Cliff Notes - The Kite Runner Chapter 5,Summary lyrics

During the bombing and gunfire of that night, July 17, 1973, Amir, Ha**an, and Ali huddle together for support. Amir attempts to tell himself that he is not jealous of Ali's calming presence on his son during the long night. In hindsight, Amir realizes that this was the beginning of the end of his way of life. The official end occurs first five years later, "in April 1978 with the communist coup d'état, and then in December 1979, when Russian tanks would roll into the very same streets" on which Amir and Ha**an grew up. The adult Amir, looking back, comments that the Afghanistan that he knew and loved is long gone, and the country and its people are still suffering today. This specific time is just the end of the monarchy in a bloodless coup. The next morning, in an attempt at normalcy, Ha**an suggests that he and Amir climb their favorite tree. On their way to the tree, Amir and Ha**an meet Assef, a neighborhood thug who rules with his pair of bra** knuckles. Assef often ridicules Ali, calling him Babula, and he hates all Hazaras. Amir is unsure of himself during the confrontation and is tempted to shout, "But he's not my friend!...He's my servant." This thought shocks Amir, who then realizes he plays with Ha**an only when no one else is around, even though he usually treats Ha**an more like a brother than a friend. At the end of this incident, Ha**an threatens Assef with his slingshot. In response, Assef backs down but says, "Someday, I'll make you face me one on one." The narrative then skips to the next winter. Every year, Baba presents Ha**an with a special birthday present. Usually, Ha**an and Amir are able to get Ali to divulge what it is, but this year even Ali doesn't know what the gift is. Baba's present to Ha**an is plastic surgery. The doctor is going to fix Ha**an's cleft lip, a gift designed to last forever. After the successful surgery, Ha**an looks in the mirror and smiles. By the following winter, the winter of 1975, when there was nothing but a faint scar left, Ha**an ceases to smile.