For Amir, America was an escape from his memories of Hassan. He saw life in America as a gift he had given to Amir and something he would have to suffer. Whereas in Kabul he had been wealthy and influential, in Fremont he worked long hours at a gas station and missed almost everything about home. It was clear to Amir that Baba missed their old life in Kabul and was having trouble adjusting to America. Nguyen had asked for Baba's ID when he wanted to pay with a check and Baba was so insulted that he damaged their property. Nguyen, the owners of the small grocery store across the street. He was the only Republican among their blue-collar neighbors and even hung a framed picture of Ronald Reagan in their apartment. He believed that the only worthwhile countries were America, Israel and Britain, even though his support of Israel drew accusations from other Afghanis of his being anti-Islam. Amir explains that Baba loved "the idea of America" so much that it gave him an ulcer. This did not matter to Amir, who already thought of her as his "Swap Meet Princess."Ĭhapter Eleven opens in the 1980s in Fremont, California, a year and a half after Amir and Baba arrived in America. Baba told Amir that Soraya had had a relationship with a man that did not work out well and had not been courted since. The "casually arrogant" Taheri did not impress Amir, but his daughter, Soraya, entranced him. One one such day, Baba introduced Amir to General Taheri, an old acquaintance of his from Kabul. The flea market was a cultural epicenter for Afghan families, who dominated the Used Goods section. On Saturdays, he and Amir drove to yard sales in neighboring towns and then sold their wares at the San Jose flea market. The next summer, when Amir turned 21, Baba bought an old Volkswagen bus. He was grateful to be starting anew in America. Amir found release from his guilt by driving his Ford for hours at a time and sitting by the ocean. Amir also had to grapple with Baba's disappointment that he wanted to be a creative writer instead of a doctor or lawyer. When they went inside, Baba said he wished Hassan was there. When they drove home, Amir was shocked to find that Baba had bought him a Ford Torino to drive himself to junior college. After the ceremony, Baba took Amir to a bar, where he bought drinks for other patrons and became the life of his own impromptu party. Amir graduated from high school at the age of twenty, when Baba was fifty. Chapter Eleven opens in the 1980s in Fremont, California, a year and a half after Amir and Baba arrived in America.
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