Bean Therapy

(The Kite Runner & The Bean Trees)

             As the sun began setting, Amir turned up the heater in his car while frantically twisting his head from left to right. All he had to find was house number 278 on Vega Lane. He had a mix of emotions, and all he knew is he was looking for a Taylor Greer. His main emotion was nerves because first, he was late for his appointment, and second, he didn’t know where to begin. As he thought, he pulled up to a small house that had a sign outside of it stating, “Bean Therapy.” When Amir parked, he saw a shadow moving around inside and he started to question whether or not to go through with the appointment. When he finally decided to go in, he stopped the car and began his journey up the steps to finally ask what he has wanted to know for so long.

            When Amir walked in, he looked around to get a feel for what this appointment would be like. The small waiting room was empty, and he got a sense of safety and trust. As soon as he sat down, the big wooden door opened and there he saw a woman standing there with a big smile on her face and she welcomed him with open arms.

“Hello,” she said, still grinning ear to ear, “welcome to Bean Therapy. My name is Taylor and I will be talking to you today. Come on in!”

Amir felt a little overwhelmed at this point because he thought that Taylor was almost too friendly. But he put aside his doubts and got out of his chair and made his way into Taylor’s office. When he got in there he looked around and she had many different pictures of many different people, places, and things. Although from the many pictures, there was one that really caught his eye; a picture of the cutest baby girl he has ever seen.

            “That is a lovely little girl.” Amir said while now picking up the picture frame to really get a look at it.

            “Thank you,” Taylor spoke as if she’s had this conversation a million times, “that’s my baby girl, Turtle. She’s only one year old.”

            “She looks so happy.” Amir said, and the more he studied the picture, the more his troubles were redisplayed in front of him and he began to remember why he was there in the first place.

            “She’s been through a lot in a year, but it wasn’t all fun and games.” Taylor began to explain, “I am not Turtle’s biological mother. I’m not even sure who is; a few months back she was handed to me through my car window and you could tell she had been abused both physically and sexually.”

            “Wow, that must have been rough,” Amir stated, but something in his voice seemed like he wasn’t overly concerned about Turtle and more about something else. Taylor could sense his distance from his statement, so she knew that it was time to begin Amir’s session.

            “So, Amir, why are you here?” Taylor questioned, just like she would any first comer.

            “I have been living my life for one reason and one reason only. I have a son, Sohrab, and my wife and I adopted him. When I was a young boy myself, I had a best friend named Hassan. We were together a lot, and my father seemed to think of Hassan as more of a son than he did me, and I always held that grudge. One day a few of us were kite running, and I let Hassan get the kite. When I went after him, I saw a group of boys around Hassan and well… Hassan’s pants were down. I let the whole thing happen because I was jealous of his relationship with my father and when he came back with the kite I acted as if I had no idea what happened.

            “I later moved to California, which is where I’m heading back to. I had to go back to Afghanistan and when I got there, I looked for Hassan and when I found him I found out he had a wife, Farzana, and a son, Sohrob, although sooner than I expected, things got bad again. Hassan and his wife were shot right in front of their son, and I could tell by looking at him, he had been through a lot of abuse, just like Turtle. I then adopted Sohrob to give him a better life and to grant Hassan’s last wish. My main question through all of this is… should I no longer feel so guilty for what I let happen to Hassan?”

            Taylor had listened to this whole situation, and when Amir asked his final question, she had trouble gathering her thoughts. She thought about her situation with Turtle and how although she never wanted to raise a child, she felt so much better after taking Turtle in and showing her a good life. Although she didn’t regret any part of it, she never had the guilt that Amir had felt in the beginning. She looked back on her memories with Turtle and she finally had something to say. “I know how it feels to give a child another chance at a good, normal life. Even though you have felt some guilt in the past about what had happened, the joy you have brought to Sohrob is something more amazing than any other feeling either of you could feel. I think you have overcome your childhood issues, and you can go on in peace.”

            With that statement, Amir felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He felt like he could go back to California and live a wonderful life with his wife and son. Amir thanked Taylor for her time and all of her guidance. As he left, Taylor hugged him and assured him softly, “this visit is one I will always remember, thank you for that.” As they let go of their embrace, they shared one final smile, and Amir soon drove off into the horizon with not a worry in the world.

Nicole's Interview

            When you’re growing up, you go through experiences that help you find yourself. Nicole Collette has been through enough to know she relies on herself and she’s independent which is why she considers herself more of a cat rather than a dog. Although she usually doesn’t need people to help her out, she plans to grow up with a career that allows her to help those in need. She is currently involved with SMAC and the Leo club and outside of that she participates in cross country. In ten years, Nicole hopes to be married, with one child, and a working woman.

            Nicole considers herself an average student when it comes to reading and writing. As a reader, she enjoys mystery novels and she isn’t as familiar with biographies and fiction. Her favorite author is Jodi Picoult because she likes her writing style. She also likes books with an inspiring message which is why her favorite book is Tuesdays with Morrie because it taught her about personal relationships. As a writer, Nicole finds it easiest to write introduction sentences and she finds it harder to write opinionative pieces and analysis of what she’s read. Nicole’s goal for this year is to learn how to write something more than a five paragraph essay and she wants to broaden her vocabulary.

            In her 17 years of life, Nicole has developed thoughts and opinions on people, places, and many other things. Nicole looks up to her brother’s girlfriend, Kelsey, because she can balance work and fun and she gives Nicole good advice. Nicole also looks up to singer and actress Miley Cyrus. Miley stars in Nicole’s favorite movie, is her favorite performer, and is one of the three people Nicole would want to meet before she dies. Nicole’s favorite color is orange, which is also the color of her favorite food, buffalo wings.

            Nicole is very energetic, adventurous, and a great friend. She knows how to balance her workload with her friends and she knows how to steer clear of drama. Someday she hopes to visit Greece, Italy, and Australia and she wants to be successful. She likes any kind of music with catchy lyrics and a good beat, just like any other teenager these days. Nicole also cares about her money and how she spends it. She works at McCray’s Farm in South Hadley so she makes money on a daily basis. Nicole spends a lot of her money on gas so if she could have any super power, it would be to fly because that would be a few extra dollars she could save on gas! Nicole’s the kind of girl who won’t change for just anyone; she is who she is and there is no changing that.