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by Khaled Hosseini. Pages 281 - 300. Go to the Beginning (Brought to you by jat impatientreader.com) Amir recognizes the man at last: it is Assef from his childhood. Assef says he was beaten by the Russians, and since then he has been on a mission to redeem all of Afghanistan from what he sees as invaders, especially the Hazaras that he's hated for many years. Amir says he's only there for the boy and Assef pushes the boy towards him and acts like he is going to let them leave. Then, just before they get out the door, Assef says Amir will have to get past him first. If he can do that, they can leave. Amir and Assef begin to fight. Later on, Amir can barely remember what has happened. Assef is beating him badly, breaking several ribs and rupturing his spleen. But, right before Assef finishes off Amir, Sohrab shoots Assef in the eye with his slingshot, distracting him long enough to get Amir out to the car where Farid is waiting. Amir wakes up several days later in the hospital. Farid and Sohrab come to visit him, and Amir realizes he has barely escaped with his life. Amir introduces himself formally to Sohrab, and Sohrab says he's heard about him from Hassan. Farid says that Rahim Khan has left, but he left Amir a letter. Amir wants to spend some time with Sohrab, so Farid leaves for a while. Amir talks with him a little bit, but Sohrab doesn't talk much, and Amir soon falls asleep. Characters introduced: Dr Faruqi (Amir's doctor in Peshawar) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Amir reads the letter from Rahim; it says that he knew about Hassan and about Baba being Hassan's father and that he was sorry they never told either him or Hassan. He leaves Amir the rest of his money and tells him not to look for him. Amir thinks that he hasn't redeemed himself yet. Farid and Sohrab come back to see him; his face is cut up and swollen from the fight. Farid tells him he doesn't think it will be safe to stay because of the Taliban. Farid says something Hassan had said to him a long time ago and Amir can't help breaking into tears. He asks Farid to look for the American couple running the orphanage in Peshawar, while he tries to get to know Sohrab. Sohrab is quiet, and doesn't like to be touched, so Amir plays cards with him instead. With each passing day Amir gets a little stronger, though it's a slow process. He finally packs up and gets ready to go despite the doctor's orders, but then Farid comes back with the news that the American couple in Peshawar never existed. They get the rest of Rahim's money from the bank and drive to Islamabad. They get a hotel in town, and Farid tells him he has to head back to his family. Amir gives him two thousand dollars, and Farid drives off. Amir falls asleep and when he wakes up, Sohrab is gone. He tries to talk to the hotel manager, but the manager is rude and doesn't want to help him. Finally, Amir remembers that Sohrab seemed interested in the mosque, and gets the hotel manager to drive him there. He finds Sohrab sitting in the grass near the mosque. He talks with Sohrab, who asks him if he remembers his parents at all. Amir says yes, and that he misses them. Sohrab says that he misses his parents too, and then asks Amir if he thinks he is going to go to hell for what he did to Assef. Amir says no, that sometimes bad people get what they deserve. Sohrab thinks he's dirty because of the abuse he suffered from Assef, but Amir reassures him that nothing is further from the truth. Amir then asks Sohrab if he'd like to come and live in America with him and his wife, and Sohrab says nothing. Characters introduced: Mr. Fayyaz (the hotel manager) |
