Deborah Ellis

THE BREADWINNER

Mehta Publishing House

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c a nr e a dt h a tl e t t e ra sw e l la sF a t h e rc a n , P a r v a n a w h i s p e r e di n t ot h ef o l d so fh e rc h a d o r. We l l ,a l m o s t . She didnt dare say those words out loud. The man sitting beside her father would not want to hear her voice. Nor would a n y o n ee l s ei nt h eK a b u lm a r k e t .P a r v a n aw a st h e r eo n l yt oh e l p her father walk to the market and back home again after work. S h es a tw e l lb a c ko nt h eb l a n k e t ,h e rh e a da n dm o s to fh e rf a c e covered by her chador. She wasnt r e a l l ys u p p o s e dt ob eo u t s i d ea ta l l .T h e Ta l i b a n h a do r d e r e da l lt h eg i r l sa n dw o m e ni nA f g h a n i s t a nt os t a yi n s i d e t h e i rh o m e s .T h e ye v e nf o r b a d eg i r l st og ot os c h o o l .P a r v a n a h a dh a dt ol e a v eh e rs i x t hg r a d ec l a s s ,a n dh e rs i s t e rN o o r i aw a s n o ta l l o w e dt og ot oh e rh i g hs c h o o l .T h e i rm o t h e rh a db e e nk i c k e d o u to fh e rj o ba saw r i t e rf o raK a b u lr a d i os t a t i o n .F o rm o r et h a n a year now, t h e yh a da l lb e e ns t u c ki n s i d eo n er o o m ,a l o n gw i t h f i v e y e a r-old Maryam and two-yearo l dA l i . P a r v a n ad i dg e to u tf o raf e wh o u r sm o s td a y st oh e l ph e r f a t h e rw a l k .S h ew a sa l w a y sg l a dt og oo u t s i d e ,e v e nt h o u g hi t m e a n ts i t t i n gf o rh o u r so nab l a n k e ts p r e a do v e rt h eh a r dg r o u n d o ft h em a r k e t p l a c e .A tl e a s ti tw a ss o m e t h i n gt od o .S h eh a de v e n g o tu s e dt oh o l d i n gh e rt o n g u ea n dh i d i n gh e rf a c e . She was small for her eleven years. A sas m a l lg i r l ,s h e could usually get away with being outside without being q u e s t i o n e d . In e e dt h i sg i r lt oh e l pm ew a l k , h e rf a t h e rw o u l dt e l la n y Ta l i bw h oa s k e d ,p o i n t i n gt oh i sl e g .H eh a dl o s tt h el o w e rp a r to f h i sl e gw h e nt h eh i g hs c h o o lh ew a st e a c h i n gi nw a sb o m b e d .H i s insides had been hurt somehow, t o o .H ew a so f t e nt i r e d . Ih a v en os o na th o m e ,e x c e p tf o ra ni n f a n t , h ew o u l de x p l a i n . P a r v a n aw o u l ds l u m pd o w nf u r t h e ro nt h eb l a n k e ta n dt r yt om a k e

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h e r s e l fl o o ks m a l l e r. S h ew a sa f r a i dt ol o o ku pa tt h es o l d i e r s .S h e h a ds e e nw h a tt h e yd i d ,e s p e c i a l l yt ow o m e n ,t h ew a yt h e yw o u l d whip and beat someone they thought should be punished. S i t t i n gi nt h em a r k e t p l a c ed a ya f t e rd a y, s h eh a ds e e nal o t . When the Ta l i b a nw e r ea r o u n d ,w h a ts h ew a n t e dm o s to fa l lw a s t ob ei n v i s i b l e . N o wt h ec u s t o m e ra s k e dh e rf a t h e rt or e a dh i sl e t t e ra g a i n . R e a di ts l o w l y, s ot h a tIc a nr e m e m b e ri tf o rm yf a m i l y. og e tal e t t e r. M a i ld e l i v e r yh a d P a r v a n aw o u l dh a v el i k e dt r e c e n t l ys t a r t e da g a i ni nA f g h a n i s t a n ,a f t e ry e a r so fb e i n gd i s r u p t e d b yw a r. M a n yo fh e rf r i e n d sh a df l e dt h ec o u n t r yw i t ht h e i rf a m i l i e s . S h et h o u g h tt h e yw e r ei nP a k i s t a n ,b u ts h ew a s n ts u r e ,s os h e c o u l d n tw r i t et ot h e m .H e ro w nf a m i l yh a dm o v e ds oo f t e nb e c a u s e of the bombing that her friends