The kite-maker
A story from India, retold by Clare West
If war divides the country, village from village, family from family,it is safe to stay at home and not travel anywhere. Only the bird can fly freely over war-torn countries. Or a kite-a toy made of brightly painted paper and wood. It climbs high into the sky, turning and dancing on the wind, as light as the air, as free as the bird,..
Weeks before Utraan, the yearly kite-flying festival, Ahmed Rasool stayed up late and worked at nights. He was determined to make the finest kite he had ever made. His only companion was an old oil lamp. Zaheera, his wife, no longer her stayed up with him when he worked, because recent events had left terribly unhappy. Their village had been almost destroyed by riots, their son had disappeared without leaving a note, and Zaheera had lost her previous enthusiasm fof life.