Red, White, and Whole

Reha’s classmates and teachers are kind to her. They ask her how Amma is, and Reha lies, saying she is “Better. / Good” (165). One day after school, Pete’s mother asks Reha’s father if Reha wants to come over to their house every day after school. Reha and her father are both relieved; this arrangement will provide a much-needed break for both of them.

In the afternoons after school, Reha goes to Pete’s house. His mother makes them snacks, and Reha meets Penelope, Pete’s older sister. Reha decides that Penelope is a hero’s name, and the two girls get along well.

Amma is still very sick. Reha wants to ask her father what will happen if Amma dies, but she is scared that asking “might make it come true” (171). Instead, she asks her friends. Sunny suggests that Amma might be reincarnated, or become “one with God” (171). Pete says that he has been taught that good people like Amma go to heaven. Rachel says that no one knows what happens when people die, but that every year, on the anniversary of her grandfather’s death, she and her family light a candle and “think about him and talk about him all day as it burns” (172). This way, he is still with them. Rachel says that Reha does not need to think about this right now.

Reha recalls her father getting sick when she was seven. Although he only needed to have his appendix removed, Reha was worried that he might die. At that time, Amma promised Reha that if Daddy died, she would still be there to care for her.

Reha stays at Pete’s house for dinner. The family gathers, but Pete’s father is not there. Reha asks where he is, and Pete’s mother explains “He doesn’t live here anymore” (175). Later, Pete explains that he never cries because his father “doesn’t like crying” (176).

Reha and Sunny are listening to “Always Something There to Remind Me.” Reha’s father comes downstairs with a surprise: Prema Auntie has finally arrived.

Reha, her father, and Prema Auntie go to the hospital to visit Amma. Amma is still in the ICU, but she is finally awake. The two sisters are overjoyed to be reunited. Reha thinks that maybe now, “everything will / be all right” (180).

Reha and her father leave Amma and Prema Auntie alone together to catch up. Later, they take Prema Auntie to the grocery store at her insistence, even though her journey was long. Prema Auntie cooks for them, and their home is once again “filled with familiar smells” (182).

Prema Auntie and Reha are roommates. They sleep in the same bed together, and Reha is comforted by her aunt’s presence.

Reha, her father, and Prema Auntie get used to the new rhythm of their lives. Prema Auntie cooks for them all, and Reha goes to school and spends her afternoons at Pete’s or at Rachel’s. They often visit Amma in the hospital. Although she is weak, she must start a new round of chemotherapy. Prema Auntie cooks food that Amma can eat, and slowly, Amma gets her strength back.

Reha continues to see Pete’s house as a refuge. They do homework together and listen to pop music. Penelope prefers alternative music, so they sometimes listen to that instead. They never talk about what happened at the dance, when the slow-danced together and held hands.

It is Christmas. Reha and her family celebrate even though they are not Christian. They exchange gifts (Reha’s father gives her a Walkman) and visit Amma in the hospital. Reha reflects that spending time with her mother is “the best Christmas present” (190).

Reha receives a present from Pete: a mix tape filled with all their favorite songs.

Prema Auntie tells Reha how Amma changed when their mother died. She also tells Reha that Amma dropped out of university to marry Reha’s father as soon as she heard he wanted to move to America. Reha is surprised to learn this; she always thought that Amma was forced to drop out of university. Reha worries that Amma is sick because she came to America and wonders if her mother would be healthy if she had stayed in India. Prema Auntie tells her niece that if Amma had not come to America, she would not have had Reha, and “that would have been the greatest loss of all” (194).

What Amma needs next is a bone marrow transplant. The chemotherapy has not worked, and the transplant will give Amma a better chance of beating the cancer. Dr. Andrews explains that they need to find a bone marrow donor, and that it is best if the donor is a sibling. Prema Auntie volunteers readily.

Reha and her family learn two things. The first: Prema Auntie cannot be a bone marrow donor for Amma because she is not a match. The second: Prema Auntie is pregnant.

Prema Auntie is in shock. She is 37 and never thought she would be able to have children. Reha is happy for her auntie but worried about her mother. Dr. Andrews assures her that they can find another donor, but that “it is unlikely that anyone who is not Indian will be a match” (199).

Reha and her father rally their community to try and find a donor for Amma, but no one is a match. Reha asks if she can be tested, but Dr. Andrews says she is only “half [her] mother, / half [her] father” (200), and so she will probably only be half a match. Reha insists on trying anyway.

Reha’s mother and father, as well as Prema Auntie, tell Reha that she is too young to take on the risk of trying to be Amma’s donor. Dr. Andrews agrees that they do not usually accept donations from children, but since she is almost 14, and the risk to her is low, they will test her to see if she can be a donor, if her parents agree. Reha wants to try.