no longer knew where she was. A f g h a n sc o v e rt h ee a r t hl i k es t a r sc o v e rt h es k y, h e rf a t h e ro f t e n s a i d . H e rf a t h e rf i n i s h e dr e a d i n gt h em a n s l e t t e ras e c o n dt i m e . T h ec u s t o m e rt h a n k e dh i ma n dp a i d . Iw i l ll o o kf o ry o uw h e ni ti s t i m et ow r i t ear e p l y. M o s tp e o p l ei nA f g h a n i s t a nc o u l dn o tr e a do rw r i t e .P a r v a n a was one of the lucky ones. Both of her parents had been to u n i v e r s i t y, a n dt h e yb e l i e v e di ne d u c a t i o nf o re v e r y o n e ,e v e ng i r l s . Customers came and went as the afternoon wore on. Most spoke Dari, the same language Parvana spoke best. When a c u s t o m e rs p o k eP a s h t u ,s h ec o u l dr e c o g n i z em o s to fi t ,b u tn o t a l l .H e rp a r e n t sc o u l ds p e a kE n g l i s h ,t o o .H e rf a t h e rh a dg o n et o u n i v e r s i t yi nE n g l a n d .T h a tw a sal o n gt i m ea g o . The market was a very busy place. Men shopped for their f a m i l i e s ,a n dp e d d l e r sh a w k e dt h e i rg o o d sa n ds e r v i c e s .S o m e , l i k et h et e as h o p ,h a dt h e i ro w ns t a l l s .Wi t hs u c hab i gu r na n ds o m a n yt r a y so fc u p s ,i th a dt os t a yi no n ep l a c e . Te ab o y sr a nb a c k a n df o r t hi n t ot h el a b y r i n t ho ft h em a r k e t p l a c e ,c a r r y i n gt e at o c u s t o m e r sw h oc o u l d n tl e a v et h e i ro w ns h o p s ,t h e nr u n n i n gb a c k a g a i nw i t ht h ee m p t yc u p s . Ic o u l dd ot h a t , P a r v a n aw h i s p e r e d .S h e dl i k et ob ea b l e t or u na r o u n di nt h em a r k e t ,t ok n o wi t sw i n d i n gs t r e e t sa sw e l la s s h ek n e wt h ef o u rw a l l so fh e rh o m e .
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H e rf a t h e rt u r n e dt ol o o ka th e r. I dr a t h e rs e ey o ur u n n i n g a r o u n das c h o o ly a r d . H et u r n e da r o u n da g a i nt oc a l lo u tt ot h e p a s s i n gm e n . A n y t h i n gw r i t t e n !A n y t h i n gr e a d !P a s h t ua n dD a r i ! Wo n d e r f u li t e m sf o rs a l e ! P a r v a n af r o w n e d .I tw a s n th e rf a u l ts h ew a s n ti ns c h o o l ! S h ew o u l dr a t h e rb et h e r e ,t o o ,i n s t e a do fs i t t i n go nt h i s uncomfortable blanket, her back and bottom getting sore. She m i s s e dh e rf r i e n d s ,h e rb l u e a n d w h i t es c h o o lu n i f o r m ,a n dd o i n g n e wt h i n g se a c hd a y. H i s t o r yw a sh e rf a v o r i t es u b j e c t ,e s p e c i a l l y Afghan history. Everybody had come to A f g h a n i s t a n . The Persians came four t h o u s a n dy e a r sa g o .A l e x a n d e rt h eG r e a tc a m e ,t o o ,f o l l o w e db y t h eG r e e k s ,A r a b s , Tu r k s ,B r i t i s h ,a n df i n a l l yt h eS o v i e t s .O n eo f t h ec o n q u e r o r s , Tamerlane from Samarkand, cut off t h eh e a d so f h i se n e m i e sa n ds t a c k e dt h e mi nh u g ep i l e s ,l i k em e l o n sa taf r u i t s t a n d .A l lt h e s ep e o p l eh a dc o m et oP a r v a n a s b e a u t i f u lc o u n t r y t ot r yt ot a k ei to v e r, a n dt h e Afghans had kicked them all out a g a i n ! B u tn o wt h ec o u n t r yw a sr u l e db yt h e Ta l i b a nm i l i t i a . They w e r eA f g h a n s ,a n dt h e yh a dv e r yd e f i n i t ei d e a sa b o u th o wt h i n g s s h o u l db er u n .W h e nt h e yf i r s tt o o ko v e rt h ec a p i t a lc i t yo fK a b u l a n df o r b a d eg i r l st og ot os c h o o l ,P a r v a n aw a s n t t e r r i b l yu n h a p p y. S h eh a