the kite runner-第114节
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We have to think he s wrong。 She told me she had called a few adoption agencies that arranged international adoptions。 She hadn t yet found one that would consider doing an Afghan adoption; but she was still looking。
How are your parents taking the news?
Madar is happy for us。 You know how she feels about you; Amir; you can do no wrong in her eyes。 Padar。。。 well; as always; he s a little harder to read。 He s not saying much。
And you? Are you happy?
I heard her shifting the receiver to her other hand。 I think we ll be good for your nephew; but maybe that little boy will be good for us too。
I was thinking the same thing。
I know it sounds crazy; but I find myself wondering what his favorite _qurma_ will be; or his favorite subject in school。 I picture myself helping him with homework。。。 She laughed。 In the bathroom; the water had stopped running。 I could hear Sohrab in there; shifting in the tub; spilling water over the sides。
You re going to be great; I said。
Oh; I almost forgot! I called Kaka Sharif。
I remembered him reciting a poem at our nika from a scrap of hotel stationery paper。 His son had held the Koran over our heads as Soraya and I had walked toward the stage; smiling at the flashing cameras。 What did he say?
Well; he s going to stir the pot for us。 He ll call some of his INS buddies; she said。
That s really great news; I said。 I can t wait for you to see Sohrab。
I can t wait to see you; she said。
I hung up smiling。
Sohrab emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later。 He had barely said a dozen words since the meeting with Raymond Andrews and my attempts at conversation had only met with a nod or a monosyllabic reply。 He climbed into bed; pulled the blanket to his chin。 Within minutes; he was snoring。
I wiped a circle on the fogged…up mirror and shaved with one of the hotel s old…fashioned razors; the type that opened and you slid the blade in。 Then I took my own bath; lay there until the steaming hot water turned cold and my skin shriveled up。 I lay there drifting; wondering; imagining。。。
OMAR FAISAL WAS CHUBBY; dark; had dimpled cheeks; black button eyes; and an affable; gap…toothed smile。 His thinning gray hair was tied back in a ponytail。 He wore a brown corduroy suit with leather elbow patches and carried a worn; overstuffed briefcase。 The handle was missing; so he clutched the briefcase to his chest。 He was the sort of fellow who started a lot of sentences with a laugh and an unnecessary apology; like I m sorry; I ll be there at five。 Laugh。 When I had called him; he had insisted on ing out to meet us。 I m sorry; the cabbies in this town are sharks; he said in perfect English; without a trace of an accent。 They smell a foreigner; they triple their fares。
He pushed through the door; all smiles and apologies; wheezing a little and sweating。 He wiped his brow with a handkerchief and opened his briefcase; rummaged in it for a notepad and apologized for the sheets of paper that spilled on the bed。 Sitting crosslegged on his bed; Sohrab kept one eye on the muted television; the other on the harried lawyer。 I had told him in the morning that Faisal would be ing and he had nodded; almost asked some thing; and had just gone on watching a show with talking animals。
Here we are; Faisal said; flipping open a yellow legal notepad。 I hope my children take after their mother when it es to organization。 I m sorry; probably not the sort of thing you want to hear from your prospective lawyer; heh? He laughed。
Well; Raymond Andrews thinks highly of you。
Mr。 Andrews。 Yes; yes。 Decent fellow。 Actually; he rang me and told me about
you。
He did?
Oh yes。
So you re familiar with my situation。
Faisal dabbed at the sweat beads above his lips。 I m familiar with the version of the situation you gave Mr。 Andrews; he said。 His cheeks dimpled with a coy smile。 He turned to Sohrab。 This must be the young man who s causing all the trouble; he said in Farsi。
This is Sohrab; I said。 Sohrab; this is Mr。 Faisal; the lawyer I told you about。
Sohrab slid down the side of his bed and shook hands with Omar Faisal。 Salaam alaykum; he said in a low voice。
Alaykum salaam; Sohrab; Faisal said。 Did you know you are named after a great warrior?
Sohrab nodded。 Climbed back onto his bed and lay on his side to watch TV。
I didn t know you spoke Farsi so well; I said in English。 Did you grow up in Kabul?
No; I was born in Karachi。 But I did live in Kabul for a number of years。 Shar…e…Nau; near the Haji Yaghoub Mosque; Faisal said。 I grew up in Berkeley; actually。 My father opened a music store there in the late s