The Inheritance of Loss

Weeks after the gun robbery at Cho Oyu, Sai, Father Booty, Uncle Potty, Lola, and Noni travel to the library at Darjeeling’s Gymkhana Club. The area has been filled with roadblocks as the Gorkha National Liberation Front has gained steam. They have boycotted national celebrations and forced everyone to purchase GNLF materials and send male participants to GNLF demonstrations.

Father Booty’s jeep is filled with a range of objects, including locally made cheese he’d like Glenary’s restaurant to serve rather than the packaged variety shipped from afar. Sai remembers her fight with Gyan and its violent contrast from the tenderness of the past year.

From the jeep Lola and Noni wave and give commentary on a host of neighbors. Approaching Darjeeling, the group observes the effects of area landslides, the result of extensive development during a population boom. They park, and Uncle Potty departs to purchase alcohol.

The remainder of the group visits the dilapidated Gymkhana library for a new batch of reading materials. Sai, Lola, and Noni reject the English writers who depict India and prefer those who write about England. Sai considers the many books she might take home.