"All my friends are here now."

Ken, Massa and I spent a great deal of time together outside the classroom. Of course, we had chai every time, practiced some new words and learned what it was like to be an Afghan. We all parted ways being a part of a larger family than when we started, and now ten weeks later we are all here in Afghanistan.

We were all walking down a small straight in Kabul a few nights ago. It was a beautiful night, normal for this time of the year. A nearly full moon lit our way back to the safe house from the restaurant.

"How do you say this? How do you pronounce that?" Everything seemed to be new that night like we were back in Arlington at the schoolhouse. I asked Massa if he missed teaching. "Ah, not really," he replied. He had been in America for only eight months. A very gifted linguist, he turned down opportunities for much more money and returned to help his family business here in Afghanistan.

I continued, "Well, you must miss all of your friends from D.C.?" Without hesitating, he responded, "All my friends are here now."