dat e s tc o m i n gu pi na r i t h m e t i ct h a ts h eh a d n tp r e p a r e d f o r, a n ds h ew a si nt r o u b l ef o rt a l k i n gi nc l a s sa g a i n .T h et e a c h e r w a sg o i n gt os e n dan o t et oh e rm o t h e r,b u tt h e Ta l i b a nt o o ko v e r f i r s t . What are you crying for? she had asked Nooria, who c o u l d n ts t o ps o b b i n g . It h i n kah o l i d a yi sv e r yn i c e . P a r v a n a e tt h e mg ob a c kt os c h o o li naf e w w a ss u r et h e Ta l i b a nw o u l dl d a y s .B yt h e nh e rt e a c h e rw o u l dh a v ef o r g o t t e na l la b o u ts e n d i n g at a t t l e t a l en o t et oh e rm o t h e r. Yo u r ej u s ts t u p i d ! N o o r i as c r e a m e da th e r. Leave me a l o n e ! O n eo ft h ed i f f i c u l t i e so fl i v i n gw i t hy o u rw h o l ef a m i l yi no n e r o o mw a st h a ti tw a si m p o s s i b l et or e a l l yl e a v ea n y o n ea l o n e . W h e r e v e rN o o r i aw e n t ,t h e r ew a sP a r v a n a . And wherever Parvana
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w e n t ,t h e r ew a sN o o r i a . Both of Parvanas parents had come from old respected Afghan families. W i t ht h e i re d u c a t i o n ,t h e yh a de a r n e dh i g h s a l a r i e s .T h e yh a dh a dab i gh o u s ew i t hac o u r t y a r d ,ac o u p l eo f s e r v a n t s ,at e l e v i s i o ns e t ,ar e f r i g e r a t o r,ac a r. N o o r i ah a dh e r own room. Parvana had shared a room with her little sister, Maryam. Maryam chattered a lot, but she thought Parvana was wonderful. It had certainly been wonderful to get away from Nooria sometimes. That house had been destroyed by a bomb. The family had m o v e ds e v e r a lt i m e ss i n c et h e n .E a c ht i m e ,t h e ym o v e dt oas m a l l e r p l a c e .E v e r yt i m et h e i rh o u s ew a sb o m b e d ,t h e yl o s tm o r eo ft h e i r t h i n g s .W i t he a c hb o m b ,t h e yg o tp o o r e r. N o wt h e yl i v e dt o g e t h e r i no n es m a l lr o o m . T h e r eh a db e e naw a rg o i n go ni nA f g h a n i s t a nf o rm o r et h a n t w e n t yy e a r s ,t w i c ea sl o n ga sP a r v a n ah a db e e na l i v e . A tf i r s ti tw a st h eS o v i e t sw h or o l l e dt h e i rb i gt a n k si n t ot h e c o u n t r ya n df l e ww a rp l a n e st h a td r o p p e db o m b so nv i l l a g e sa n d t h ec o u n t r y s i d e . P a r v a n aw a sb o r no n em o n t hb e f o r et h eS o v i e t ss t a r t e dg o i n g b a c kt ot h e i ro w nc o u n t r y. You were such an ugly baby, t h eS o v i e t sc o u l d n ts t a n dt o b ei nt h es a m ec o u n t r yw i t hy o u , N o o r i aw a sf o n do ft e l l i n gh e r. h e i rt a n k s T h e yf l e db a c ka c r o s st h eb o r d e ri nh o r r o r,a sf a s ta st c o u l dc a r r yt h e m . A f t e rt h eS o v i e t sl e f t ,t h ep e o p l ew h oh a db e e ns h o o t i n ga t t h eS o v i e t sd e c i d e dt h e yw a n t e dt ok e e ps h o o t i n ga ts o m e t h i n g , s ot h e ys h o ta te a c ho t h e r. M a n yb o m b sf e l lo nK a b u ld u r i n gt h a t t i m e .M a n yp e o p l ed i e d . Bombs had been part of Parvanas w h o l el i f e .E v e r yd a y, e v e r yn i g h t ,r o c k e t sw o u l df a l lo u to ft h es k y, a n ds o m e o n e s h o u s e would explode. W h e nt h eb o m b sf e l l ,p e o p l er a n .F i r s tt h e yr a no n ew a y,t h e n t h e yr a na n o t h e r, t r y i n gt of i n dap l a c ew h e r et h eb o m b sw o u l d n t f i n dt h e m . When she was younger, P a r v a n aw a sc a r r i e d . When s h eg o tb i g g e r, s h eh a dt od oh e ro w nr u n n i n g .
