Quarter 2: Outside Reading Post #7

It was the day of the big competition for Amir, and he was very nervous because this was his only chance to make Baba proud of him. As the kids started arriving and were flying their kites, the competition started and Amir kept looking back to his father on the roof of his house. As the hours past, Amir found himself to be in the last dozen and soon became one of the last two. Now all of his concentration was the other kite, and when the opportune moment came he cut down the other kite. While he was celebrating with Hassan, Amir took a glance at Baba, "Then I saw Baba on our roof. He was standing on the edge, pumping both of his fists. Hollering and clapping. And that right was the single greatest moment of my twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of me at last" (Hosseini 66). Amir's victory will settle some of the tensions between him and his father. After a short celebration, Hassan went off to run the kite that Amir had cut down. Later Amir was running around the city trying to find Hassan, and he couldn't find him anywhere. Then he heard voices in an alley, so he followed them. It was Hassan with the kite, and he was being cornered by Assef, the bully they had already barely escaped, and his two companions. Being completely paralyzed with fear, Amir didn't say anything and remained around the corner. He eventually started to run away, leaving Hassan there to get beaten up. Amir hid in an alley, and when he saw Assef and his friends run past, he went looking for Hassan. They never had an actually conversation about what happened in the alley that day, because Hassan was too shocked and embarrassed to say anything. When they returned home, his father greeted him with warmth, "Then a smile played on my father's lips. He opened his arms. I put the kite down and walked into his thick hairy arms. I buried my face in the warmth of his chest and wept. Baba held me close to his, rocking me back and forth. In his arms, I forgot what I'd done. And that was good" (Hosseini 79). Although the problems between Amir and Baba are better, I think that the event in the alley will create problems for Amir and Hassan.