The mother’s perspective:

I feel so alone. Neither of them wants to talk to me anymore. They are never home, they only come home to sleep or to eat. I have noticed that Parvez is pushing me further and further away, and I don’t know why. I try my hardest to be a good wife and housemother, but it is really hard, when they never seem to appreciate my hard work.

I go into Ali’s room. He forgot to turn off his light again. Stupid kid, I think to my self.  His clothes, or what is left of it, are fold nicely and lying on the night table, where I last put it. In the corner of the room is Parvez’ old baseball bat that he gave to Ali on his eleventh birthday.  I wonder why he still has it, when all his other stuff is gone. It may have some kind of value for him, I wouldn’t know.

There are a lot of things that confuses me about Ali’s new behaviour. I never see his girlfriend, or I think they broke up, he never told me, I also never se Ali’s friends around. He used to bring them home, to watch football or baseball, but they are never here anymore. It is like all the life and joy that used to be in this house, has disappeared along with Ali’s stuff and his presence.