【】eflearket.adearagesaletreksonsaturdays,babathedriverandthenavigator,aup</p>

ourdisplayonsundays.brasslas.baseballgloves.skijacketstheolduntryandihaggledattered.likethedayieanorphaninghclosingofshop.</p>

sotis,geaheriandhisat,greetedileandhisttaherisdeanor.aretiilesaive,apologetiyhegeneralsattentionwasengagedelsewhere.</p>

ireerthatperiodasatiofny“firsts”:thefirsttiiheardbabaanihroothefirsttiifoundbloodonhispillohreeyearsrunningthegasstation,babahadnevercalledinsiotherfirst.</p>

byhalloidsaturdayafteoonthathedeandidrovethevwbusaloneupanddohepeninsula.</p>

sotisattheflearket,afghaary.theyeveheseentsstoppedpleslted.andhiseyesrecededintheirsockets.</p>

then,oneolsundayshortlyafteepshadetoastoagedioverhislegsh.</p>

“hey,n,thisguyneedshelp”thefilipinonsaid.ituedaroundandfoundbabaontheground.hisarandlegswerejerking.</p>

“kok”iyspittlesoakinghisbeard.hisuptuedeyesshohingbute.</p>

peopleeonesayseizure.sooneelseyelling,“call911”iheardrunningfootsteps.theskydarkenedasacroheredaroundus.</p>

babasspittletuedred.heandgrabbedhisarandsaidierebaba,iere,youllbeallright,iighthere.asifiuldsoothethenvulsionsoutofhitalkthentoleavingbabaalone.ifeltayknees.sahere.yourshthere.</p>

thedo.“isuponavieugshotsofthekillertothevictifaly.babasbrainonthosepictureslookedlikecrosssesofabig,riddledhtennisballshapedgraythings.</p>

“asyouendpalliativeradiation.doyouknoeans”</p>

isaididid.idbeenversantincertalk.</p>

“allright,then,”hesaid.heepagedifyouhaveaions.”</p>

“thankyou.”</p>

ispentthenightsittingonachaiexttobabasbed.</p>

theing,thedodneasrevery.babahen,groggyandtired,butawake.</p>

ding,geaheriandhise.sorayafolloeti.“hoyfriend”geaherisaid,takingbabashand.</p>

babatioheivhangingfroisarsledthinly.thegeneralsledback.</p>

“youshouldnthaveburdenedyourselves.allofyou,”babacroaked.</p>

“itsnoburden,”khanuaherisaid.</p>

“noburdenatall.reiortantly,doyouneedanything”geaherisaid.“anythingatallasklikeyoudaskabrother.”</p>

ireeredsothingbabahadsaidaboutpashtunsonce.aybehardheadedandiktheresnooneyoudratherhaveatyoursidethanapashtun.</p>

babashookhisheadonthepilloingherehasbrightenedeyes.”thegeneralsledandsqueezedbabashand.“hoirjandoyouneedanything”</p>

thee,thekindnessinhiseyes...“naythankyou,generalsahib.i..“alushotupinthroataearedover.iboltedoutoftheroo</p>