【】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

...