Page 155 - Leadership in the Indian Army

physically. He planted a brisk kiss on the top of her head and hugged her

back awkwardly. They stood this way for a while, looking down on the
Bamiyan Valley.

"As much as I love this land, some days I think about leaving it," Babi
said.

"Whereto?"

"Anyplace where it's easy to forget. Pakistan first, I suppose. For a

year, maybe two. Wait for our paperwork to get processed."

"And then?"

"And then, well, it is a big world. Maybe America. Somewhere near the
sea. Like California."

Babi said the Americans were a generous people. They would help them

with money and food for a while, until they could get on their feet.

"I would find work, and, in a few years, when we had enough saved up,

we'd open a little Afghan restaurant-Nothing fancy, mind you, just a

modest little place, a few tables, some rugs. Maybe hang some pictures
of Kabul. We'd give the Americans a taste of Afghan food. And with your

mother's cooking, they'd line up and down the street.

"And you, you would continue going to school, of course. You know how

I feel about that. That would be our absolute top priority, to get you a

good education, high school then college. But in your free time, if you
wanted to, you could help out, take orders, fill water pitchers, that sort of