Cover of The Covenant of Water

The Covenant of Water

by Abraham Verghese


Genre
Historical Fiction, Fiction
Year
2023
Pages
760
Contents

CHAPTER 39

Overview

Philipose departs Cochin by train for Madras Christian College to study literature, despite Big Ammachi’s hopes for medicine. Uplift Master escorts him, then confronts nostalgia for Madras and mounting marital estrangement with Shoshamma. The sight of wartime troops sharpens the moment, and Uplift Master discovers toddy as an unexpected emotional refuge.

Summary

In 1943 Cochin, Uplift Master and Philipose scour tailors for college clothes, finally finding ready-mades in Jew Town and buying travel essentials. Uplift Master tries to lift Philipose’s spirits. Big Ammachi had hoped for medicine, but Philipose’s squeamishness and passion for books led him to Madras Christian College; admission brings joy that turns to predeparture anxiety.

At Ernakulam South station, heat hangs heavy as The Mail readies to depart. Soldiers of the Fourth Infantry surge onto the platform, their presence making the war immediate. Uplift Master passes Philipose a letter of introduction to Mohan Nair near Egmore. He reminisces about Madras and admits regret at leaving. The train pulls out; Uplift Master, proud yet worried about Philipose’s dread, waves until the carriage vanishes.

Left behind, Uplift Master’s thoughts split between the life he loved in Madras and the one he leads in Parambil. He recalls his office pride, Fridays at Marina Beach with Shoshamma, and even a harmless fantasy about a stenographer. In Parambil, Shoshamma’s piety and assertiveness grow; she sells their coconut harvest and is vindicated by a sudden price crash. A bedroom quarrel prompts Uplift Master’s vow never to initiate intimacy; because Shoshamma never initiates, the vow leads to a year of celibacy and simmering resentment.

Lonely after the farewell, Uplift Master follows a sign to a toddy shop and drinks alone for the first time. The toddy soothes his despondency, lifting a weight he has carried since the quarrel. He recognizes a new attachment taking hold—an inward “love” for the relief toddy provides—hinting at a private dependence as he returns to Village Uplift.

Who Appears

  • Uplift Master
    Mentor from Parambil; escorts Philipose; longs for Madras; recounts marital rift and self-imposed celibacy; discovers toddy as emotional balm.
  • Philipose
    Big Ammachi’s son; shops for college; rejects medicine, embraces literature; departs by train to Madras, anxious but determined.
  • Shoshamma
    Uplift Master’s wife; more devout in Parambil; sells coconuts profitably; rebuffs routine intimacy, prompting his vow not to initiate.
  • Big Ammachi
    Philipose’s mother; wanted him to study medicine; yields to his passion for literature.
  • Fourth Infantry soldiers
    War-hardened troops on the platform; their presence makes the war feel immediate.
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