The Swallows of Kabul

Qassim Abdul Jabbar rides in a large truck back to Kabul after visiting his home village. The driver spots Nazeesh climbing a ridge. Nazeesh struggles to get to the top of the ridge, where he looks back at Kabul, lamenting the downfall of the city. Nazeesh throws stones back at Kabul to ward off evil, and he avoids a large lizard coiled in its tail. The driver asks Qassim why they did not stay in his village, and Qassim laments that he missed his mother’s funeral the previous day.

Qassim did not know his mother well. He notes that she was both deaf and mute, and that he is one of 14 children. His only memory is of his mother’s smile, which changed size depending on her mood. Qassim says she may have been a saint, since she neither heard nor spoke evil. The driver agrees, adding that his own mother died in childbirth at the age of 14, which tormented his father for years. The driver adds that he has been married three times in the past year, though Qassim does not understand the relevance.

Approaching Kabul, Qassim sees Mohsen in a cemetery on the edge of town.