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by Khaled Hosseini: Pages 19 - 46 Go to the beginning (Brought to you by kat impatientreader.com) In Chapter 4, Mariam thinks about how desperately she anticipates her dad's visits every Thursday, and how she's weak with dread if he's running late. Besides just wanting to be with him, she likes the news he brings her of the outside world such as the bloodless coup that happens in 1973 when she's fourteen. King Zahir Shah, who had ruled Afghanistan for 40 years, went to Italy for medical treatment, and returned to find his cousin Daoud Khan in charge. Daoud Khan is now the president of the republic of Afghanistan and he favors the socialists who helped him to power. In Chapter 5, it's the spring of 1974 just before Mariam's fifteenth birthday. Jalil comes to visit as always, and describes the movie Pinocchio playing at his cinema. For her birthday gift, Mariam asks him to take her to the movie with his family and to introduce her to her half-siblings. Nana immediately declares it a bad idea. Jalil starts trying to weasel out of going, mentioning several things supposedly wrong with the movie. Mariam insists. The next day, Mariam gets dressed up to go to the movie. She waits for Jalil to show up and tries to ignore her mother's insults and threats of suicide. When Jalil fails to arrive, Mariam walks to the city of Herat and asks directions to his house. Though his car sits in the driveway, his servants lie to her and tell her that he's gone. Mariam sits down near the doorstep to wait. A servant girl brings her a plate of food, and the chauffeur comes out once or twice, trying urgently to talk her into letting him drive her home or take her to a hotel. Mariam thinks she sees Jalil peering furtively out the window. She insists on staying where she is; the household actually allows her to sleep all night on the doorstep without inviting her inside. In the morning, the chauffeur drives her home and walks her all the way to Nana's hovel. He walks ahead of her – and then runs back at the last moment, and tries to shield her from looking at the hovel. But Mariam sees that Nana has hanged herself in a prominent place where Mariam will be sure to notice. In Chapter 6, Mariam numbly gets through the funeral for her mother. Jalil helps her pack her things. She ignores him and asks for Mullah Faizullah who comes in and earnestly tries to persuade her not to blame herself for Nana's unhappiness and subsequent suicide. Mariam tries to see his way of thinking, but can't help feeling terrible guilt. Jalil takes Mariam back to his household in Herat where he installs her in a guest room. Mariam stays in the room for days, refusing to eat. In a week's time, Jalil's three wives summon Mariam downstairs for an important conference. Chapter 7: Mariam comes downstairs to hear what the wives and Jalil have to say. The wives explain that they've picked out a forty-five year-old suitor for her! Rasheed is a Pashtun shoe-maker from Kabul whose wife and son died years ago. The wives think this is a wonderful future for a fifteen year-old like Mariam – but she notices that they're not arranging any such thing for their own daughters who are destined for university. Mariam knows the wives are trying to get rid of her. She begs Jalil not to agree to this arranged marriage, and he whines, "Mariam, don't do this to me." The wives escort Mariam back to her room and lock her inside. |
