Newspaper_Article-the_Kite_Runner

LOCAL BOY CAPTURES FIRST PLACE IN ANNUAL KITE FLYING TOURNAMENT Winter had hit Kabul; snow quilted the ground, the trees and roads were covered in a solid ice coating, everywhere blinding white and glistening. Conversation and laughter heard from the rooftops. A sentiment of excitement, apprehension and competition is established in the environment. The sky flawless, pure and cornflower blue had inherited gentle specks of reds, yellows and blues that floated effortlessly. These weren’t just any ordinary coloured specks from birds or planes, these were kites. In the district of Wazir Akbar Khan the much anticipated kite tournament was held on December 2nd 1975. This event featured one of its largest amounts of participants and spectators in twenty-five years. The purpose of the tournament is to create your own kite, making a small, flat, rough, diamond-shape made of paper including a tail to enhance agility, with a tapered bamboo spine and a balanced bow. Once strong and ready to fly the aim of the game is to try cutting as many opponents kites possible, this is accomplished when kite teams are airborne simultaneously. As soon as two kite wires come into contact the fight then begins. The fight can last from a split second up to half an hour depending upon the weather conditions, tar quality and whatever else is occurring in the surroundings. Then once the wire is cut, the kite is released into the air and follows the wind, this is the kite runner’s opportunity to run and catch it. Many children indicated that they would remember this event for years to come. Some would remember they were placed in the top ten; others would leave with only bloody hands and cuts left from the kite string and the memories. The weather co-operated perfectly. One kite flyer commented “The wind is perfect for flying, blowing just hard enough to give some lift, making the sweeps easier.” Even though the weather provided terrific conditions for kite flying only one came away with the glory of winning. At least two dozen kites already hung in the sky, and soon after the amount had doubled, then the cutting began and the kites “fell from the sky like shooting stars with brilliant, rippling tails, showering the neighbourhoods below with prizes for the kite runners.” As the tournament went on many kite runners returned full of glee and a sense of pride as they carried kites to show parents and friends as if they had won a first place medal. However, the best kite running prize was yet to come. Running the last kite cut from the sky would hold the ultimate prize for the kite fighter. By mid-afternoon only a few kites remained. It was a battle from then on. “That was the thing about kite flying: Your mind drifted with the kite,” one kite runner mentioned. The sun began to hide behind drifting clouds in the sky causing many spectators to bundle up. As the number of kites diminished, the air was filled with delightful smells of steamed mantu and fried pakora. Along with these pleasant smells, the tension in the air increased as only a few kits remained. The excitement and exhilaration over-whelmed the spectators as they began to chant “Cut him,” over the loud music that resounded in the streets. The end was nearing only two kites remained. One kite caught a break as a gust of wind came through, passing him the advantage. As the other kite tried to disentangle itself out of the intertwined strings and remove itself from trouble, the crowd grew louder with their chants of “Cut Him! Cut Him!” Then the moment came, the boy named Amir commented “I opened my eyes, saw the blue kite spinning wildly like a tire coming loose from a speeding car”. The crowd rushed to Amir’s side to congratulate him as they would an Olympic hero. The annual kite fighting tournament provides ample excitement for both spectators and kite fighters in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood. This event always brings the community together and even family members closer. For young Amir and his kite runner Hassan, it would always be a day to remember as they are now known as the best kit fighting team, not only in Wazir Akbar Khan but also in Karteh-Char, Karteh-Parwan, Mekro-Rayan, and Koteh-Sangi