Outer Journey - 2nd Entry

Special Night 

Late August , summer of 1976 

- Rahim Khan

What a lovely night! One of the better ones of the summer  Summer of 1976. It was a special night. It was Amir’s thirteenth birthday. Baba was very nice enough to throw a big party for Amir. Over four hundred people were invited. The music was loud, lots of food was being served,people were dancing, drinking, and celebrating young Amir finally becoming a teenager and a young man. It was his special night. As I was having a drink, I wanted to go find Amir to talk to him. He was no where to be found, but as I walked around the courtyard I noticed that a gate had been opened.  I walked outside the party to find the birthday boy sitting by himself. Although it did not seem like he was all that happy.  I immediately sensed that something was really bothering Amir and I did not know why. Amir is like my son that I never had so I felt like it was my duty to cheer him up and help him over this outer journey.  I started off our conversation by trying to make Amir laugh and smile. I said to Amir: " Did I ever tell you that I almost got married once?" Amir laughed and smiled, my planned worked. I wanted to help Amir and show him that I am here for him. I looked him in the eye and told him: “You know, you can tell me anything you want, Amir jan. Anytime." I wanted to leave him with that final quote to show that I cared for him. I then gave him my present. I knew Amir loved to fantasize and write stories. Amir always used to show me his stories and to be honest they were very interesting to read. I gave Amir a brown leather-bound notebook that had gold-colored stitching on the borders.  I told him “ It is for your stories". Amir's eyes light up when I gave him his gift. I saved Amir's night and got him over whatever outer conflict that he had.

Summer of 1976

- Amir

I was hoping that when I turned thirteen years old, I would feel happier, and I hope that my best friend Hassan would be back to normal again.  The first day of being thirteen started off pretty good since Baba and I seemed to be getting along and back to normal. But as the day went on, my birthday was not one to remember. I wish I could go back and be twelve again. Baba had invited four hundred people to my party.  Servants that Half of them I did not know. "I kissed hundreds of cheeks, hugged total strangers, thanked them for their gifts..My face ached from the strain of my plastered smile.  Servants that served drinks and food, music was constantly playing it was very tiring for me. I also received a happy birthday wish and gift from Assef who was the person that I feared the most.  Baba loved Assef as they starting talking a lot to each other. Only if Baba knew who Assef really was. He was the last person that I wanted to see on my birthday. I was really upset as I did not even get to talk to my best friend Hassan on my birthday, instead I was forced to talk to my biggest enemy. I had enough and I decided to go for a walk as I did not want to talk to anybody else. I opened the gate from the yard and went outside, sat against a wall, looked up into the stars thinking what a terrible last couple months I was having, and what a terrible birthday I was having! Next thing you know, one of  God's (Allah's) guardian servants came out of no where to come talk and comfort me. It was Rahim Khan. Rahim had always been there for me and was much more a father then Baba was. Rahim comforted me and told me a story on how he almost got married once. For the first time of the night I actually smiled and laughed. Rahim followed up his story by telling me: “You know, you can tell me anything you want, Amir jan. Anytime." Finally somebody I could talk to me and seemed to care for me. "For a moment, I almost did tell him. Almost told him everything, but then what would he think of me? He’d hate me, and rightfully." Rahim then gave me his gift. "It was a brown leather-bound notebook. I traced my fingers along the gold-colored stitching on the borders. I smelled the leather." “For your stories,” he said. Rahim always read my stories and he always gave me positive feedback on them. He believed that one day I could be a successful and famous writer. Turns out my birthday was not so bad after all, I had Rahim who helped me overcome my outer journey by making me happy, and thankful to have people like him in my life. Being thirteen was not bad at all.