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

That is not what Ram meant. “He has ruined me,” Ram said. But that was not what he meant either.

36

KARAK’S ARRAIGNMENT WAS IN THE SAME COURTHOUSE WHERE THE Singhs had come for Karak and Rosa’s wedding years ago. In the intervening years they had come to file for Karak’s bankruptcy, for Jivan’s purchase of land. But in Ram’s mind it was full of ill will, the place where Karak had been classified as brown and Rosa as white, where they couldn’t marry.

With Malik Khan’s money, they had retained the attorney, Clarence Simms. Karak’s case was written up in the newspapers, gossiped about at dinner tables and social clubs all over the Valley, and Simms was eager to represent Karak Singh. But funds were short. They had visited Jasper Davis at the bank, and he had used the Model T as collateral and lent them some more. In these two days, they had not heard from Amarjeet.

As Jivan and Ram reached the top of the courthouse steps, Ram saw four Anglo men loitering outside. “Goin’ in there to get the hangman’s noose, boys?” one of them said, in a voice that slithered. “You gonna need it.”

Jivan was walking ahead of him and Ram turned to look at the man, but said nothing. He felt a presence from behind, the heat of a body against his back.

“What’s the matter, towelhead?” another voice said. “If the law don’t get your friend, you know we will. Get him tonight, as a matter of fact.” Ram swiveled to find the source of the voice. A broad-brimmed hat, a sunburned face, familiar from town streets. The man smirked and winked. The first Anglo wedged his body between Jivan and the door and would not let Jivan pass. A young man harassing an old one. Ram stepped forward, past Jivan, and pushed the young man out of the way.

Perhaps Jivan was off balance already; when Ram spun around, Jivan lay on the ground, the second Anglo looking down at him, laughing. Jivan had landed on his back and side. He pushed himself up on his elbow. Onlookers yelled from the street. A policeman was approaching. Ram did not want a scene. He stooped to help Jivan up and they rushed inside.

A crowd was milling at the door of the courtroom in which Karak would be formally charged. When Jivan and Ram pushed themselves to the front, the crowd jeered. The bailiff asked, “You are family?” Ram nodded. He let them pass.