BooksBarbecue
Back Passage West
Chapters (59)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Cast of Characters
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. Letters
  14. Part Two
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. Letters
  26. Part Three
  27. 18
  28. 19
  29. 20
  30. 21
  31. 22
  32. 23
  33. Letters
  34. Part Four
  35. 24
  36. 25
  37. 26
  38. 27
  39. 28
  40. Letters
  41. Part Five
  42. 29
  43. 30
  44. 31
  45. 32
  46. 33
  47. 34
  48. 35
  49. 36
  50. 37
  51. 38
  52. 39
  53. 40
  54. 41
  55. Epilogue
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. About the Author
  58. Also by Rishi Reddi
  59. About the Publisher

“And there are cruel men, Jeetu. You will know them quickly. It is not easy to hide cruelty. Beware when you are alone with them and no one else is watching. Beware of them on the battlefield too. Their cruelty cannot be controlled there. It will extend to you and, without need, to the people that you are fighting.”

Amarjeet had been tracing a line in the dirt with his shoe, but now he looked up. His uncle was staring at him. So was Ram.

“I know you are angry with me for telling you this,” Jivan said. “You don’t want to believe that anything I am saying is true.”

Amarjeet was surprised. He thought he had hidden his real feelings well. “I am not angry, Chacha-ji.”

“I do not believe in war anymore, Amarjeet. I don’t know if I ever believed in it. But we are warriors. There is a reason that we wear the kirpan. We fight for justice. So be courageous. Act honorably. It is my duty to tell you not to fear death. To not hesitate to give up your life. So I am fulfilling that duty. When you come back you will be a changed man. Nothing will seem the same. But you are my brother’s son.” Jivan swallowed. “I want you to come back.”

Amarjeet wanted to leave this conversation; that was all.

Jivan’s eyes were wide and unblinking. Across the field, they could hear Kishen’s voice calling them to dinner. Amarjeet made a move to rise, then he sat down again, and, out of deference, waited for Jivan to go first.

19

September 1917

RAM DID NOT KNOW IF JIVAN WAS RIGHT, BUT HE FELT THE SAME SADNESS. On the afternoon the soldiers were ordered to gather in town, he drove Amarjeet and the family in the wagon. Before leaving, Amarjeet had read to him the letter that had come from the army with his orders. Beside him lay the small bag packed with the things that he had been instructed to bring. Already, he was holding it close to him. As they passed over the canal, Karak began to sing an old tune that they all knew, that even Amarjeet knew as a child, working in the fields. They rode without comment. Karak’s voice was strong and floating, filling the empty desert air.

Near town, a Tin Lizzie pulled up behind them. Its top was down. “Tomoya!” Jivan called out.

The automobile rolled alongside the wagon. “You go to take Amarjeet,” Tomoya said. “We go to take Haruki.”

From the back seat, Hatsu Moriyama smiled and waved at Kishen. Harry was sitting in the driver’s seat beside his father, and one of his sisters sat behind him. “Big day! Big day!” Tomoya said. To Ram, his cheerfulness seemed empty.