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f tree trunks。 He took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose； the air hissing through his mustache for what seemed an eternity I couldn t decide whether I wanted to hug him or leap from his lap in mortal fear。
I see you ve confused what you re learning in school with actual education； he said in his thick voice。
But if what he said is true then does it make you a sinner； Baba？
Hmm。 Baba crushed an ice cube between his teeth。 Do you want to know what your father thinks about sin？
Yes。
Then I ll tell you； Baba said； but first understand this and understand it now； Amir： You ll never learn anything of value from those bearded idiots。
You mean Mullah Fatiullah Khan？
Baba gestured with his glass。 The ice clinked。 I mean all of them。 Piss on the beards of all those self…righteous monkeys。
I began to giggle。 The image of Baba pissing on the beard of any monkey； self…righteous or otherwise； was too much。
They do nothing but thumb their prayer beads and recite a book written in a tongue they don t even understand。 He took a sip。 God help us all if Afghanistan ever falls into their hands。
But Mullah Fatiullah Khan seems nice； I managed between bursts of tittering。
So did Genghis Khan； Baba said。 But enough about that。 You asked about sin and I want to tell you。 Are you listening？
Yes； I said； pressing my lips together。 But a chortle escaped through my nose and made a snorting sound。 That got me giggling again。
Baba s stony eyes bore into mine and； just like that； I wasn t laughing anymore。 I mean to speak to you man to man。 Do you think you can handle that for once？
Yes； Baba jan； I muttered； marveling； not for the first time； at how badly Baba could sting me with so few words。 We d had a fleeting good moment……it wasn t often Baba talked to me； let alone on his lap……and I d been a fool to waste it。
Good； Baba said； but his eyes wondered。 Now； no matter what the mullah teaches； there is only one sin； only one。 And that is theft。 Every other sin is a variation of theft。 Do you understand that？
No； Baba jan； I said； desperately wishing I did。 I didn t want to disappoint him again。
Baba heaved a sigh of impatience。 That stung too； because he was not an impatient man。 I remembered all the times he didn t e home until after dark； all the times I ate dinner alone。 I d ask Ali where Baba was； when he was ing home； though I knew full well he was at the construction site； overlooking this； supervising that。 Didn t that take patience？ I already hated all the kids he was building the orphanage for； sometimes I wished they d all died along with their parents。
When you kill a man； you steal a life； Baba said。 You steal his wife s right to a husband； rob his children of a father。 When you tell a lie； you steal someone s right to the truth。 When you cheat； you steal the right to fairness。 Do you see？
I did。 When Baba was six； a thief walked into my grandfather s house in the middle of the night。 My grandfather； a respected judge； confronted him； but the thief stabbed him in the throat； killing him instantly……and robbing Baba of a father。 The townspeople caught the killer just before noon the next day； he turned out to be a wanderer from the Kunduz region。 They hanged him from the branch of an oak tree with still two hours to go before afternoon prayer。 It was Rahim Khan； not Baba； who had told me that story。 I was always learning things about Baba from other people。
There is no act more wretched than stealing； Amir； Baba said。 A man who takes what s not his to take； be it a life or a loaf of _naan_。。。 I spit on such a man。 And if I ever cross paths with him； God help him。 Do you understand？
I found the idea of Baba clobbering a thief both exhilarating and terribly frightening。 Yes； Baba。
If there s a God out there； then I would hope he has more important things to attend to than my drinking scotch or eating pork。 Now； hop down。 All this talk about sin has made me thirsty again。
I watched him fill his glass at the bar and wondered how much time would pass before we talked again the way we just had。 Because the truth of it was； I always felt like Baba hated me a little。 And why not？ After all； I _had_ killed his beloved wife； his beautiful princess； hadn t I？ The least I could have done was to have had the decency to have turned out a little more like him。 But I hadn t turned out like him。 Not at all。
IN SCHOOL； we used to play a game called _Sherjangi_； or Battle of the Poems。 The Farsi teacher moderated it and it went something like this： You recited a verse from a poem and your opponent had sixty seconds to reply with a verse that began with the same letter that ended yours。 Everyone in my class wanted me on their team； because by the time I was eleven； I could recite dozens of verses from Khayyam； H~afez； or Rumi s famous _Masnawi_。 One time； I took on the whole class and won。 I told Baba about it later that night； but he just nodded； muttered； Good。
That was how I escaped my father s aloofness； in my dead mother s books。 That and Hassan； of course。 I read everything； Rumi； H~afez； Saadi； Victor Hugo； Jules Verne； Mark Twain； Ian Fleming。 When I had finished my mother s books……not the
boring history ones； I was never much into those； but the novels； the epics……I started spending my allowance on books。 I bought one a week from the bookstore near Cinema Park； and stored them in cardboard boxes when I ran out of shelf room。
Of course； marrying a poet was one thing； but fathering a son who preferred burying his face in poetry books to hunting。。。 well； that wasn t how Baba had envisioned it； I suppose。 Real men didn t read poetry……and God forbid they should ever write it！ Real men……real boys……played soccer just as Baba had when he had been young。 Now _that_ was something to be passionate about。 In 1970； Baba took a break from the construction of the orphanage and flew to Tehran for a month to watch the World Cup games on television； since at the time Afghanistan didn t have TVs yet。 He signed me up for soccer teams to stir the same passion in me。 But I was pathetic； a blundering liability to my own team； always in the way of an opportune pass or unwittingly blocking an open lane。 I shambled about the field on scraggy legs； squalled for passes that never came my way。 And the harder I tried； waving my arms over my head frantically and screeching； I m open！ I m open！ the more I went ignored。 But Baba wouldn t give up。 When it became abundantly clear that I hadn t inherited a shred of his athletic talents； he settled for trying to turn me into a passionate spectator。 Certainly I could manage that； couldn t I？ I faked intere