The Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Love in Afghanistan by Atia Abawi

past as an abandoned orphan, many families wanted Suleiman to marry their daughters. They knew him, trusted him and saw him as Wahid’s son. But Suleiman was committed to taking care of the old carpenter, no matter how many times Wahid encouraged him to start a family of his own.
    One day at the shop, Suleiman overheard Wahid speaking with a customer. They were talking about building his daughter a wooden chest to hold her
“jayz”
—the curtains, towels, tablecloths and other things she would sew to take to her husband’s home. The customer told the carpenter that his daughter’s dream was to get married, but she had been disfigured in a house fire when she was a young girl, and the family did not believe anyone would marry her. Still, since she held on so tightly to the dream of finding her true love, they couldn’t break her heart and wanted to buy her a beautiful chest for her
jayz.
    It was left to Suleiman to build this wooden chest that would hold the dreams of the young girl. It took him a week of hammering, chiseling and nailing to complete a beautiful trunk that he painted red and pink. During that time, all he could think about was that disfigured girl he had never met and her dream of love. When he presented the chest to the old carpenter, he told him that he wanted to marry the girl, sight unseen. He knew he could take care of her and would do his best to make her happy. The carpenter made no objections and spoke to the girl’s father. The family was happy with the match, and the girl, Banafsha, came to live with Suleiman and the carpenter.
    Banafsha took care of the carpenter when he was old and frail and quickly became Suleiman’s best friend and companion. They shared stories of their pasts, their hopes for the future and the fears and joys that they held deep inside. In time, their friendship turned to love, and that love grew into something neither had expected. Time went on, and they had children, the old carpenter died, and Suleiman continued working with wood. But in his spare time, Suleiman began to write poetry, beautiful poetry. In his lifetime, he wrote thousands of poems, most about Banafsha and the beauty of love, some about the old carpenter and a different kind of love and admiration.
    Suleiman and Banafsha lived and loved together until they became old and gray. Their story became that of legend, at least in this part of Afghanistan. This shrine was created first by their children as a final resting place for their parents. And then the villagers decorated it with the Holy Scripture. In time, it became a place for lovers or those hurt by love to come pray for love and affection.
    I think of my classmate who told me this story. And I think of all of the people who have visited the shrine before me, praying for love.
    I sit by the tomb covered with a beautiful azure silk cloth with embroidery of the Holy Scripture on it.
Dear God, I need your help and guidance as I try to tell Fatima how I feel about her. And I will need your help as I try to convince Fatima’s family and mine that, no matter our differences, we belong together.
I sit and recite passages from the Quran before I finally ask God for my one true desire. I ask him to help make Fatima my wife.

Eleven

    RASHID
    From a distance I can see them, pushing their old
karachee
through town. It’s surprising the old wooden cart hasn’t crumbled yet. Mohammed and Karim look older since the last time I saw them. Their bodies are thinner and their skin rougher. They are greeting the shop owners as they pass, and I decide to go into the shop so I don’t have to talk to them.
    “Your farmers are here,” I tell my uncle. It’s too bad that my foolish cousin isn’t here as well. I have come up with a plan, but I need Mohammad, Sami and my uncle all in the same place to make it happen. Even though I told Sami that God will punish him, I have figured out a way to help God along.
    Sami has always been the favorite, the angelic son. It’s