Life was wearing on Parvana and Shauzia. Explain why. Chapter 12

In Chapter Twelve, Parvana stays home for a few days, wanting not to see anything ugly for a little while. Mother and Mrs. Weera heard about the stadium event: it goes on every Friday. Parvana wonders if her father will be taken there. Shauzia says she missed Parvana when Parvana returns to the market. Shauzia complains how her family is full of grumpy people; she is happy to be out of the house. Shauzia confesses that she is saving money with plans to take a boat to France, where the sun shines and flowers bloom and people smile. Parvana couldn’t imagine taking such a journey on her own. Shauzia says she’s starting to grow: her shape is changing, and she doesn’t want her woman’s body to emerge before she’s saved up enough money to escape. Shauzia says she knows she’s a bad person for wanting to leave her family behind, but she thinks she’ll die if she has to stay.

Parvana just wants a normal, boring life. Shauzia asks if Parvana wants to go with her, but Parvana says she couldn’t imagine leaving her family. Parvana reveals her own secret: the gifts the woman threw out the window. They joke about the woman being a princess they must rescue. They return to work, selling dried nuts and fruit. Parvana longs to be back in a classroom, bored by