CHAPTER 53

Summary

• The chapter begins with the tail end of a monsoon in 1951 in the village of Parambil, amidst fear, disease and displacement caused by the intense rains. The villagers attempt to discipline Decency Kochamma, a character who seems to be creating panic in the community.
• We learn that a character named Philipose is struggling with opium addiction. His drug use is in part an effort to lessen physical pain and in part an attempt to unlock his creativity for writing. He is also grappling with his feelings for another character, Elsie, and the anticipation of a potential pregnancy.
• When Philipose learns that Elsie is pregnant, he becomes energized and believes that their deceased child Ninan is being reincarnated. With this belief, he imagines a fresh start for their relationship and a relief from his grief.
• Elsie is actively working on sculpting a large stone into the likeness of a woman. Day after day, Philipose watches her work on the sculpture with fascination. However, one night he is overcome with a compulsion to free what he imagines is a trapped figure within the stone. Out of frustration with the figure's face not yet being carved, and under the influence of opium, he strikes the stone and severely injures himself.
• After the dramatic incident, Philipose attempts to hide the damaged stone and his actions from Elsie, fearing her reaction. When he eventually tells Elsie about her incoming child and the feeling of it being a reincarnation of Ninan, the household is shocked and disturbed by the claim.
• The chapter concludes with extracts from a column written by Philipose, titled 'The Ordinary Man Column: The Uncure'. In his writing, he humorously discusses his childhood experiences dealing with a wart and his subsequent fascination with wart cures. This trip down memory lane reflects Philipose's fluctuating sanity, as well as the mixture of humor and darkness in his overall narrative.

• The chapter begins with a conversation between two characters regarding the abbreviations for ancient practices; Unani, Siddha, and Ayurveda.
• The speaker approved the abbreviation MRVR, Medicus Regius Vel Regis, for his successful treatment on a constipated man. The man was the sixth cousin of a former Travancore Maharajah.
• The conversation moved to wart cures, with the speaker asserting that the common ingredient to all the cures is belief. He expressed that when a cure works, the patient believes, and that more elaborate cures are often found easier to believe.
• The speaker claimed that his wart cures would surely work if patients showed faith by giving him money.
• The listener, preparing to leave, stressed that he doesn’t have warts and was just asking questions as a journalist.
• The speaker insisted that the listener has inside warts, leading to a realization for the listener. He gave money to the speaker, showing his belief and desperation for cure.