Mud City

by Deborah Ellis

  Shauzia took some more steps, trying out her mended leg.

  “We’ll have your first-aid kits ready this afternoon,” the nurse said to Mrs. Weera, who had brought Shauzia to the clinic. “When are you leaving?”

  “Tomorrow, I think. Or maybe tonight. I can’t decide whether it’s safer for us to travel after dark, or if we should wait until daylight.”

  “Both have risks,” the nurse agreed.

  “Where are you going?” Shauzia asked. Was she really about to be free of Mrs. Weera?

  “Mrs. Weera is a very brave woman,” the nurse said. “I hope you treat her with respect. She is taking several nurses back into Afghanistan.”

  “You’re going back?” Shauzia almost yelled. “Why would you want to do that?”

  “Our people are being bombed,” Mrs. Weera replied quietly. “Thousands have gathered at the border, trying to get out, but the border has been closed. Nurses are needed.”

  “If the border is closed, how will you get in?”

  “We’ll have to sneak in, probably across the mountains.”

  “Just you women? You’ll never get away with it. The Taliban will arrest you.”

  “We’ll have to take that chance,” Mrs. Weera told her. “People need us, and they’ll help us as best as they can. We should get back to the compound now. I have lots to do.”

  The compound had been full of activity for the past week, but Shauzia hadn’t paid too much attention to it. The embroidery group had switched from fancy needlework to cutting strips of material for bandages and patching the worn spots in old blankets. Shauzia had noticed all the rushing around, but she had not cared to ask about it.

  That evening she sat on the ground, her back against the hut where she slept, and where the women’s organization had their office. Women kept going in and coming out again. They paid no attention to her.

  Farzana sat down beside her. Jasper thumped his tail and put his head in Farzana’s lap.

  “It’s going to be awfully quiet without Mrs. Weera here,” Farzana said.

  “We’ll still be able to hear her snoring at night. Even if she’s on the other side of the world, her snores will reach us. She’ll probably shatter the eardrums of all the Taliban soldiers, then take their place as ruler of Afghanistan.”

  “She’d have a whole country to boss around then,” Farzana said with a giggle. “She’d like that.”

  “You think the Taliban has crazy laws? Mrs. Weera’s would be even crazier. She’ll force everyone to spend every afternoon playing field hockey.”

  Farzana laughed again. “She’ll even make old people play, and the people on crutches.”

  “She’s crazy!” Shauzia was angry now. She threw a stone across the courtyard, narrowly missing one of the busy women. “She’s absolutely crazy to be going back into Afghanistan, especially without a man. She thinks she can make anything happen just because she wants it to happen. She’s crazy!”

  “What do you care?” Farzana asked. “You’re going to the sea.”

  “That’s right,” Shauzia said. “Now that my cast is off, I’ll be heading out.”

  “You’re not taking me with you, are you?” Farzana asked.

  Shauzia didn’t reply.

  “It’s all right,” Farzana said. “Mrs. Weera told me you wouldn’t, but I already knew.”

  Shauzia didn’t know what to say. She stroked Jasper’s soft fur. She didn’t like what she was feeling.

  “So why do you just sit here?” Farzana asked. “Why don’t you go?”

  “I am going,” Shauzia said. “I’m just resting first. It’s a long way to the sea.”

  “Rest someplace else,” Farzana said. “I don’t want to be around you right now.”

  “I was sitting here before you were.”

  “Do you have to have everything your way? I’m staying right where I am. You leave.”

  “All right, I’d be glad to.” Shauzia got to her feet. “Just about anybody would be better company than you. Come on, Jasper.”

  Jasper rolled his brown eyes to look at her, but his head stayed in Farzana’s lap.

  “Stupid dog,” Shauzia said, and she stalked off away from them.

  She found a place to sit against the compound wall, where she didn’t have to look at anyone. Then she took the magazine photo of France out of her pocket.

  Maybe it was the dim evening light. Maybe it was her anger at Jasper for choosing Farzana over her. Whatever it was, for some reason the field of purple flowers didn’t look so inviting anymore. In fact, it looked a little dull.

  Shauzia put the picture back in her pocket and leaned against the wall. For a long while, she sat and thought.

  “They’re leaving! Mrs. Weera’s leaving!”

  Shauzia heard the call and got to her feet. She had to see them leave. She had to make certain Mrs. Weera was well and truly going.

  Everyone from the compound gathered in the courtyard to say goodbye. Shauzia hung back, watching, wanting to run away, but feeling compelled to stay.

  Mrs. Weera sought her out. She wrapped Shauzia in one of her giant hugs.

  “You are a precious, precious child,” Mrs. Weera said softly. “I hope you get to the sea. I hope France welcomes you with open arms. They would be lucky to get you.”

