The Pearl That Broke Its Shell

Shekiba, whose name means “gift,” “was born at the turn of the twentieth century, in an Afghanistan eyed lasciviously by Russia and Britain” (18). Afghanistan was the playing-field for world powers seeking a hold on Central Asia. Shekiba grew up in a tiny village, far from Kabul. Her father, Ismail Bardari had a gift for farming; his father gave him a fertile plot of the family’s land. Shekiba’s mother, Shafiqa, was disliked by the other women of the village.

At two years old, Shafiqa tripped her mother while cooking. A pot of hot oil fell and “melted the left half of Shekiba’s cherub face into blistered and ragged flesh” (20). Shekiba struggled to recover. Her grandmother “muttered thanks that it hadn’t been one of the boys” (21). Shekiba survives the incident, but she is deformed for life. Others in the village are horrified by her appearance and treat her like a monster. Her own relatives call her names like “Shola face” or “babaloo, the creature that frightened every Afghan child in the night” (21). Shekiba’s brothers, Tariq and Munis, defend her.

In 1903, a cholera epidemic strikes Afghanistan. Tariq, Munis, and Shekiba’s sister, Aqela, all succumb to cholera. The extended family mourns for Ismail’s loss, “not so much for the loss of their three children, but for the disappointment that Allah could not have spared one of the sons instead of the defective girl” (23). Shafiqa starts to lose her mind. She dies a year later; her death comes as a relief. As time passes, Shekiba’s father begins to think of her as a son. The family begins to shun them, because “the village had no interest in a scarred old man and his even more scarred daughter-son” (25). As they age, Shekiba becomes more masculine, and Ismail becomes more enfeebled. When Shekiba is 18, Ismail dies. She buries him. Shekiba is all alone. 

Raisa tries to convince Arif that the family should follow Shekiba’s example. Arisa tells Rahima that it is time for her to become a son for Arif. The freedom this would present is tempting for Raisa. Arif’s drug use has put great strain on the family. In 1989, he helped defend Afghanistan from the Soviets. His parents quickly arranged his marriage with Raisa. Raisa was 18 when they married. Rahima suspects that she must have been terrified on her wedding night. Arif and his mother were disappointed Raisa bore five daughters and no sons. Unable to adjust to postwar life, Arif “drifted back to the warlord, Abdul Khaliq, he had fought under” (30). He returned to being a soldier. Rahima’s uncle’s family came to live with them. Khala Shaima would often visit. Khala would tell the young girls the truth about the war, making them afraid of their father.

Abdul Khaliq Khan’s power grew; Kabul was under siege. Arif began to rely on opium from the warlord, which was “as crucial to his men’s ability to wage war as the ammunition strapped to their backs” (31). Khala gave Raisa a concoction to prevent pregnancy, which worked for six years. The Taliban gained strength and took over Kabul. The girls were pulled out of school for the first time. Abdul Khaliq sent his men back to retake Rahima’s town. Arif only stayed home for a few weeks before going to fight once again. After the Talban’s terrorist attack on September 11th, America began bombing Afghanistan. To the girls, it “sounded like good news. A big powerful country had come to our rescue!” (33). Rahima’s family was confused; they did not understand why America attacked because of only one building.

Shekiba learns to get along without her father, but it is not easy. She now has absolutely no contact with her extended family. As winter approaches, she slowly begins to starve, showing signs of malnutrition and scurvy. One day, a young cousin, Hameed approaches Shekiba’s compound. He is looking for Ismail: His mother has found a woman for him to marry. The family does not know of the tragedies that have struck Shekiba’s family. Shekiba makes an excuse for her father’s absence, which puts off the grandmother’s inquest for several months. Finally, Ismail’s brothers are sent to ask about him. 

Raisa cuts Rahima’s hair into a boyish style, and Rahima changes into hand-me-down clothes from her cousin. She wonders what Khala Shaima would think of her new appearance. Rahima will now be referred to as “Rahim.” Parwin mentions an old poem that references walking under a rainbow: According to legend, doing so changes a child’s gender. Raisa is surprised Parwin knows the poem. Raisa takes them back in the house and reads the poem to her children. 

Shekiba lies awake in her grandmother’s house. Her uncles had barged in, taking no excuses, and seen the mess that had become of her life in Ismail’s absence. They realized that their brother was dead, and that “Shekiba was the last survivor—the one who should not have survived” (43). Bobo Shahgul, Shekiba’s grandmother, vows that Shekiba will pay for keeping Ismail’s death from her and for living alone—which, because she is female, could bring shame to the family. Bobo Shahgul orders her sons’ wives to bathe her, “deconstructing the beast Shekiba had become” (43). Her aunts complain of her stench and her appearance; but under their harsh care, she begins to regain a sense of self. Bobo Shahgul questions Shekiba about Ismail’s death. She blames Shekiba for keeping him secluded from the rest of his family; she enraged at Shekiba’s apparently detached attitude. Shekiba is assigned the worst of the household chores, but she is no stranger to working. Her grandmother “wanted her to pay for her father’s death” (46). The rest of her family treats her as “a useful instrument for discipline,” using her as an example or a punishment (47).