Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north$$$ a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that$$$ Mariam.

It's the whistling$$$" Laila said to Tariq$$$ "the damn whistling$$$ I hate more than anything" Tariq nodded knowingly. It wasn't so much the whistling itself$$$ Laila thought later$$$ but the seconds between the start of it and impact. The brief and interminable time of feeling suspended. The not knowing. The waiting. Like a defendant about to hear the verdict. Often it happened at dinner$$$ when she and Babi were at the table. When it started$$$ their heads snapped up. They listened to the whistling$$$ forks in mid-air$$$ unchewed food in their mouths.

I don't know if you have children of your own$$$ Mariamjo$$$ but if you do I pray that God look after them and spare you the grief that I have known. I still dream of them. I still dream of my dead children.I have dreams of you too$$$ Mariam jo. Imiss you. I miss the sound of your voice$$$ your laughter. I miss reading to you$$$ and all those times we fished together. Do you remember all those times we fished together? You were a good daughter$$$ Mariam jo$$$ and I cannot ever think of you without feeling shame and regret.

That summer$$$ Titanic fever gripped Kabul. People smuggled pirated copies of the film from Pakistan- sometimes in their underwear. After curfew$$$ everyone locked their doors$$$ turned out the lights$$$ turned down the volume$$$ and reaped tears for Jack and Rose and the passengers of the doomed ship. If there was electrical power$$$ Mariam$$$ Laila$$$ and the children watched it too.

Boys$$$ Laila came to see$$$ treated friendship the way they treated the sun: its existence undisputed; its radiance best enjoyed$$$ not beheld directly.

In the coming days and weeks$$$ Laila would scramble frantically to commit it all to memory$$$ what happened next. Like an art lover running out of a burning museum$$$ she would grab whatever she could--a look$$$ a whisper$$$ a moan--to salvage from perishing to preserve. But time is the most unforgiving of fires$$$ and she couldn't$$$ in the end$$$ save it all.

‎I know you're still young but I want you to understand and learn this now. Marriage can wait$$$ education cannot. You're a very very bright girl. Truly you are. You can be anything you want Laila. I know this about you. And I also know that when this war is over Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men maybe even more. Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated Laila. No chance.

Marriage can wait$$$ education cannot.

Though there had been moments of beauty in it$$$ Mariam knew that life for the most part had been unkind to her. But as she walked the final twenty paces$$$ she could not help but wish for more of it. She wished she could see Laila again$$$ wished to hear the clamour of her laugh$$$ to sit with her once more for a pot of chai and left over halwa under a starlit sky. She mourned that she would never see Aziza grow up$$$ would not see the beautiful young woman that she would one day become$$$ would not get to paint her hands with henna and toss noqul candy at her wedding.

At times $$$ he didn't understand the meaning of the Koran's words . But he said he liked the enhancing sounds the arabic words made as they rolled off his tongue . He said they comforted him $$$ eased his heart . "They'll comfort you too . Mrariam jo $$$ " he said . "You can summon then in your time of your need $$$ and they won't fail you . God's words will never betray you $$$ my girl . (pg.17)