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N o wm o s to ft h ec o u n t r yw a sc o n t r o l l e db yt h e Ta l i b a n . The word Ta l i b a nm e a n tr e l i g i o u ss c h o l a r s ,b u tP a r v a n a sf a t h e rt o l d h e rt h a tr e l i g i o nw a sa b o u tt e a c h i n gp e o p l eh o wt ob eb e t t e rh u m a n b e i n g s ,h o wt ob ek i n d e r. T h e Ta l i b a na r en o tm a k i n gA f g h a n i s t a n ak i n d e rp l a c et ol i v e ! h es a i d . A l t h o u g hb o m b ss t i l lf e l lo nK a b u l ,t h e yd i d n tf a l la so f t e na s t h e yu s e dt o .T h e r ew a ss t i l law a rg o i n go ni nt h en o r t ho ft h e c o u n t r y, a n dt h a tw a sw h e r em o s to ft h ek i l l i n gt o o kp l a c et h e s e d a y s . After a few more customers had come and gone, Father s u g g e s t e dt h e ye n dt h e i rw o r kf o rt h ed a y. P a r v a n aj u m p e dt oh e rf e e t ,t h e nc o l l a p s e db a c kd o w na g a i n . H e rf o o tw a sa s l e e p .S h er u b b e di t ,t h e nt r i e da g a i n .T h i st i m es h e w a sa b l et os t a n d . F i r s ts h eg a t h e r e du pa l lt h el i t t l ei t e m st h e yw e r et r y i n gt o s e l l d i s h e s ,p i l l o wc a s e s ,h o u s e h o l do r n a m e n t st h a th a ds u r v i v e d the bombings. Like many Afghans, they sold what they could. Mother and Nooria regularly went through what was left of the f a m i l y s b e l o n g i n g st os e ew h a tt h e yc o u l ds p a r e . There were so m a n yp e o p l es e l l i n gt h i n g si nK a b u l ,P a r v a n am a r v e l e dt h a tt h e r e w a sa n y o n el e f tt ob u yt h e m . F a t h e rp a c k e dh i sp e n sa n dw r i t i n gp a p e ri nh i ss h o u l d e rb a g . L e a n i n go nh i sw a l k i n gs t i c ka n dt a k i n gP a r v a n a s a r m ,h es l o w l y s t o o du p .P a r v a n as h o o kt h ed u s to u to ft h eb l a n k e t ,f o l d e di tu p , a n dt h e yw e r eo nt h e i rw a y. F o rs h o r td i s t a n c e sF a t h e rc o u l dm a n a g ew i t hj u s th i sw a l k i n g s t i c k .F o rl o n g e rj o u r n e y sh en e e d e dP a r v a n at ol e a no n . Yo u r ej u s tt h er i g h th e i g h t , h es a i d . What will happen when I grow? T h e nIw i l lg r o ww i t hy o u ! F a t h e ru s e dt oh a v eaf a l s el e g ,b u th es o l di t .H eh a d n tp l a n n e d t o .F a l s el e g sh a dt ob es p e c i a l l ym a d e ,a n do n ep e r s o n sf a l s el e g d i d n t n e c e s s a r i l yf i ta n o t h e r. But when a customer saw Father s l e go nt h eb l a n k e t ,h ei g n o r e dt h eo t h e rt h i n g sf o rs a l ea n d d e m a n d e dt ob u yt h el e g .H eo f f e r e ds u c hag o o dp r i c et h a tF a t h e r e v e n t u a l l yr e l e n t e d .
