THE NEXT MORNING, I waited in my room for Ali to clear the breakfast table in the kitchen. Waited for him to do the dishes, wipe the counters. I looked out my bedroom window and waited until Ali and Hassan went grocery shopping to the bazaar¹, pushing the empty wheelbarrows in front of them. 翌日清早，我在房间里等着阿里清理完厨房用过早餐的桌子。等着他把盘碗洗好，把灶台抹净。我倚窗等着，直到望见阿里和哈桑推着那辆空的独轮车，到市场去购买杂货。

Then I took a couple of the envelopes of cash from the pile of gifts and my watch, and tiptoed out. I paused before Baba’s study and listened in. He’d been in there all morning, making phone calls. He was talking to someone now, about a shipment² of rugs due to arrive next week. I went downstairs, crossed the yard, and entered Ali and Hassan’s living quarters by the loquat tree. I lifted Hassan’s mattress³ and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it. 然后，我从那堆礼物中拣起数个装着钞票的信封和那个手表，蹑手蹑脚走出去。路过爸爸书房时，我停下来听听动静。整个早上他都在那儿打电话，现在他正跟某人说话，有一批地毯预计下星期到达。我走下楼梯，穿过院子，从枇杷树后进入阿里和哈桑的房间。我掀起哈桑的毛毯，将新手表和一把阿富汗尼钞票塞在下面。

I waited another thirty minutes. Then I knocked on Baba’s door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful⁴ lies. 我又等了半个小时，然后敲敲爸爸的房门，说了那个谎——我希望这是一长串可耻的谎话中最后一个。

THROUGH MY BEDROOM WINDOW, I watched Ali and Hassan push the wheelbarrows loaded with meat, _naan_, fruit, and vegetables up the driveway. I saw Baba emerge⁵ from the house and walk up to Ali. Their mouths moved over words I couldn’t hear. Baba pointed⁶ to the house and Ali nodded. They separated. Baba came back to the house; Ali followed Hassan to their hut. 透过卧房的窗户，我看见阿里和哈桑推着独轮车，载满牛肉、馕饼、水果、蔬菜，推上车道。我看见爸爸从屋子里出现，朝阿里走过去。他们的嘴巴说着我听不见的话，爸爸指了指屋子，阿里点点头。他们分开。爸爸走回屋子，阿里随着哈桑走进他们的斗室。

A few moments later, Baba knocked on my door. “Come to my office,” he said. “We’re all going to sit down and settle this thing.” 隔了几分钟，爸爸敲敲我的房门。“到我的办公室来，”他说，“我们得坐下来，把这件事处理好。”

I went to Baba’s study, sat in one of the leather sofas. It was thirty minutes or more before Hassan and Ali joined us. 我走到爸爸的书房，坐在一只皮沙发上。约莫过了三十分钟，哈桑和阿里也来了。