The Breadwinner Read Online Free PDF Page B

her alone!” Nooria yanked her away. “Can’t you see she’s depressed?”
    â€œWe’re all depressed,” Parvana replied. “We’re also hungry.” She wanted to shout, but didn’t want to frighten the little ones. She could glare, though, and she and Nooria glared at each other for hours.
    No one ate that day.
    â€œWe’re out of food,” Nooria said again to Parvana the next day.
    â€œI’m not going out there.”
    â€œYou have to go. There’s no one else who can go.”
    â€œMy feet are still sore.”
    â€œYour feet will survive, but we won’t if you don’t get us food. Now, move!”
    Parvana looked at Mother, still lying on the toshak. She looked at Ali, worn out from being hungry and needing his parents. She looked at Maryam, whose cheeks were already beginning to look hollow, and who hadn’t been in the sunshine in such a long time. Finally, she looked at her big sister, Nooria.
    Nooria looked terrified. If Parvana didn’tobey her, she would have to go for food herself.
    Now I’ve got her, Parvana thought. I can make her as miserable as she makes me. But she was surprised to find that this thought gave her no pleasure. Maybe she was too tired and too hungry. Instead of turning her back, she took the money from her sister’s hand.
    â€œWhat should I buy?” she asked.

FIVE
    It was strange to be in the marketplace without Father. Parvana almost expected to see him in their usual place, sitting on the blanket, reading and writing his customer’s letters.
    Women were not allowed to go into the shops. Men were supposed to do all the shopping, but if women did it, they had to stand outside and call in for what they needed. Parvana had seen shopkeepers beaten for serving women inside their shops.
    Parvana wasn’t sure if she would be considered a woman. On the one hand, if she behaved like one and stood outside the shop and called in her order, she could get in trouble for not wearing a burqa. On the other hand, if she went into a shop, she could get in trouble for not acting like a woman!
    She put off her decision by buying the nan first. The baker’s stall opened onto the street.
    Parvana pulled her chador more tightlyaround her face so that only her eyes were showing. She held up ten fingers—ten loaves of nan. A pile of nan was already baked, but she had to wait a little while for four more loaves to be flipped out of the oven. The attendant wrapped the bread in a piece of newspaper and handed it to Parvana. She paid without looking up.
    The bread was still warm. It smelled so good! The wonderful smell reminded Parvana how hungry she was. She could have swallowed a whole loaf in one gulp.
    The fruit and vegetable stand was next. Before she had time to make a selection, a voice behind her shouted, “What are you doing on the street dressed like that?”
    Parvana whirled around to see a Talib glaring at her, anger in his eyes and a stick in his hand.
    â€œYou must be covered up! Who is your father? Who is your husband? They will be punished for letting you walk the street like that!” The soldier raised his arm and brought his stick down on Parvana’s shoulder.
    Parvana didn’t even feel it. Punish her father, would they?
    â€œStop hitting me!” she yelled.
    The Talib was so surprised, he held still for a moment. Parvana saw him pause, and she started to run. She knocked over a pile of turnips at the vegetable stand, and they went rolling all over the street.
    Clutching the still-warm nan to her chest, Parvana kept running, her sandals slapping against the pavement. She didn’t care if people were staring at her. All she wanted was to get as far away from the soldier as she could, as fast as her legs could carry her.
    She was so anxious to get home, she ran right into a woman carrying a child.
    â€œIs that Parvana?”
    Parvana tried to get away, but the woman had a firm