Video by Sofia & Gabby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXwBD6SAVMY
Dialogue by Megan & Concetta:
The
Breadwinner Reunion
Parvana:
Today is the day that I’m meeting up
with Shauzia, after twenty whole years. I haven’t seen her in a while and I
wonder how she changed.
I wonder how I changed over the
years from Shauzia’s point of view. Am I different to her? Is Shauzia
different? I was anxious and nervous to meet her.
It’s been nine years since the
Taliban lost their control over Afghanistan. Now woman are allowed to room free
across the streets and everyone has rights.
Now, as I stand in the Afghan
airport, I look at my family. They are smiling at me. Everyone is here; my
father, my mother, Nooria, Maryam, Ali, and my husband and daughter, Wasim and
Ara.
“Bye
Parvana.” Maryam, my younger sister said, giving me a hug. She’s grown up so
much since I last saw her; she almost looks like me when I was younger.
“Goodbye
Maryam, I’ll miss you.” I smiled.
“Bye
mom, come back soon,” My five-year-old daughter, Ara said.
“Don’t
worry, I will Ara.” I replied.
I kissed my husband Wasim on
the cheek. “Goodbye, and be safe Parvana.” He warned, hugging me.
“I will be safe. I’m only
meeting an old friend of mine, Shauzia.”
“Flight
176 is boarding in five minutes,” A voice on the speaker said, interrupting my
goodbyes with my family.
I smiled at them, said my last
goodbyes and walked toward the airport runway. As I got on the plane I felt a
little bit nervous. It was my very first time on a plane. I let my nerves go
away and just thought that I was close to seeing my old friend Shauzia.
After seven hours of being on
the plane I finally arrived in France. I got my luggages and took a cab to the
Eiffel tower. France was so beautiful; it was just like the postcards that
Shauzia showed me.
Paris was so different from Afghanistan,
in all the ways possible. Families walked on the sidewalks freely, and happily.
Even children and pets were there.
I got out of the cab and walked
towards the tower. It was very pretty, just like I imagined it to be.
Looking down at my wristwatch,
I checked the time, which was 1:57. I’m three minutes early and we are supposed
to meet at 2:00. So I decided to wait.
Shauzia:
I walk anxiously towards the Eiffel
tower. So many things are going through my mind right now. What does Parvana look
like? Is she completely different from when we were 11?
When I left to go to Pakistan,
I worked as a sheppard for about seven years. I did as I planned and came to
France later, and I lived a happy and better life. In Paris I met a man named Francois. We were really
great friends and we were really close. Then he proposed to me three years
later. We now live happily together here in Paris in a small bungalow.
I wonder what Parvana’s life is like…
I took a deep breath and walked
up the steps of the tower excited to see my old friend. We were supposed to
meet here at 2:00. It’s now 2:02.
There
aren’t many people up here, so I should have spotted Parvana by now.
“Shauzia?” A familiar voice
said. I turned around. There she was, and her shoulder length hair was
recognizable enough.
“Parvana!”
I shouted. I smiled, and then ran to hug her.
“Shauzia! How have you been?
You haven’t changed a bit.” Said Parvana, with a huge grin on her face. She’s
bombarding me with questions, as usual. Same old Parvana.
“I’ve been great,” I replied.
We both walked towards a table and chairs, admiring the Paris view.
“You
haven’t changed either.” I chuckled. We sat in silence for a short amount of
time.
“Paris
is so beautiful.” Parvana said, admiring the view. I nodded, and then smiled. “So
Parvana what have you been up to all this time?” I asked.
“Well,
so much actually. It’s a long story.” Parvana explained.
“Well?
Go on! And start from the beginning.” I urged.
“Okay, okay. Well, I stayed in
Afghanistan for 5 years, and then I moved to Mazar e Sharif. I am currently an
author and I just got published not to long ago. Then four years after that, I
met Wasim, a boy originally from Kabul, like us. Then we got married and we have
one little girl, Ara. She’s five.” Parvana explained.
“That’s
fantastic,” I said.
“What
about you?” Parvana asked.
“When I moved to Paris, I met a
man named Francois, after about three years he proposed. We are now happily
married, I am also a baker.” I told her.
Parvana:
“That’s great,” I smiled.
“Anyway
it’s been nine years since the Taliban’s lost control over Afghanistan.” I
added.
Shauzia
raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Wow really, a lot has changed, hasn’t it?”
She asked.
I
nodded. “Yes.” I agreed.
“Do
you know what I still can’t get out of my mind…?” I asked.
“What?”
Shauzia asks, suddenly interested.
“The
stadium, where we saw the prisoners get… Well, you know.” I say looking at her.
Shauzia
looks up. “Oh yes, don’t remind me.” Shauzia says disturbed.
“Hey,
do you still remember Mr. Skull?” asked Shauzia, changing the subject.
I
closed my eyes trying to have a flashback from the past. “Hmm… Oh yes, I think
I remember.” I told her. Mr. Skull… Where do I remember that from?
The
memory of twenty years ago came flooding back to me. “Mr. Skull! I remember
now. We were digging up…” I paused.
“Bones.”
Shauzia finished.
“Yeah…”
I trail off.
All
of a sudden, a small tune came from Shauzia’s purse. Her phone rings, and she
looks down at it. Shauzia reaches for it.
“Bonjour!”
Shauzia answers. “I will just be a second,” She whispers to me. Shauzia stands
up from the table, and then wanders off.
I
nod as Shauzia walks away. She has a worried look on her face while she is
talking on the phone.
After
a couple of minutes she returns. “Shauzia are you alright?” I ask.
“Huh,
yeah I am fine, sorry Parvana, I have to go now.” She says worried.
“What,
why?” I asked, confused.
“I’m
sorry, it’s a long story.” she says upset.
“Well,
okay, bye.” I said awkwardly. She gave me a quick hug, and then I stopped.
“We’ll
meet again, right?” I asked.
Shauzia
smiled, and nodded. “Definitely,” She said, and than she ran off.
I
stood at the ledge of the tower, looking over at the beautiful sunset. I was
still confused. How could she just leave so fast, and who was on the phone with
her? Could it have been Francois?
I
guess I would just have to wait until next time to get these questions
answered.
The End
By:
Megan and Concetta
