The Kite Runner | Chapter 11

Baba and Amir settle in Fremont, California. Baba does not fit in and is not happy working at a gas station. He says he came to America for Amir. Amir says,"For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his." This statement expresses succinctly the trauma of the diaspora.

Amir graduates from high school in 1983 at the age of 20. After graduation Baba takes him out to dinner and then to a bar where they drink. Baba winds up drinking too much but makes a good impression on all the patrons of the bar and buys them free rounds of drinks. When they get home Baba tells Amir to drive to the end of the block, a Ford Grand Torino is sitting there, Baba said it needed work, but it ran and will be needed for Amir to go to college.

Amir displeases his father when he tells him he wants to major in English in college.

Amir and Baba buy a VW bus and go to frequent garage sales. They then sell the items at a profit at the flea market. Amir meets Soraya, the daughter of Baba’s old friend, General Taheri.