A Thousand Splendid Suns

by what she did. He does not approve of the taking of life, be it another's
or one's own, for He says that life is sacred You see-" He pulled his chair
closer, took Mariam's hand in both of his own. "You see, I knew your
mother before you were born, when she was a little girl, and I tell you
that she was unhappy then. The seed for what she did was planted long
ago, I'm afraid. What I mean to say is that this was not your fault. It
wasn't your fault, my girl."
"I shouldn't have left her. I should have-"
"You stop that. These thoughts are no good, Mariam jo. You hear me,
child? No good. They will destroy you. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your
fault. No."
Mariam nodded, but as desperately as she wanted to she could not
bring herself to believe him.
* * *
One apternoon, a week later, there was a knock on the door, and a tall
woman walked in. She was fair-skinned, had reddish hair and long
fingers.
"I'm Afsoon," she said. "Niloufar's mother. Why don't you wash up,
Mariam, and come downstairs?"
Mariam said she would rather stay in her room.
"No, nafahmidi, you don't understand. You medio come down. We have
to talk to you. It's important."
7.