Chapter 20-22

Chapter 20

• Amir does not recognise Kabul when he and Farid arrive, the war changed it completely. There are beggars everywhere, the buildings are all piles of rubble and all the trees are gone.
• When the Taliban pass by Amir stares at them in shock, Farid tells him not to, that they will use any excuse for some violence.]
• Near by a beggar agrees with Farid, saying that the Taliban look for a fight wherever they can. The beggar turns out to be an old literature professor who used to work with Amir's mother, Sofia Akram. Amir asks a few questions about his mother, but soon has to leave.
• Amir and Farid find the orphanage where Sohrab is meant to be. They try to get the director of the orphanage, Zaman, to tell them where Sohrab is but he won't until Amir tells him that he is Sohrab's half uncle. 
• The orphanage is full of children and does not have enough beds, mattresses or blankets for all of them. They are told that last year a child froze to death because of this.
• Zaman says that although Sohrab is no longer at the orphanage he knows where he might be. He also tells them it might be 'too late' and when they ask what he means he tells Amir and Farid that every month or two a Taliban officer comes with money and often leaves with a child.
• When Farid realises what this means he attacks Zaman for letting it happen. He notices that children are watching him and stops as he doesn't want to upset them.
• Zaman says there is nothing he can do as the Taliban are so strong, and this is the only way he can get enough money to feed the children. He tells Amir and Farid that Sohrab was only taken a month ago, and that the official who took him will be at the Ghazi stadium the next day.

Chapter 21

• Farid and Amir go to Baba's old house. It is still there however it is falling apart. 
• Amir goes up to the hill with pomegranate tree where he and Hassan would sit when they were little. 
• Farid tells Amir that they need to leave. They go back to a dilapidated hotel and stay there the night.
• The next day they go to the Ghazi stadium to find the official. It is very different to what Amir thought, the crowd is just dirt and the audience have to be careful not to cheer too loud.
• At half time a men in trucks drive into the stadium onto the pitch. Two men get out, bringing out a blindfolded man and woman. The woman is screaming as the men bury her and the blindfolded man in a hole in the pitch. A man recites a prayer from the Koran to the audience then says that they are going to carry out 'Gods law'. The official that Amir and Farid are looking for comes onto the pitch, stones the man and woman to a pulp then leaves, letting the match continue.
• Farid tells one of the nearby Taliban that he needs to meet with the official to discuss some personal business, and the Taliban agrees to let them see him that afternoon.

Chapter 22

• Amir and Farid arrive at the house where the official is meeting Amir. Farid waits in the car.
• Amir is led to a room by 2 guards where he is to wait for the meeting. He thinks that it may have been a bad idea to stop being a coward.
• The Taliban official comes in with 2 guards, Amir stands up to greet the official and one of the guards tears off his fake beard.
• The official asks Amir if he enjoyed the show at the stadium, saying it wasn't as good as when they went door to door shooting families in their own homes (the massacre of the Hazarara's in Mazar-i-Sharif which Amir had heard about).
• Amir tells the official that he is only there to find Sohrab, so two guards bring him in. He is in a blue silk outfit with bells around his ankles and mascara on his eyes. The guards make him dance, then the official tells them to leave.
• When the official asks what happened to 'Babalu' Amir realises that it is Assef, as that is what he used to call Ali.
• Amir says to Assef that he will pay money for the boy, but Assef says it is not about money, that is not why he joined the Taliban. He says to Amir that a while ago he was imprisoned, and in this prison the guard kicked him, and somehow it dislodged a kidney stone that had been incredibly painful. The relief was so great he started laughing, and realised God was on his side. He then says that he is on a mission to rid Afghanistan of 'garbage'
• Amir tells him that all he wants is the boy, and Assef replies by shoving Sohrab and saying that he and Amir have 'unfinished business'. He then tells the guards outside that if Amir gets out alive then he earned the right to live. He puts on his brass knuckles.
• Amir does not remember very of the fight, just little sections of being hit, but also relief, so much so that he remembers laughing becuase he looked forward to the relief so much. He felt he was mended for the first time. 
• Assef is close to killing Amir when Sohrab tells him to stop and aims his slingshot at him, Assef lunges at him but Sohrab releases his slingshot, hitting Assef in the eye. 
• Sohrab and Amir escape, shocking the gaurds because they survived. They get into the car where farid is shocked at Amir's appearance, then Amir passes out as they drive away.