The Breadwinner Read Online Free PDF Page A

Parvana’s.
    Parvana realized that Mother hadn’t beenout of the house since the Taliban had taken over Kabul a year and a half before. She could have gone out. She had a burqa, and Father would have gone with her any time she wanted. Many husbands were happy to make their wives stay home, but not Father.
    â€œFatana, you are a writer,” he often said. “You must come out into the city and see what is happening. Otherwise, how will you know what to write about it?”
    â€œWho would read what I write? Am I allowed to publish? No. Then what is the point of writing, and what is the point of looking? Besides, it will not be for long. The Afghan people are smart and strong. They will kick these Taliban out. When that happens, when we have a decent government in Afghanistan, then I will go out again. Until then, I will stay here.”
    â€œIt takes work to make a decent government,” Father said. “You are a writer. You must do your work.”
    â€œIf we had left Afghanistan when we had the chance, I could be doing my work!”
    â€œWe are Afghans. This is our home. If all the educated people leave, who will rebuild the country?”
    It was an argument Parvana’s parents had often. When the whole family lived in one room, there were no secrets.
    Mother’s feet were so bad from the long walk that she could barely make it into the room. Parvana had been so preoccupied with her own pain and exhaustion, she hadn’t given any thought to what her mother had been going through.
    Nooria tried to help, but Mother just waved her away. She threw her burqa down on the floor. Her face was stained with tears and sweat. She collapsed onto the toshak where Father had taken his nap just yesterday.
    Mother cried for a long, long time. Nooria sponged off the part of her face that wasn’t buried in the pillow. She washed the dust from the wounds in her mother’s feet.
    Mother acted as if Nooria wasn’t there at all. Finally, Nooria spread a light blanket over her. It was a long time before the sobs stopped, and Mother fell asleep.
    While Nooria tried to look after Mother, Maryam looked after Parvana. Biting her tongue in concentration, she carried a basin of water over to where Parvana was sitting. Shedidn’t spill a drop. She wiped Parvana’s face with a cloth she wasn’t quite able to wring out. Drips from the cloth ran down Parvana’s neck. The water felt good. She soaked her feet in the basin, and that felt good, too.
    She sat with her feet in the basin while Nooria got supper.
    â€œThey wouldn’t tell us anything about Father,” Parvana told her sister. “What are we going to do? How are we going to find him?”
    Nooria started to say something, but Parvana didn’t catch what it was. She began to feel heavy, her eyes started to close, and the next thing she knew, it was morning.
    Parvana could hear the morning meal being prepared.
    I should get up and help, she thought, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.
    All night long she had drifted in and out of dreams about the soldiers. They were screaming at her and hitting her. In her dream, she shouted at them to release her father, but no sound came from her lips. She had even shouted, “I am Malali! I am Malali!” but the soldiers paid no attention.
    The worst part of her dream was seeingMother beaten. It was as if Parvana was watching it happen from far, far away, and couldn’t get to her to help her up.
    Parvana suddenly sat up, then relaxed again when she saw her mother on the toshak on the other side of the room. It was all right. Mother was here.
    â€œI’ll help you to the washroom,” Nooria offered.
    â€œI don’t need any help,” Parvana said. However, when she tried to stand, the pain in her feet was very bad. It was easier to accept Nooria’s offer and lean on her across the room to the washroom.
    â€œEverybody leans on everybody in this