"He's their puppet. They'll keep the war going through him, you can bet on that."
Someone in the next aisle voiced his agreement.
Mammy was muttering to herself, long winded prayers that rolled on and on until she had
no breath left and had to eke out the last few words in a tiny, high pitched squeak.
They "went to Cinema Park later that day, Laila and Tariq, and had to settle for a Soviet
film that was dubbed, to unintentionally comic effect, in Farsi. There was a merchant ship,
and a first mate in love with the captain's daughter. Her name was Alyona. Then came a
fierce storm, lightning, rain, the heaving sea tossing the ship. One of the frantic sailors
yelled something. An absurdly calm Afghan voice translated: "My dear sir, would you
kindly pass the rope?"
At this, Tariq burst out cackling. And, soon, they both were in the grips of a hopeless
attack of laughter. Just when one became fatigued, the other would snort, and off they
would go on another round. A man sitting two rows up turned around and shushed them.
There was a wedding scene near the end. The captain had relented and let Alyona marry
the first mate. The newlyweds were smiling at each other. Everyone was drinking vodka.
"I'm never getting married," Tariq whispered.
"Me neither," said Laila, but not before a moment of nervous hesitation. She worried that
her voice had betrayed her disappointment at what he had said. Her heart galloping, she
added, more forcefully this time, "Never."
"Weddings are stupid." "All the fuss."
"All the money spent." "For what?"
"For clothes you'll never wear again."
"Ha!"
"If I everdo get married," Tariq said, "they'll have to make room for three on the wedding
stage. Me, the bride, and the guy holding the gun to my head."
The man in the front row gave them another admonishing look.
On the screen, Alyona and her new husband locked lips.
Watching the kiss, Laila felt strangely conspicuous all at once. She became intensely
aware of her heart thumping, of the blood thudding in her ears, of the shape of Tariq beside
her, tightening up, becoming still. The kiss dragged on. It seemed of utmost urgency to
Laila, suddenly, that she not stir or make a noise. She sensed that Tariq was observing her
one eye on the kiss, the other on her as she was observinghim. Was he listening to the air