit　tomorrow　morning。　It　s　an　honorable　matter。。。　Yes。。。　Eleven　o　clock　is　just　fine。　Until　then。　Khoda　h~afez。　
He　hung　up。　We　looked　at　each　other。　I　burst　into　giggles。　Baba　joined　in。
BABA　WET　HIS　HAIR　and　bed　it　back。　I　helped　him　into　a　clean　white　shirt　and　knotted　his　tie　for　him；　noting　the　two　inches　of　empty　space　between　the　collar　button　and　Baba　s　neck。　I　thought　of　all　the　empty　spaces　Baba　would　leave　behind　when　he　was　gone；　and　I　made　myself　think　of　something　else。　He　wasn　t　gone。　Not　yet。　And　this　was　a　day　for　good　thoughts。　The　jacket　of　his　brown　suit；　the　one　he　d　worn　to　my　graduation；　hung　over　him……too　much　of　Baba　had　melted　away　to　fill　it　anymore。　I　had　to　roll　up　the　sleeves。　I　stooped　and　tied　his　shoelaces　for　him。
The　Taheris　lived　in　a　flat；　one…story　house　in　one　of　the　residential　areas　in　Fremont　known　for　housing　a　large　number　of　Afghans。　It　had　bay　windows；　a　pitched　roof；　and　an　enclosed　front　porch　on　which　I　saw　potted　geraniums。　The　general　s　gray　van　was　parked　in　the　driveway。
I　helped　Baba　out　of　the　Ford　and　slipped　back　behind　the　wheel。　He　leaned　in　the　passenger　window。　　Be　home；　I　ll　call　you　in　an　hour。　
　Okay；　Baba；　　I　said。　　Good　luck。　
He　smiled。
I　drove　away。　In　the　rearview　mirror；　Baba　was　hobbling　up　the　Taheris　　driveway　for　one　last　fatherly　duty。
I　PACED　THE　LIVING　ROOM　of　our　apartment　waiting　for　Baba　s　call。　Fifteen　paces　long。　Ten　and　a　half　paces　wide。　What　if　the　general　said　no？　What　if　he　hated　me？　I　kept　going　to　the　kitchen；　checking　the　oven　clock。
The　phone　rang　just　before　noon。　It　was　Baba。
　Well？　
　The　general　accepted。　
I　let　out　a　burst　of　air。　Sat　down。　My　hands　were　shaking。　　He　did？　
　Yes；　but　Soraya　jan　is　upstairs　in　her　room。　She　wants　to　talk　to　you　first。　
　Okay。　
Baba　said　something　to　someone　and　there　was　a　double　click　as　he　hung　up。
　Amir？　　Soraya　s　voice。　　Salaam。　
　My　father　said　yes。　
　I　know；　　I　said。　I　switched　hands。　I　was　smiling。　　I　m　so　happy　I　don　t　know　what　to　say。　
　I　m　happy　too；　Amir。　I。。。　can　t　believe　this　is　happening。　
I　laughed。　　I　know。　
　Listen；　　she　said；　　I　want　to　tell　you　something。　Something　you　have　to　know　before。。。　
　I　don　t　care　what　it　is。　
　You　need　to　know。　I　don　t　want　us　to　start　with　secrets。　And　I　d　rather　you　hear　it　from　me。　
　If　it　will　make　you　feel　better；　tell　me。　But　it　won　t　change　anything。　
There　was　a　long　pause　at　the　other　end。　　When　we　lived　in　Virginia；　I　ran　away　with　an　Afghan　man。　I　was　eighteen　at　the　time。。。　rebellious。。。　stupid；　and。。。　he　was　into　drugs。。。　We　lived　together　for　almost　a　month。　All　the　Afghans　in　Virginia　were　talking　about　it。
　Padar　eventually　found　us。　He　showed　up　at　the　door　and。。。　made　me　e　home。　I　was　hysterical。　Yelling。　Screaming。　Saying　I　hated　him。。。
　Anyway；　I　came　home　and……　　She　was　crying。　　Excuse　me。　　I　heard　her　put　the　phone　down。　Blow　her　nose。　　Sorry；　　she　came　back　on；　sounding　hoarse。　　When　I　came　home；　I　saw　my　mother　had　had　a　stroke；　the　right　side　of　her　face　was　paralyzed　and。。。　I　felt　so　guilty。　She　didn　t　deserve　that。
　Padar　moved　us　to　California　shortly　after。　　A　silence　followed。
　How　are　you　and　your　father　now？　　I　said。
　We　ve　always　had　our　differences；　we　still　do；　but　I　m　grateful　he　came　for　me　that　day。　I　really　believe　he　saved　me。　　She　paused。　　So；　does　what　I　told　you　bother　you？　
　A　little；　　I　said。　I　owed　her　the　truth　on　this　one。　I　couldn　t　lie　to　her　and　say　that　my　pride；　my　iftikhar；　wasn　t　stung　at　all　that　she　had　been　with　a　man；　whereas　I　had　never　taken　a　woman　to　bed。　It　did　bother　me　a　bit；　but　I　had　pondered　this　quite　a　lot　in　the　weeks　before　I　asked　Baba　to　go　khastegari。　And　in　the　end　the　question　that　always　came　back　to　me　was　this：　How　could　I；　of　all　people；　chastise　someone　for　their　past？
　Does　it　bother　you　enough　to　change　your　mind？　
　No；　Soraya。　Not　even　close；　　I　said。　　Nothing　you　said　changes　anything。　I　want　us　to　marry。　
She　broke　into　fresh　tears。
I　envied　her。　Her　secret　was　out。　Spoken。　Dealt　with。　I　opened　my　mouth　and　almost　told　her　how　I　d　betrayed　Hassan；　lied；　driven　him　out；　and　destroyed　a　forty…year　relationship　between　Baba　and　Ali。　But　I　didn　t。　I　suspected　there　were　many　ways　in　which　Soraya　Taheri　was　a　better　person　than　me。　Courage　was　just　one　of　them。
THIRTEEN
When　we　arrived　at　the　Taheris　　home　the　next　evening……for　lafz；　the　ceremony　of　　giving　word　……I　had　to　park　the　Ford　across　the　street。　Their　driveway　was　already　jammed　with　cars。　I　wore　a　navy　blue　suit　I　had　bought　the　previous　day；　after　I　had　brought　Baba　home　from　_khastegari_。　I　checked　my　tie　in　the　rearview　mirror。
　You　look　khoshteep；　　Baba　said。　Handsome。
　Thank　you；　Baba。　Are　you　all　right？　Do　you　feel　up　to　this？　
　Up　to　this？　It　s　the　happiest　day　of　my　life；　Amir；　　he　said；　smiling　tiredly。
I　COULD　HEAR　CHATTER　from　the　other　side　of　the　door；　laughter；　and　Afghan　music　playing　softly……it　sounded　like　a　classical　ghazal　by　Ustad　Sarahang。　I　rang　the　bell。　A　face　peeked　through　the　curtains　of　the　foyer　window　and　disappeared。　　They　re　here！　　I　heard　a　woman　s　voice　say。　The　chatter　stopped。　Someone　turned　off　the　music。
Khanum　Taher