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T h e r ew e r eal o to ff a l s el e g sf o rs a l ei nt h em a r k e tn o w.S i n c e t h e Ta l i b a nd e c r e e dt h a tw o m e nm u s ts t a yi n s i d e ,m a n yh u s b a n d s t o o kt h e i rw i v e s f a l s el e g sa w a y. Yo u r en o tg o i n ga n y w h e r e ,s o why do you need a leg? they asked. There were bombed-out buildings all over Kabul. N e i g h b o r h o o d sh a dt u r n e df r o mh o m e sa n db u s i n e s s e si n t ob r i c k s a n dd u s t . Kabul had once been beautiful. Nooria remembered whole s i d e w a l k s ,t r a ff i cl i g h t st h a tc h a n g e dc o l o r, e v e n i n gt r i p st o r e s t a u r a n t sa n dc i n e m a s ,b r o w s i n gi nf i n es h o p sf o rc l o t h e sa n d books. For most of Parvanas l i f e ,t h ec i t yh a db e e ni nr u i n s ,a n di t was hard for her to imagine it another way. I th u r th e rt oh e a r s t o r i e so fo l dK a b u lb e f o r et h eb o m b i n g .S h ed i d n tw a n tt ot h i n k a b o u te v e r y t h i n gt h eb o m b sh a dt a k e na w a y,i n c l u d i n gh e rf a t h e r s h e a l t ha n dt h e i rb e a u t i f u lh o m e .I tm a d eh e ra n g r y,a n ds i n c es h e c o u l dd on o t h i n gw i t hh e ra n g e r,i tm a d eh e rs a d . T h e yl e f tt h eb u s yp a r to ft h em a r k e ta n dt u r n e dd o w nas i d e s t r e e tt ot h e i rb u i l d i n g .P a r v a n ac a r e f u l l yg u i d e dh e rf a t h e ra r o u n d t h ep o th o l e sa n db r o k e np l a c e si nt h er o a d . How do women in burqas manage to walk along these s t r e e t s ? P a r v a n aa s k e dh e rf a t h e r. H o wd ot h e ys e ew h e r et h e y a r eg o i n g ? T h e yf a l ld o w nal o t , h e rf a t h e rr e p l i e d .H ew a sr i g h t .P a r v a n a h a ds e e nt h e mf a l l . S h el o o k e da th e rf a v o r i t em o u n t a i n .I tr o s eu pm a j e s t i c a l l ya t t h ee n do fh e rs t r e e t . Whats t h en a m eo ft h a tm o u n t a i n ? s h eh a da s k e dh e rf a t h e r s o o na f t e rt h e ym o v e dt ot h e i rn e wn e i g h b o r h o o d . T h a t s Mount Parvana. I ti sn o t , N o o r i ah a ds a i ds c o r n f u l l y. ot h ec h i l d , M o t h e rh a ds a i d . The whole Yo us h o u l d n t l i et f a m i l yh a db e e no u tw a l k i n gt o g e t h e r,i nt h et i m eb e f o r et h e Ta l i b a n . M o t h e ra n dN o o r i aj u s tw o r el i g h ts c a r v e sa r o u n dt h e i rh a i r. T h e i r f a c e ss o a k e du pt h eK a b u ls u n s h i n e . M o u n t a i n sa r en a m e db yp e o p l e , F a t h e rs a i d . Ia map e r s o n ,
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and I name that mountain Mount Parvana. H e rm o t h e rg a v ei n ,l a u g h i n g .F a t h e rl a u g h e d ,t o o ,a n dP a r v a n a and baby Maryam, who didnt even know why she was laughing. E v e ng r u m p yN o o r i aj o i n e di n .T h es o u n do ft h ef a m i l y sl a u g h t e r scampered up Mount Parvana and back down into the street. Now Parvana and her father slowly made their way up the s t e p so ft h e i rb u i l d i n g .T h e yl i v e do nt h et h i r df l o o ro fa na p a r t m e n t b u i l d i n g .I th a db e e nh i ti nar o c k e ta t t a c k ,a n dh a l fo fi tw a s r u b b l e . T h es t a i r sw e r eo nt h eo u t s i d eo ft h eb u i l d i n g ,z i g z a g g i n gb a c k and forth on their way up. They had been damaged by the bomb, a n dd i d n tq u i t em e e ti np l a c e s .O n l ys o m ep a r t so ft h es t a i r c a s e h a dar a i l i n g . N e v e rr e l yo nt h er a i l i n g , F a t h e rt o l dP a r v a n ao v e r a n do v e r. G o i n gu pw a se a s i e rf o rF a t h e rt h a ng o i n gd o w n ,b u ti t s t i l lt o o kal o n gt i m e . F i n a l l yt h e yr e a c h e dt h ed o o ro ft h e i rh o m ea n dw e n ti n s i d e .

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