Human sock monkey

Book: The White Tiger

Bus: #56; 3:30 p.m.

Pages read: 61 - 69

Recently I started having trouble focusing on things far away whenever I look up from a book, so I went to an optometrist. He, rather incorrectly, diagnosed me with aging eyes. He assured me this was normal. It may be normal for OTHER people, but b/c I am immune to old age there has to be another explanation that this incompetent doctor failed to identify. Any way, on the ride home I looked up and could not figure out what was slumped in seat at the front of the bus. I took a moment for my non-geriatric eyes to focus, but still I could not figure out what I was looking at. You know that phenomenon when you look at something, but b/c you don't know what you are looking at, you cant figure out what it is? That is what happened to me. This something slumped in the seat looked exactly like a human-sized sock monkey. Now, while it is not uncommon for something like a monster sock monkey to be on a bus, I figured that wasn't it. After much scrutiny, I realized it was a person with her head leaned back, face turned slightly towards me, wearing a surgical mask. Of course.

Solving this mystery took up a great deal of my time, so I only read a few pages this ride. Not much of note happening in the story. Balram discusses his relationship with the head servant, whom he shares a bedroom with. It's not good. The bedroom smells. Pinky, Ashok's wife, is a christian American. She also plays badmitton. Balram can't play badmitton (surprising since he grew up in village where leisure sports were so much a part of village life). Ashok was born in Balram's village (which, I have neglected to mention is Laxmangarh). Pinky has two pomeranians named puddles and cuddles.

I closed the book as Ashok asks Balram to drive him to Laxmangarh. Balram is overjoyed at the prospect of a visit home. This excitement has nothing to do with seeing his family, but has everything to do with showing off his khaki uniform.