Bus: #44; 6:12 a.m.
Pages read: 69-80
Balram drives Ashok and Pinky Tuscadero to his old village. He is treated "better" than the water buffalo. He is treated like the Fonz. Grandma is too intimidated of the khaki uniform to touch it, the neighbors wait for him outside their homes waiting to see the uniform. Unfortunately, the uniform does not protect against Grandma's personality. Grandma is her typical loving self, wailing into the neighbor's house that Balram is living like a king (as if she needed to tell them that -- he's wearing a khaki uniform for Christ's sake) and keeping all his hard earned money to himself. Grandma decides Balram is going to get married. "We'll fix up the wedding for later this year, okay? We've already found someone for you -- a nice plump duck. The moment she has her mestrual cycle, she can come here." pg. 73. When Balram declines this tempting offer, grandma lets him know that he will "do what we want." Wow, bad idea. Balram throws a dish, charges out of the house (?) and storms up to the fort. As he climbs, he can see himself as a little brown man in a khaki uniform shaking with anger. He leaves the village without saying goodbye to his family and proclaiming, "I am never going back there." pg 76. Good for him.
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