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Pages 65 - 82 Go to the beginning Chapter 11: (Brought to you by kat impatientreader.com) Rasheed takes Mariam out for a stroll around Kabul, and points out the sights. He attempts in his rough and awkward way to make jokes, and he buys her a scarf which she finds a more meaningful gift than anything her father ever gave her. Mariam is wearing the burqa, of course. She finds it a relief to be hidden from public, but she's also fascinated by the sight of women smoking cigarettes, wearing make-up, and striding around on their own as if on important business. That night Rasheed visits Mariam's room for sex (this is described in minimal detail and is not too graphic). He's a crummy lover: unskilled, rough, and clumsy. Afterwards, he tells her that there is no shame in sex because the Prophet and his wives did it. Chapter 12: It's 1974 and Mariam is glad to have Ramadan end because Rasheed is so irritable the few times he makes an attempt to fast. During the three celebratory days of Eid-ul-Fitr that follow, Mariam misses Herat and her mother and Mullah Faizullah. Out walking on the street with Rasheem, Mariam (in her burqa) sees Fariba and Hakim and their sons out visiting family and friends. Rasheed has male friends over for Eid; Mariam is expected to hide out in her room until they're gone and then come out to clean up after them. Once Rasheed goes out visiting without her. Mariam's cleaning brings her to Rasheed's bedroom, and she gives in to temptation and cautiously begins to snoop. In his dresser, she finds a gun in the upper drawer, porn magazines in the middle drawer, and in the bottom drawer photos of Rasheed's first wife and son. The porn shocks Mariam. She remembers Rasheed's ranting about how women shouldn't show their bare feet to him in his shoe shop – but apparently it's all right for them to pose naked in his porn magazines? She studies the photo of Rasheed with his first wife and notices how predatory he looks and how unhappy and trapped the first wife looks. She studies the little boy's photo and feels pity towards Rasheed for his loss. She thinks that she and Rasheed have loss in common and will be good companions for each other. Chapter 13: Rasheed and Mariam take the bus back from the doctor's office. They have just learned that Mariam is pregnant. Rasheed believes she'll have a boy, and tells her that if she has a girl – and she won't – she can choose whatever name she wants. Obviously a daughter has no importance to him at all, but he's already thinking of Pushtun names for his son. Mariam is desperately happy to be pregnant. It seems to be a chance for her to have the family and unconditional love that she's never experienced but always wanted. Rasheed builds a crib for his soon-to-be son. He worries that his son might get hurt on the stairs, and thinks about safety precautions. He invites his male friends over for a celebratory dinner, and Mariam spends all day cooking. Then she's expected to withdraw to her room. She does so and prays that her good fortune won't slip away from her. Then, at Rasheed's suggestion, they go to the haman (bathhouse). Mariam in the women's haman has a miscarriage and loses the baby. The viewpoint briefly switches over to Fariba who tells her husband Hakim late at night that she was the one to find poor Mariam having the miscarriage. Later on Rasheed and Mariam return from another visit to the doctor's office. He's angry that the doctor couldn't explain the miscarriage. Mariam is heartbroken. |
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