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him Hassan had the runs。 I wanted Baba all to myself。 And besides； one time at Ghargha Lake； Hassan and I were skimming stones and Hassan made his stone skip eight times。 The most I managed was five。 Baba was there； watching； and he patted Hassan on the back。 Even put his arm around his shoulder。
We sat at a picnic table on the banks of the lake； just Baba and me； eating boiled eggs with _kofta_ sandwiches……meatballs and pickles wrapped in _naan_。 The water was a deep blue and sunlight glittered on its looking glass…clear surface。 On Fridays； the lake was bustling with families out for a day in the sun。 But it was midweek and there was only Baba and me； us and a couple of longhaired； bearded tourists…… hippies； I d heard them called。 They were
sitting on the dock； feet dangling in the water； fishing poles in hand。 I asked Baba why they grew their hair long； but Baba grunted； didn t answer。 He was preparing his speech for the next day； flipping through a havoc of handwritten pages； making notes here and there with a pencil。 I bit into my egg and asked Baba if it was true what a boy in school had told me； that if you ate a piece of eggshell； you d have to pee it out。 Baba grunted again。
I took a bite of my sandwich。 One of the yellow…haired tourists laughed and slapped the other one on the back。 In the distance； across the lake； a truck lumbered around a corner on the hill。 Sunlight twinkled in its side…view mirror。
I think I have _saratan_； I said。 Cancer。 Baba lifted his head from the pages flapping in the breeze。 Told me I could get the soda myself； all I had to do was look in the trunk of the car。
Outside the orphanage； the next day； they ran out of chairs。 A lot of people had to stand to watch the opening ceremony。 It was a windy day； and I sat behind Baba on the little podium just outside the main entrance of the new building。 Baba was wearing a green suit and a caracul hat。 Midway through the speech； the wind knocked his hat off and everyone laughed。 He motioned to me to hold his hat for him and I was glad to； because then everyone would see that he was my father； my Baba。 He turned back to the microphone and said he hoped the building was sturdier than his hat； and everyone laughed again。 When Baba ended his speech； people stood up and cheered。 They clapped for a long time。 Afterward； people shook his hand。 Some of them tousled my hair and shook my hand too。 I was so proud of Baba； of us。
But despite Baba s successes； people were always doubting him。 They told Baba that running a business wasn t in his blood and he should study law like his father。 So Baba proved them all wrong by not only running his own business but being one of the richest merchants in Kabul。 Baba and Rahim Khan built a wildly successful carpet…exporting business； two pharmacies； and a restaurant。
When people scoffed that Baba would never marry well……after all； he was not of royal blood……he wedded my mother； Sofia Akrami； a highly educated woman universally regarded as one of Kabul s most respected； beautiful； and virtuous ladies。 And not only did she teach classic Farsi literature at the university she was a descendant of the royal family； a fact that my father playfully rubbed in the skeptics faces by referring to her as my princess。
With me as the glaring exception； my father molded the world around him to his liking。 The problem； of course； was that Baba saw the world in black and white。 And he got to decide what was black and what was white。 You can t love a person who lives that way without fearing him too。 Maybe even hating him a little。
When I was in fifth grade； we had