‘The Kite Runner’ — For You, a Thousand Times Over, My Friend
The poignant and heartbreaking tale of two Afghan boys.
About a year ago, my mother told me a story about my childhood friend and me that I’ve never heard before. We were only a few years old, and our mothers hadn’t been speaking to each other because of some disagreement they had at the time — they were on a break, if you like.
One day, mom and I went to the local mall in my tiny hometown. By chance, my friend and his mother were also there shopping — and we ran into each other at the entrance. It’s been awkward and tense for the adults, my mother said, but my friend and I instantly lit up and rushed to each other like two puppies who’ve been separated. We hugged and laughed with the kind of joy only children can.
I don’t remember any of this.
Yet as my mom recalled it, it was touching how happy the two of us looked by the simple pleasure of seeing one another after a long time. Two innocent boys, grinning and hugging in oversized jeans — it was the 90s, after all.
Not long after the accidental meeting, our mothers made up, eventually. Since then, they have had several falling outs and make-ups over the years. As of now, they haven’t been on speaking terms in the last fifteen years or so. Regardless…