  Mrs. Weera released her and joined her nurses. With one final wave, they left the compound.

  The others drifted off to their homes. Shauzia, Farzana and Jasper stood in the doorway and watched the women walk away.

  “They’d be so much safer if they had a man with them,” Shauzia said.

  “Or even a boy,” Farzana said.

  Without another thought, Shauzia sprang into action. She fetched her shoulder bag and blanket shawl from the hut. She stopped briefly where Farzana and Jasper were standing.

  “Take care of Jasper,” she said to Farzana. “If the two of you get to the sea, give him a bath in the waves with this.” She handed Farzana the bit of flowery soap from Tom and Barbara. Then she reached into her pocket, took out the photo of the lavender field, and gave that to Farzana, too.

  Finally she bent down and hugged Jasper hard. She knew he wouldn’t mind that she was crying.

  Shauzia left the compound then, and headed off to meet Mrs. Weera and the nurses.

  She had almost twenty years before she had to meet her friend Parvana at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. She’d get there. But first she had a little job to do.

  Mrs. Weera had long legs. Shauzia had to run to catch up to her.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Afghanistan is a small country that lies between Europe and Asia. It contains mountain ranges, fast-flowing rivers and golden deserts. Its fertile valleys once produced an abundance of fruit, wheat and vegetables.

  Throughout history, explorers and traders have passed through Afghanistan and tried to control it for their own interests. The country has been more or less continuously at war since 1978, when American-backed fighters opposed the Soviet-supported government. In 1980, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, and the war escalated, with the United States backing Afghan freedom fighters, many of whom were war lords. The fighting was fierce, cruel and prolonged.

  After the Soviets were defeated in 1989, a civil war erupted, as various groups fought for control of the country. Millions of Afghans became refugees, and some still live in huge camps in Pakistan, Iran and Russia. Many people have spent their whole lives in these camps, and millions of Afghans have been killed, maimed or blinded.

  The Taliban militia, one of the groups that the US and Pakistan once funded, trained and armed, took control of the capital city of Kabul in September 1996. They imposed extremely restrictive laws on girls and women. Schools for girls were closed down, women were no longer allowed to hold jobs, and strict dress codes were enforced. Books were burned, televisions smashed, and music in any form was forbidden.

  In the fall of 2001, al Qaeda, a terrorist group based in Afghanistan and protected by the Taliban, launched at
tacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in New York City. In response, the United States led a coalition of nations into bombing Afghanistan and drove the Taliban from power. Elections were held and a new government and constitution were set up. A number of schools for boys and girls were opened, and in some parts of the country women were allowed back into the work force.

  However, Afghanistan is far from being a nation of peace, for many reasons. The Taliban has returned to fight a very effective guerrilla war against the government and foreign forces. Afghanistan has become a major producer of opium, from which heroin is made. There is a great deal of corruption at all levels of government. Finally, Afghans, like people around the world, are uncomfortable with foreign forces fighting in their country. Struggles for women’s rights continue as well, with girls’ schools being burned and women activists being assassinated.

  There are no easy answers for the people of Afghanistan as they face such a difficult situation. Learning more about this beautiful, tragic country and its wonderful people is one small way to try to avoid the many mistakes outsiders have made that have brought Afghans to this difficult time in their history.

  Glossary

  Badakhshan – A province of northeast Afghanistan.

  burqa – A long, tent-like garment worn by women. It covers the entire body and has a narrow mesh screen over the eyes.

  chador – A piece of cloth worn by women and girls to cover their hair and shoulders.

  charpoy – A bed consisting of a frame strung with tapes or light rope.

  Dari – One of the two main languages spoken in Afghanistan.

  Genghis Khan – The Mongol conqueror (1162-1227) who formed a vast empire that stretched from China to Persia.

  karachi – A cart on wheels pushed by hand, used to sell things in the market.

  nan – Afghan bread. It can be flat, long or round.

  Pashtu – One of the two main languages spoken in Afghanistan.

  Red Crescent – The Muslim equivalent of the Red Cross, an international organization that provides aid to the sick and wounded in times of disaster and war.

  roupee – Basic unit of money in Pakistan.

  shalwar kameez – Long, loose shirt and trousers, worn by both men and women. A man’s shalwar kameez is one color, with pockets in the side and on the chest. A woman’s shalwar kameez has different colors and patterns and is sometimes elaborately embroidered or beaded.

  Taliban – An Afghan army that took control of the capital city of Kabul in September, 1996, and was forced from power in the fall of 2001.

  toshak – A narrow mattress used in many Afghan homes instead of chairs or beds.

  UN – United Nations, an international organization that promotes peace, security and economic development.

  UNHCR – United Nations High Commission on Refugees.

