“thanksforthefirehankyou,butonlyahalfheartedone.</p>

“getsorest,”babasaid,.</p>

theotherpresentbabagaveandhedidoopenthisoneoundkhaherboundnotebook.thatoney.</p>

isatontheedgeofbed,tuedthenotebookinhands,thoughtaboutkhanhadsaidabouthoira,hoissingherhadbeenforthebestintheend.sheeskakahoyounsprojeeslide,thesaigekeptflashinginndoverandover:hassan,hisheaddoioo.eitherulear:oneofushadtogo.</p>

laterthatafteoon,itooktheslastnightsparty.paperrulednapkins,aybottlesofsodalitteredtheyard.alialongtheeandwaved.</p>

“salaaall,”isaid,k.</p>

heheldupafinger,askingtedethinginhishands.“theopportunityneverpreseselflastnightforhassanandtogiveyouthis,”hesaid,handingabox.“itsdestandnha.butstill.happybirthday.”</p>

aluythroat.“thankyou,ali,”isaid.ieanything.iopeheboxandfoundabrandneah,ahardbainfligartalohisson,thesbeautiful,”isaid.</p>

“hassansaidyourpyeofthepagesissing,”alisaid.“allthepicturesarehanddrahisonehpenandink,”headdedproudly,eyeingabookherhenorhissonuldread.</p>

“itslovely,”isaid.andite,”isaid.</p>

ieossingthebookontheheapofgiftsintheerofroobuteyeskeptgoingbacktoit,soiburieditatthe</p>

bottobeforeiyneywhere.</p>

theing,iyroooralitopty.</p>

thenitookaupleoftheenvelopesofyoing,kingphoneynedahandfulofafghanibillsu.</p>

iiheniknockedonbabasdoorandtoldefullies.</p>

throughbedroohehouseandouthsvedovero</p>

...</p>