I n chapter twenty, Amir and Farid traveled from Jalalabad to Kabul, on their way Amir saw the devastated landscape, result of two consecutive wars. Amir had seen some part of first war with his own eyes, and now he was seeing the relics of second war with Farid’s eyes. On their way, Farid pointed towards mud-hut villages of the people he once knew, who were now either dead or living in refugee camps in Pakistan. While passing through a half burned village Farid mentioned one of his friend who played ‘tabla’ and was killed by Talibans for this act. When they reached Kabul Amir was shocked, even though Farid had already warned him of the extreme changes. There was rubble and beggars everywhere, mostly of age between 5 and 6 sitting in the laps
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Many structures in Jadeh Maywand had been reduced to rubble; what was left was dilapidated buildings damaged from shelling. Beggars, many of them children, fill the streets. Trees had been cut down for firewood. The streets were filled with a strange smell of diesel, because of power fluctuation people use diesel powered generators. Amir remembered how streets were filled with smell of lamb kabobs before wars. Members of the Taliban , drive by, and Amir stared at the men and was shaken by their presence. Farid told him that he must never stare at the Taliban. An old beggar on the street echoed Farid’s warning, and told Amir that members of the Taliban are easily provoked and need little or no reason to become violent. When Amir spared beggar some money, he came to knew that beggar was once professor in Kabul university, and was a colleague of his mother. In fact, he knew her. Amir plead with him to tell as much as he can about his mother, since his father only spoke of her broadly. The man told Amir he ate almond cake with her and that she was anxious about her happiness. When Amir asked the man if he could tell him anything else, the man replied that he would think about it and told Amir he should come back and find him again to check if he had remembered anything
Many structures in Jadeh Maywand had been reduced to rubble; what was left was dilapidated buildings damaged from shelling. Beggars, many of them children, fill the streets. Trees had been cut down for firewood. The streets were filled with a strange smell of diesel, because of power fluctuation people use diesel powered generators. Amir remembered how streets were filled with smell of lamb kabobs before wars. Members of the Taliban , drive by, and Amir stared at the men and was shaken by their presence. Farid told him that he must never stare at the Taliban. An old beggar on the street echoed Farid’s warning, and told Amir that members of the Taliban are easily provoked and need little or no reason to become violent. When Amir spared beggar some money, he came to knew that beggar was once professor in Kabul university, and was a colleague of his mother. In fact, he knew her. Amir plead with him to tell as much as he can about his mother, since his father only spoke of her broadly. The man told Amir he ate almond cake with her and that she was anxious about her happiness. When Amir asked the man if he could tell him anything else, the man replied that he would think about it and told Amir he should come back and find him again to check if he had remembered anything