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own there two weeks earlier……he had left behind his gray suit and pocket watch。 The plan was for Khala Jamila to join him in a few months once he had settled。 She missed him terribly……and worried about his health there……and we had insisted she stay with us for a while。
The previous Thursday； the first day of spring； had been the Afghan New Year s Day……the Sawl…e…Nau……and Afghans in the Bay Area had planned celebrations
throughout the East Bay and the peninsula。 Kabir； Soraya； and I had an additional reason to rejoice： Our little hospital in Rawalpindi had opened the week before； not the surgical unit； just the pediatric clinic。 But it was a good start； we all agreed。
It had been sunny for days； but Sunday morning； as I swung my legs out of bed； I heard raindrops pelting the window。 Afghan luck； I thought。 Snickered。 I prayed morning _namaz_ while Soraya slept……I didn t have to consult the prayer pamphlet I had obtained from the mosque anymore； the verses came naturally now； effortlessly。
We arrived around noon and found a handful of people taking cover under a large rectangular plastic sheet mounted on six poles spiked to the ground。 Someone was already frying bolani； steam rose from teacups and a pot of cauliflower aush。 A scratchy old Ahmad Zahir song was blaring from a cassette player。 I smiled a little as the four of us rushed across the soggy grass field； Soraya and I in the lead； Khala Jamila in the middle； Sohrab behind us； the hood of his yellow raincoat bouncing on his back。
What s so funny？ Soraya said； holding a folded newspaper over her head。
You can take Afghans out of Paghman； but you can t take Paghman out of Afghans； I said。
We stooped under the makeshift tent。 Soraya and Khala Jamila drifted toward an overweight woman frying spinach bolani。 Sohrab stayed under the canopy for a moment； then stepped back out into the rain； hands stuffed in the pockets of his raincoat； his hair……now brown and straight like Hassan s……plastered against his scalp。 He stopped near a coffee…colored puddle and stared at it。 No one seemed to notice。 No one called him back in。 With time； the queries about our adopted……and decidedly eccentric……little boy had mercifully ceased； and； considering how tactless Afghan queries can be sometimes； that was a considerable relief。 People stopped asking why he never spoke。 Why he didn t play with the other kids。 And best of all； they stopped suffocating us with their exaggerated empathy； their slow head shaking； their tsk tsks； their Oh gung bichara。 Oh； poor little mute one。 The novelty had worn off。 Like dull wallpaper； Sohrab had blended into the background。
I shook hands with Kabir； a small； silver…haired man。 He introduced me to a dozen men； one of them a retired teacher； another an engineer； a former architect； a surgeon who was now running a hot dog stand in Hayward。 They all said they d known Baba in Kabul； and they spoke about him respectfully。 In one way or another； he had touched all their lives。 The men said I was lucky to have had such a great man for a father。
We chatted about the difficult and maybe thankless