Spring - The Kite Runner

Spring

The nightmares come and go sometimes. There'd been a time when six consecutive nights were spent in Sohrab's room, just sitting with him until I'd heard his rapid breaths steady. Sometimes we'd talk before he slept. About nothing. About everything.

Years have passed. Soraya holds my hand at night and tells me to give him whakt. Time. How much time, I wonder, would it take before he trusts again?

Spring came to us that year in the form of Aini, one of Sohrab's classmates. The explanation for her arrival came to us from Sohrab in the form of a mumbled, "it's for school". Oddly, Soraya saw the whole thing in a positive manner – I couldn't help but feel worried. Not only for Sohrab, but for the girl. She has entered a spider's web, a broken mirror, a snag. What resides here is fragile, and if the wind is strong enough, it will destroy it all. Soraya told me not to worry so much – the past is behind us. There is peace.

"I wonder what kind of project it is," Soraya said. We were sitting together out on the patio. My hands were knotted together, hers clasped loosely on her lap. "They've been in his room for some time."

I got up abruptly. Soraya chuckled and followed, already knowing where I was going. Sohrab had made a sign on his bedroom door that read, "PLEASE KNOCK FIRST" in big, bold, capital letters. I ignored it and opened the door.

The sight before me rooted both me and Soraya to the ground.

Sohrab and the girl were on the floor with pages surrounding them like stones around a pond. The girl had a pen pointed at Sohrab's face and Sohrab was smiling. Not a small smile – a big smile, as if he had been laughing. They, too, were frozen. We all exchanged a long stare before Soraya broke the silence.

"Having fun?" she asked them. The girl dropped the pen immediately and Sohrab frowned, the smile vanishing completely. I blinked twice, unsure if I'd seen correctly.

The girl stood up and gave Soraya a big smile. "Yes, we are working on our Maths project. We got a little side-tracked, that's all." She glanced at Sohrab, who was giving her a look. She winced. "Ah, but we'll get back to it now!"

Soraya took my hand and lead me out of the room. I was grateful – I was still baffled over the smile on Sohrab's face.

They came down later, Sohrab and Aini. It was getting late, the sun a burnt orange light.

"I'm going to go now," she said, coming to where we sat in the living room. "Thank you for having me." She spoke politely, but there was a shyness to her voice. A hesitance. Sohrab nodded at us in thanks as well from his spot at the front door. I noticed his relaxed expression and raised an eyebrow. His eyes met mine, taking in my teasing expression. Then he grinned.

"Our pleasure," Soraya replied, beaming at the both of them.

We both turned to watch them leave, Sohrab walking Aini down to the front. They stood for a moment, talking in hushed voices. Then she turned from him, laughing, and walked away, waving. Sohrab stayed standing on the footpath, I suspect to watch until she was out of sight.

I chuckled.

Soraya glanced at me. "What's so funny?"

"Isn't it ironic – her name I mean."

Her puzzled expression made me chuckle again. Even after she shook her head and turned back to her book, I continued to watch Sohrab. The smile on his face, the light in his eyes. I knew then, that Spring had come and melted the last flake of snow that day.

THE END
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