  Uzbek – The language of the Uzbek people of central Asia.

  Praise for

  THE BREADWINNER TRILOGY

  Praise for The Breadwinner

  Eleven-year-old Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital city. Parvana’s father — a history teacher until his school was bombed and his health destroyed — works from a blanket on the ground in the marketplace, reading letters for people who cannot read or write. One day he is arrested for the crime of having a foreign education, and the family is left without someone who can earn money or even shop for food.

  As conditions for the family grow desperate, only one solution emerges. Forbidden to earn money as a girl, Parvana must transform herself into a boy, and become the breadwinner.

  “. . . a great kid’s book . . . a graphic geopolitical brief that’s also a girl-power parable.” — Newsweek

  “. . . a book . . . about the hard times — and the courage — of Afghan children.” — Washington Post

  • Hackmatack Award

  • Middle East Book Award

  • Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Award

  • Swedish Peter Pan Prize

  • YALSA PPYA

  Praise for Parvana’s Journey

  A war is raging in Afghanistan as a coalition of Western forces tries to oust the Taliban by bombing the country. Parvana’s father has died, and her mother, sister and brother have gone to a faraway wedding, not knowing what has happened to the father. Parvana doesn’t know where they are. She just knows she has to find them. She sets out alone, masquerading as a boy, her journey becoming more perilous as the bombs begin to fall. Making her way across the desolate Afghan countryside, she meets other children who are strays from the war. The children travel together because it is easier than being alone. And, as they forge their own family in the war zone that Afghanistan has become, their resilience, imagination and luck help them to survive.

  “Through spare and affecting prose, Ellis . . . makes the children’s journey both arduous and believable.” — Booklist

  “This sequel . . . easily stands alone . . . An unforgettable read.” — School Library Journal, starred review

  • Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award Honor Book

  • Governor General’s Literary Award Finalist

  • Ontario Library Association Golden Oak Award

  • Ruth Schwartz Award

  • YALSA BBYA

  Praise for Mud City

  Parvana’s best friend, Shauzia, has fled Afghanistan and is faced with surviving on her own on the streets of Peshawar, Pakistan. With her dog as her only friend, she must scrounge for food, beg for money and look for a safe place to sleep every night. But could it be worse than a lifetime spent living in a refugee camp? This is a powerful and very human story of a feisty, driven girl who tries to take control of her own life.

  “. . . bristles with transparent urgency . . . the question of autonomy in childhood, and the violation of it are addressed face on.” — Globe and Mail

  “. . . a fine, strong addition to Ellis’ growing list of novels. Highly recommended.” — Toronto Star

  • Hackmatack Award

  • Lamplighter Award

  • New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age

  About the Author

  DEBORAH ELLIS has achieved international acclaim with her courageous and dramatic books that give Western readers a glimpse into the plight of children in developing countries. She has won the Governor General’s Award, Sweden’s Peter Pan Prize, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California’s Middle East Book Award, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award. A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, she is best known for The Breadwinner Trilogy, which has been published around the world in seventeen languages, with more than a million dollars donated to Street Kids International and to Women for Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan. She lives in Simcoe, Ontario.

  Also by Deborah Ellis

  FICTION

  Looking For X

  The Breadwinner

  Parvana’s Journey

  Mud City

  The Breadwinner Trilogy (Anthology)

  A Company Of Fools

  The Heaven Shop

  I Am A Taxi

  Sacred Leaf

  Jackal In The Garden: An Encounter

  With Bihzad

  Jakeman

  Bifocal (Co-Written With Eric Walters)

  Lunch With Lenin And Other Stories

  No Safe Place

  NONFICTION

  Three Wishes: Israeli And Palestinian

  Children Speak

  Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk

  About Aids

  Off To War: Voices Of Soldiers’ Children

  Children Of War: Voices Of Iraqi Refugees

  About the Publisher

  Groundwood Books, established in 1978, is dedicated to the production of children's books for all ages, including fiction, picture books and non-fiction. We publish in Canada, the
United States and Latin America. Our books aim to be of the highest possible quality in both language and illustration. Our primary focus has been on works by Canadians, though we sometimes also buy outstanding books from other countries.

  Many of our books tell the stories of people whose voices are not always heard in this age of global publishing by media conglomerates. Books by the First Peoples of this hemisphere have always been a special interest, as have those of others who through circumstance have been marginalized and whose contribution to our society is not always visible. Since 1998 we have been publishing works by people of Latin American origin living in the Americas both in English and in Spanish under our Libros Tigrillo imprint.

  We believe that by reflecting intensely individual experiences, our books are of universal interest. The fact that our authors are published around the world attests to this and to their quality. Even more important, our books are read and loved by children all over the globe.