The Kite Runner Chapter 10

     Dozens of people including Baba and Amir were cramped in the tarpaulin-covered cab of an old Russian truck. The driver was called Karim, the people smuggler. He did a pretty lucrative business of driving people out of Shorawi-occupied Kabul to the relatively safe Pakistan. Baba and Amir were rich fortunately so they paid the expensive prices and joined.

     People couldn't trust each other anymore in Kabul which I thought was similar to Japan during the war. Children spied their parents as a school taught them so the house wasn't safe too. Of course, Baba and Amir left the house without telling the seventh servant in five years. Between chapters nine and ten, five years passed and they still were unable to find loyal servants like Ali and Hassan.

Russian truck finally reached the checkpoint at Mahipar. A Russian soldier demanded a half-hour with the lady in the back of the truck as a tax for passing. He said it in front of her husband and toddler which is far too unethical. Then, Baba suddenly stood up. He couldn't let go of the lady, being a hero was his nature. Baba asked Russian soldier who was holding a handgun, ''Where is your shame？'' and mentioned, ''War doesn't negate decency but demands it even more than in times of peace.'' Like many of the Afghans, Baba cherishes respect and honor. I was really amazed by his courage, I can't act like him. Amir thought Baba dies here in the truck and prayed to god.

     At the moment Baba almost got killed, the second Russian officer came in and stopped the first one. He apologized, ''Russia sends them to fight but they are just boys, and when they came here, they find the pleasure of drug.'' The unethical Russian army was attached to the drug to escape reality. I believe war makes humans not human. After a long silence, the young women's husband suddenly kissed Baba's hand. I could see why Baba was respected and appreciated by many Afghans.

     The weird thing is, Baba had volunteered to take the bullet for the honor of women he didn't even know and almost choked a man at death on the same day.

In fact, Baba got really furious when Karim told that his brother Toor's truck engine got brown a few weeks ago and couldn't send refugees to Peshawar. Karim hid it although he knew, to get money. Baba strangled and almost killed him.

     Baba and Amir stayed with refugees in the basement with thirty others for a few weeks. There was a shocking encounter with Kamal in the basement, who raped Hassan with Assef and Wali five years ago. Khamal looked very withered with hollow eyes and no recognition because her mother was killed. After a few weeks, Karim decided to carry refugees by his cousin's fuel truck. The ride was awful, there wasn't enough air, and Amir couldn't breathe but he endured by remembering happy memories with Hassan. At last, they're soulmates but never be able to meet again. 

     The ride was finally over but tragedy wasn't. Khamal's father shot himself when Khamal turned out to be lifeless. I wondered why Hosseini made bully appear once again. Maybe, he wanted to depict how humans might lose hope when the light (family for Kamal's father, the mother for Khamal) disappeared. Or that antagonists have their family, someone who love and worry for them.