the kite runner-第34部分

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ting　on　a　rock　on　the　side　of　the　road　as　they　aired　out　the　van。　Baba　was　smoking　with　Kaka　Homayoun　who　was　telling　Fazila/Karima　to　stop　crying；　he　d　buy　her　another　dress　in　Jalalabad。　I　closed　my　eyes；　turned　my　face　to　the　sun。　Little　shapes　formed　behind　my　eyelids；　like　hands　playing　shadows　on　the　wall。　They　twisted；　merged；　formed　a　single　image：　Hassan　s　brown　corduroy　pants　discarded　on　a　pile　of　old　bricks　in　the　alley。
KAKA　HOMAYOUN　S　WHITE；　two…story　house　in　Jalalabad　had　a　balcony　overlooking　a　large；　walled　garden　with　apple　and　persimmon　trees。　There　were　hedges　that；　in　the　summer；　the　gardener　shaped　like　animals；　and　a　swimming　pool　with　emeraldcolored　tiles。　I　sat　on　the　edge　of　the　pool；　empty　save　for　a　layer　of　slushy　snow　at　the　bottom；　feet　dangling　in。　Kaka　Homayoun　s　kids　were　playing　hide…and…seek　at　the　other　end　of　the　yard。　The　women　were　cooking　and　I　could　smell　onions　frying　already；　could　hear　the　phht…phht　of　a　pressure　cooker；　music；　laughter。　Baba；　Rahim　Khan；　Kaka　Homayoun；　and　Kaka　Nader　were　sitting　on　the　balcony；　smoking。　Kaka　Homayoun　was　telling　them　he　d　brought　the　projector　along　to　show　his　slides　of　France。　Ten　years　since　he　d　returned　from　Paris　and　he　was　still　showing　those　stupid　slides。
It　shouldn　t　have　felt　this　way。　Baba　and　I　were　finally　friends。　We　d　gone　to　the　zoo　a　few　days　before；　seen　Marjan　the　lion；　and　I　had　hurled　a　pebble　at　the　bear　when　no　one　was　watching。　We　d　gone　to　Dadkhoda　s　Kabob　House　afterward；　across　from　Cinema　Park；　had　lamb　kabob　with　freshly　baked　_naan_　from　the　tandoor。　Baba　told　me　stories　of　his　travels　to　India　and　Russia；　the　people　he　had　met；　like　the　armless；　legless　couple　in　Bombay　who　d　been　married　forty…seven　years　and　raised　eleven　children。　That　should　have　been　fun；　spending　a　day　like　that　with　Baba；　hearing　his　stories。　I　finally　had　what　I　d　wanted　all　those　years。　Except　now　that　I　had　it；　I　felt　as　empty　as　this　unkempt　pool　I　was　dangling　my　legs　into。
The　wives　and　daughters　served　dinner……rice；　kofta；　and　chicken　_qurma_……at　sundown。　We　dined　the　traditional　way；　sitting　on　cushions　around　the　room；　tablecloth　spread　on　the　floor；　eating　with　our　hands　in　groups　of　four　or　five　from　mon　platters。　I　wasn　t　hungry　but　sat　down　to　eat　anyway　with　Baba；　Kaka　Faruq；　and　Kaka　Homayoun　s　two　boys。　Baba；　who　d　had　a　few　scotches　before
dinner；　was　still　ranting　about　the　kite　tournament；　how　I　d　outlasted　them　all；　how　I　d　e　home　with　the　last　kite。　His　booming　voice　dominated　the　room。　People　raised　their　heads　from　their　platters；　called　out　their　congratulations。　Kaka　Faruq　patted　my　back　with　his　clean　hand。　I　felt　like　sticking　a　knife　in　my　eye。
Later；　well　past　midnight；　after　a　few　hours　of　poker　between　Baba　and　his　cousins；　the　men　lay　down　to　sleep　on　parallel　mattresses　in　the　same　room　where　we　d　dined。　The　women　went　upstairs。　An　hour　later；　I　still　couldn　t　sleep。　I　kept　tossing　and　turning　as　my　relatives　grunted；　sighed；　and　snored　in　their　sleep。　I　sat　up。　A　wedge　of　moonlight　streamed　in　through　the　window。
　I　watched　Hassan　get　raped；　　I　said　to　no　one。　Baba　stirred　in　his　sleep。　Kaka　Homayoun　grunted。　A　part　of　me　was　hoping　someone　would　wake　up　and　hear；　so　I　wouldn　t　have　to　live　with　this　lie　anymore。　But　no　one　woke　up　and　in　the　silence　that　followed；　I　understood　the　nature　of　my　new　curse：　I　was　going　to　get　away　with　it。
I　thought　about　Hassan　s　dream；　the　one　about　us　swimming　in　the　lake。　There　is　no　monster；　he　d　said；　just　water。　Except　he　d　been　wrong　about　that。　There　was　a　monster　in　the　lake。　It　had　grabbed　Hassan　by　the　ankles；　dragged　him　to　the　murky　bottom。　I　was　that　monster。
That　was　the　night　I　became　an　insomniac。
I　DIDN　T　SPEAK　TO　HASSAN　until　the　middle　of　the　next　week。　I　had　just　half…eaten　my　lunch　and　Hassan　was　doing　the　dishes。　I　was　walking　upstairs；　going　to　my　room；　when　Hassan　asked　if　I　wanted　to　hike　up　the　hill。　I　said　I　was　tired。　Hassan　looked　tired　too……he　d　lost　weight　and　gray　circles　had　formed　under　his　puffed…up　eyes。　But　when　he　asked　again；　I　reluctantly　agreed。
We　trekked　up　the　hill