House of the Sun
Page 29
‘And my brain?’ Raju asked.
‘It is small,’ Mrs Hathiramani answered.
‘Small brains do not burst?’ Raju inquired.
‘Small brains do not burst,’ Mrs Hathiramani confirmed.
‘Then it will do no harm to have education?’ Raju asked.
‘It will do no harm,’ Mrs Hathiramani confirmed.
‘Then I am accepting education, Memsahib,’ Raju grinned. ‘It is good I have small brains.’
‘You should thank God you have small brains,’ Mrs Hathiramani said grimly, with a look down the corridor into the living room. On the sofa her husband already flicked restlessly through a salvaged book, retrieved from the pile in the bedroom. A look of excitement filled his face.
‘Sahib’s brains getting big again, Memsahib,’ Raju warned, thrusting his head out of the kitchen door and following Mrs Hathiramani’s gaze.
‘Finish stringing those beans,’ Mrs Hathiramani roared. ‘Who is asking for your opinion?’
Copyright
This ebook edition first published in 2012
by Faber and Faber Ltd
Bloomsbury House
74–77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA
All rights reserved
© Meira Chand, 1989
The right of Meira Chand to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All the characters and situations in this novel are fictitious. Any coincidence of the actual names, locations or situations is entirely unintentional.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly
ISBN 978–0–571–29597–5