Up before the alarm

There is nothing like being awaken by a suicide bombing. The explosion satiates the air and makes windows tremble. A sour taste of fear in my mouth; briefly, I wonder why I left DC for Kabul. Then everything returns to normal. I stay in bed, listening to the usual morning sounds: the hammering of nearby construction sites, cats fighting, a child crying in a neighboring compound. I get out of bed when I hear the sirens. But it is still too soon for anybody to know anything, so I wash up last night’s dishes while the coffee is brewing.