The Kite Runner:Sohrab's Story

8

Entry 11

"Hurry up you little..."Farid murmured angrily,dragging me down the hall.

I went as fast as my feet allowed me to, but it apparently wasn't fast enough for him. He pulled me down a flight of stairs, up another one, and finally pushed me into a room where his partner awaited him," Let's hurry up." Farid snapped nervously as the other man pulled me into yet another room, here I saw something I had not seen in a long long time, so long ago that my eyes filled with tears at the sight of it, a bucket filled to the brim with clean water. I had not seen so much water in so long.

They pulled off the dirty, smelly rags I had been wearing since what seemed like forever, and pushed me near the bucket, one hand placed firmly on my back, the icy water was repeatedly thrown over my head. I shivered. It was so cold I felt the cold in my bones, deep down, hurting. But it was a bath of sorts you could say, it was water finally cleaning me, the dirt I felt on myself, the constant disgust I had from myself, it was being washed away to some extent, what had heightened the nightmares was now lessening in impact. Through the cold, I felt a strange warmth.

Maybe they're bathing me to let me go... maybe they're sending me back to the orphanage. Oh joy, a form of glee tugged its way into my veins, that was the warmth I was perhaps feeling.

I stood there as rigid as I could as I was scrubbed and drenched and wiped. Not making a single sound, maybe if they heard me, they would not let me go.

Farid pulled me back into the dress room and yanked, buttoned and brushed, my hair, my eyelashes. And when he did that was when the dread heightened all over again. They were taking me to the blue-eyed man. I don't want to go back to him. My heart pounded in fear, strong enough to fill my ears with the constantly increasing thudding.

Please! I thought, please don't take me back. My eyes welled with tears once again and I started shivering more than I had ever shivered before.

"Stop shaking, you imbecile, we need to hurry!" One of them, I did not see who, slapped the back of my head.

Hurry. The word rang in my ear over and over again. Hurry. No. Please. No. My tears fell in a faster stream.

"Stop crying! You're spreading the blackness all over your face! I just washed your filthy body and I have no want to do it again!" He screamed.

I flinched and gulped back more of my tears, for I knew what they could and would do to me if I cried, so I shut up and they re-did my eyes.

They each took either hand and led me down the hall to a massive wooden door, it had been so long since I had actually been in this part of the house that I looked in awe at the walls, the awning, everything seemed different, and vivid somehow, but frightening. Vibrantly scary.

This wasn't the usual place. That scared me even more. What awaited me? For the first time in a long time, I prayed, mama, what is happening to me? Why me mama? Why me? What did I do?! I need you.

*****

Suddenly the images started flashing before my eyes, they were dragging me across the halls, the same way, dressed nearly absolutely the same way. I could feel the pain, it was so close, the bang of the door behind me, the cruel laughter, and the screams! Oh how I had screamed, but to no avail. Nothing happened. No one came, no one put a stop to it. Oh how it hurt, over, and over, and over again.

But this time, I felt something poke at the corner of my thigh. It was smooth and thick, like a thick bark, it was my slingshot. Oh my dear slingshot how I loved it. But it would be discovered. I didn't want to lose the one thing by which I could remember Baba, the one thing which gave me even a little bit of hope. I wouldn't lose it. I would never let them take it away from me. I needed it.

*****

Setting down the book I ran my hand across my face, I could do this, I could so read this. No problem. Tears ran down my eyes, I knew this was the part, the part where Sohrab met Amir, I could read this without crying, I definitely could.

*****

Entry 11 (continued)

Why mama?