Creative Piece (598 words)

1982, December 3th

Dear Baba,

Time has gone very fast since you passed away, but feelings and memories I had with you are still alive in my heart. Nothing will be the same now that you are not with me. I miss your company and wise advice, but now with all the things that happened during your absence. I am convinced that it is time to take my responsibilities and become a complete man following your steps. In this letter I will tell you some things and feelings that I have lived during this time, some things like the house we have with Soraya or the trip I made to Afghanistan, you can't imagine how it has changed. It seems absurd to write you a letter now that you are dead, but as you can tell it will be easier to describe everything to you in writing. Even more I think you will notice that I am writing this to you because you always had the rights words, the balanced council, wise advice, which I long and need now.

It is still difficult to believe you are gone. I am very happy with Soraya and she is with me too, although we remain childless. Now I am a successful novelist in the United States, due to all the work now dedicated to my career, I can afford the house where we are living at this time. Some days ago and an old friend yours, Rahim Khan, called me by phone from Pakistan and he invited me to go there. When I was there, I got to know many circumstances and facts when I met Rahim such as that you sold our house in Afghanistan to him, your friend. Something more I learned was that Rahim brought back Hassan and his family to live with them in Kabul. Unfortunately when, Rahim was absent some Taliban came to the house and killed Hassan and his wife, but they had a boy called Sohrab that ended up in an orphanage. It was during an intimate conversation with Rahim that he revealed to me confidentially that Hassan was your son and therefore my half-brother. I must tell you that this information came as a shock to me. All my childhood passed before my eyes in a couple of seconds and a mixture of feelings almost made me collapse. On the one hand, I was happy to realize that Sohrab was my nephew, but on the other hand, I felt very bad that you never told me about this reality. Nevertheless, the blood tie are stronger than anything, "Blood is thicker than wine", as the saying goes. So I set myself to rescue poor Sohrab from the hands of Taliban and left to Afghanistan. After much struggle, efforts and suffering I was able to recover my dear nephew and with some difficulties I was able to succeed in my target of bringing him with me to the United States. Now we are a family. But was left a painful impression on Sohrab, he is a boy who has social problems, and he is extremely shy and has a few friends, whose acquaintance has been promoted by my wife and me.

It is difficult to bring up a son. I do not know how to do it, especially in these circumstances. My dear and beloved father, I need your wisdom in this moment to be able to face the challenging task of bringing up Sohrab. I pray to God that you will be able to guide me.

Your son that loves you,

Amir Agha