Red, White, and Whole

This chapter describes blood as “the river of life” (125). Reha wonders what happens “when your own blood / betrays you” (125).

Amma’s first name is Punam; she is named after the moon. She is like the moon in that she is “always gentle / always changing, but / predictable” (126). She only ever shows people “one face. / The strong one” (126).

Reha’s weekend is spent waiting for doctors to figure out what kind of leukemia Amma has. Her mother and father stay at the hospital while Reha goes to Sunny’s house. On Sunday, Reha and her father go to visit Amma. Reha stays with Sunny and her family for a few days “so Daddy doesn’t need to worry / about getting [her] to and from school / on top of working and visiting the hospital” (128). The women in their local Indian community have already started bringing them food.