Shadow

The soldiers pull their rifles on Aman. One shouts at him to stop. Aman does not know English, but he gets the message. He takes cover in the roadside ditch with his mother, suddenly filled with terror about the danger he had been in. His mother holds him protectively, sobbing and praying.

One of the soldiers sees Shadow; startled, he calls her “Polly.” To Aman’s surprise, Shadow wags her tail excitedly, which is something she never does, except around friends. Despite the danger of the bomb, all Aman can do is wonder how Shadow and the soldier could know each other.

The soldiers defuse the bomb and help Aman and his mother out of the ditch. Shadow looks pleased with herself, and she greets the soldiers excitedly. One of the soldiers, dressed in an Afghan uniform, translates for them, recognizing them as Hazara and speaking in Dari. He introduces the soldier who recognized Shadow as Sergeant Brodie with the British Army.

The translator explains that Sergeant Brodie wants to thank Aman for pointing out the bomb: He likely saved many lives. He also wants to know where and how they found Polly. Aman replies that she is their dog—they have had Shadow for almost a year.