CHAPTER 62

Summary

• In the middle of the night, Baby Mol wakes up looking terrified, making Big Ammachi afraid that her daughter might be dying. More family members join her, and after Baby Mol recovers and falls asleep, they decide to take her to a clinic the next morning.
• At the clinic, Baby Mol is given an injection to help with the swelling in her legs and a daily medication regimen. The doctor believes her growth issues and back trouble have restricted her lungs, putting her heart under strain and causing fluid to build up around it.
• In the absence of Mariamma, the character who left for college, the family feels off-balance. There are reminders of her everywhere in their home, including portraits and drawings.
• Podi, another family member, agrees to marry a man named Joseph, who is ambitious and determined to find work in the Gulf. Joppan, an elder family member, approved of the match. Mariamma, learning about the wedding through a letter Philipose sent, responds with frustration at not being invited.
• Despite the changes and developments happening in the neighboring area, the family house remains timeless to Big Ammachi. She frequently reflects on her past, reminiscing about the years spent at the house.
• The end of the day is Big Ammachi's favorite time, as she relaxes with Baby Mol, even going through a humorous play-pretend about picking a potential husband for Mariamma.
• Big Ammachi remains concerned for Baby Mol, making sure she's comfortable for the night. Anna Chedethi is there to help care for Baby Mol alongside Philipose.
• Upon going to bed, Big Ammachi asks Baby Mol the same question she has been asking over the years, in jest, about whether she's going to die that night. However, this time Baby Mol doesn't answer.
• Seeing Baby Mol's silence as a sign of her impending death, Big Ammachi lets go of her worries, says her words of love and thanks to her family, and prepares herself to pass away quietly in the night.
• When morning comes, Philipose finds Big Ammachi and Baby Mol peaceful and unmoving, realizing that they have both passed away.