A thousand splendid suns, by Khaled Hosseini
''The truth was that around Jalil, Mariam did not feel at all like a harami. For an hour or two every Thursday, when Jalil came to see her, all smiles and gifts and endearments, Mariam felt deserving of all beauty and bounty that life had to give. And, for this, Mariam loved Jalil.''
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''Jalil had three wives and nine children, nine legitimate children, all of whom were strangers to Mariam. He was one of Herat's wealthiest men.''
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''Nana had been one of the housekeepers. Until her belly began to swell. When that happened, Nana said, the collective gasp of Jalil's family sucked the air out of Herat.......''

''You know what he told his wives by way of defense? That I forced myself on him. That it was my fault. Didi? You see? This is what it means to be a woman in this world.''

Nana put down the bowl of chicken feed. She lifted Mariam's chin with a finger.
''Look at me, Mariam.''
Reluctantly, Mariam did.

Nana said, ''Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass neddle that points north, a man's accusing finger finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.''

The anxiety set in on Tuesday nights. Mariam would sleep poorly, fretting that some bussines entanglement would prevent Jalil from coming on Thursday, that she would have to wait a whole other week to see him.On Wednesdays, she paced outside, around the kolba, tossed chicken feed absentmindedly into the coop. She went for aimless walks, picking petals from flowers and batting at the mosquitoes nibbling on her arms. Finally, on Thursdays, all she could do was sit against a wall, eyes glued to the stream, and wait. If Jalil was running late, a terrible dread filled her bit by bit. Her knees would weaken,and she would have to go somewhere and lie down.''
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-63DF7ajoA


On the bridge he was smiling at the moonrivers and he told her happily :
Lets have a go..
They picked up two leaves of the same shape and size and threw them into the river. On the other side of the bridge his leaf, yellow and green,light on the grass,was sailing faster. He was younger and very individualist, in a positive way of the word. And the leaf had borrowed from his energy.
She was focused on the noise of the trembling, shivering trees. She was trembling too, and she could barely see her leaf, without glasses. She got finally on a holiday on the green green shoulder of a tree. And now was afraid that she could fail from the trembling branches.In the river.
He got freckles. Between leaves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBvp434Iz_E


Wednesday October 1, 2008 - 12:50am (EEST