e year before and the teacher had told us they had waited too long to take him to a surgeon。 We both looked to Ali； but of course with him you could never tell。 His face was impassive as ever； though something sober had melted into his eyes。
Well； Dr。 Kumar said； my job is to fix things on people s bodies。 Sometimes their faces。
Oh； Hassan said。 He looked from Dr。 Kumar to Baba to Ali。 His hand touched his upper lip。 Oh； he said again。
It s an unusual present； I know； Baba said。 And probably not what you had in mind； but this present will last you forever。
Oh； Hassan said。 He licked his lips。 Cleared his throat。 Agha sahib； will it。。。 will it……
Nothing doing； Dr。 Kumar intervened； smiling kindly。 It will not hurt you one bit。 In fact； I will give you a medicine and you will not remember a thing。
Oh； Hassan said。 He smiled back with relief。 A little relief anyway。 I wasn t scared； Agha sahib； I just。。。 Hassan might have been fooled； but I wasn t。 I knew that when doctors said it wouldn t hurt； that s when you knew you were in trouble。 With dread； I remembered my circumcision the year prior。 The doctor had given me the same line； reassured me it wouldn t hurt one bit。 But when the numbing medicine wore off later that night； it felt like someone had pressed a red hot coal to my loins。 Why Baba waited until I was ten to have me circumcised was beyond me and one of the things I will never forgive him for。
I wished I too had some kind of scar that would beget Baba s sympathy。 It wasn t fair。 Hassan hadn t done anything to earn Baba s affections； he d just been born with that stupid harelip。
The surgery went well。 We were all a little shocked when they first removed the bandages； but kept our smiles on just as Dr。 Kumar had instructed us。 It wasn t easy； because Hassan s upper lip was a grotesque mesh of swollen； raw tissue。 I expected Hassan to cry with horror when the nurse handed him the mirror。 Ali held his hand as Hassan took a long； thoughtful look into it。 He muttered something I didn t understand。 I put my ear to his mouth。 He whispered it again。
_Tashakor_。 Thank you。
Then his lips twisted； and； that time； I knew just what he was doing。 He was smiling。 Just as he had； emerging from his mother s womb。
The swelling subsided； and the wound healed with time。 Soon； it was just a pink jagged line running up from his lip。 By the following winter； it was only a faint scar。 Which was ironic。 Because that was the winter that Hassan stopped smiling。
SIX
Winter。
Here is what I do on the first day of snowfall every year： I step out of the house early in the morning； still in my pajamas； hugging my arms against the chill。 I find the driveway； my father s car； the walls； the trees； the rooftops； and the hills buried under a foot of snow。 I smile。 The sky is seamless and blue； the snow so white my eyes burn。 I shovel a handful of the fresh snow into my mouth； lis ten to the muffled stillness broken only by the cawing of crows。 I walk down the front steps； barefoot； and call for Hassan to e out and see。
Winter was every kid s favorite season in Kabul； at least those whose fathers could afford to buy a good iron stove。 The reason was simple： They shut down school for the icy season。 Winter to me was the end of long division and naming the capital of Bulgaria； and the start of three months of playing cards by the stove with Hassan； free Russian movies on Tuesday mornings at Cinema Park； sweet turnip _qurma_ over rice for lunch after a morning of building snowmen。
And kites； of course。 Flying kites。 And running them。
For a few unfortunate kids； winter did not spell the end of the school year。 There were the so…called voluntary winter courses。 No kid I knew ever volunteered to go to these classes； parents； of course； did the volunteering for them。 Fortunately for me； Baba was not one of them。 I remember one kid； Ahmad； who lived across the street from us。 His father was some kind of doctor； I think。 Ahmad had epilepsy and always wore a wool vest and thick blackrimmed glasses……he was one of Assef s regular victims。 Every morning； I watched from my bedroom window as their Hazara servant shoveled snow from the driveway； cleared the way for the black Opel。 I made a point of watching Ahmad and his father get into the car； Ahmad in his wool vest and winter coat； his schoolbag filled with books and pencils。 I waited until they pulled away； turned the corner； then I slipped back into bed in my flannel pajamas。 I pulled the blanket to my chin and watched the snowcapped hills in the north through the window。 Watched them until I drifted back to sleep。
I loved wintertime in Kabul。 I loved it for the soft pattering of snow against my window at night； for the way fresh snow crunched under my black rubber boots； for the warmth of the cast…iron stove as the wind screeched through the yards； the streets。 But mostly because； as the trees froze and ice sheathed the roads； the chill between Baba and me thawed a little。 And the reason for that was the kites。 Baba and I lived in the same house； but in different spheres of existence。 Kites were the one paper thin slice of intersection between those spheres。
EVERY WINTER； districts in Kabul held a kite…fighting tournament。 And if you were a boy living in Kabul； the day of the tournament was undeniably the highlight of the cold season。 I never slept the night before the tournament。 I d roll from side to side； make shadow animals on the wall； even sit on the balcony in the dark； a blanket wrapped around me。 I felt like a soldier trying to sleep
in the trenches the night before a major battle。 And that wasn t so far off。 In