- May 2023
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vschsd.org vschsd.orgThe Bridge Home200
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the end
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she is writing to rukku
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”
viji is saying her goodbyes
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she and her father talked
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she declined her fathers offer
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”
father visited and offered her to go home
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she wants to go to new school
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”
muthu and arul argued on i she should go
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and
viji is being transfered to new school
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viji was feeling much happier now
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get
they re-visited their home locations
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they revisited kutti
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they re-visited kutti
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Kutti’s coat shone with cleanliness, sparkling in the sunshinelike a silk sari
similie
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Kutti’s coat shone with cleanliness, sparkling in the sunshinelike a silk sari
the girl said she would make his coat shine like that
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Muthu scowled. “I have to write I won’t be rude to myteachers one hundred times.”
on the matilda movie she has to do that
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Celina Aunty’s words made my dream glimmeragain.
personification
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she liked it there
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”
she drew with lalitha
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The lines I drew for the sun’s rays came out pretty wobbly. Idropped a bit of blue paint on the bottom by accident, so I smearedit and made a river. Across it, I painted a bridge. On the bridge Ipainted four stick figures.
she is drawing the bridge and them
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Her face glowed like a moon
similie
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she was introduced to the other school
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vanakkams
greetings
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“Will you take me to see your sister sometime?”
her now against her 5 seconds ago
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”
celina told her about he rsister
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“Children like Rukku?” Anger spurted out of me. “No one’s likeRukku!” I yelled. “No one!”
why is she so rude to people so kind to her
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bungalow
a type of house
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she gave an easter egg to rukku's grave
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arul helped viji
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“Stop it.” Arul yanked the pan out of my hands. “I miss her, too.So does Muthu.”
why is she shouting with arul?
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u
viji argued with arul
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“That’s because Rukku is gone, Arul! She’s gone because of me.If I hadn’t forced her to leave home—”
i once saw a serie (flash) where the protagonist blamed herself for everything
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sulk
silent
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He asked how I was doing, and when, as usual, I just said,“Fine,” he wouldn’t let me get away with it.“No,” he said. “You’re not fine, Viji.”I said nothing.
mom asks me how school was and this is always how it plays out
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you might try thinkingabout being Good. About doing Good. Yes?”
she will become christian
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“I don’t mind if you have no faith in religion, Viji. Just as longas you have faith in the goodness within yourself.
my mother told me this berfore aswell
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”
celina tried to make viji feel better
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she went to celina's offfice
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I’m not mean about any one religion,” I said. “They’re allequally silly.
i agree
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“Don’t talk back.” Her face flushed redder than a brick.
hyperbole
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Soon, I’d setthe whole place yawning.
this same thing happens when augusto shouts "BREEEK"
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she talked to celina
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Arul, who’s even a bit older, are allowed to stay for abit, until we have a safe, sure place to move to.
their father will collect them
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Arul, who’s even a bit older, are allowed to stay for abit, until we have a safe, sure place to move to.
where will they move?
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She says she wishes she had more space, so she could take inevery homeless kid, but she can’t.
why could she take in rukku muthu viji and aarul but not any more?
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celina tried to make her write
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when I felt like a rock was sitting on my chest,
similie
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“Because you’re not talking much to anyone, Viji, and that’s nothealthy. Your thoughts are sitting inside you like a stone,
similie
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Celina Aunty called me into the schoolroom andmotioned me toward one of the empty desks.“Sit,” she ordered. “Write.”“Write?” I said. “Why?”
right when i was going to sleep my mother made me write and practice to pass a test
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she now lives in the school
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I got a notebook, handmade paper, and pencils made fromrecycled scraps.
its connecting to the start of the book
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kurtas
a type of clothing
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but it was hard for me to actlike I was in good spirits.
she will visit kutti and feel better
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but it was hard for me to actlike I was in good spirits.
will she ever recover?
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rukku died
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Arul answered for me. He said you were Christian,
only now did i realize that the "you" is because this is viji's letter
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But by the time we stood by your bed, your own body was asstiff as a wooden doll’s and it was too late.
she died.
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His words felt like a warm ray of sunshine slipping in through arain-soaked sky.
Arul is going to be surprised with the friendliness of the hospital
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His words felt like a warm ray of sunshine slipping in through arain-soaked sky.
similie
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His words felt like a warm ray of sunshine slipping in through arain-soaked sky.
personification
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I tried a few times but kept choking up, unable to get beyondthe first sentences.
when i get exited or sad the same happens to me
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muthu was released from hospital
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He slipped his fingers through mine. They felt bony as askeleton’s
similie
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hen I saw him—scrubbed clean by a nurse, with his hair cutshort and washed and brushed—I could hardly believe it wasMuthu.
when i take a bath i look 10x prettier aswell
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raving
used to emphasize something
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I ate and slept, but hardly spoke to the other girls in my room or tothe boys who slept in another part of the house
she didnt make friends becasue she didnt want to replace rukku
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I ate and slept, but hardly spoke to the other girls in my room or tothe boys who slept in another part of the house.
why did she not try to make friends to disctract herself
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I didn’t tell her how sick you were.I didn’t want to believe it.
she wrote to her mother
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I didn’t tell her how sick you were.I didn’t want to believe it.
repetition
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wrote to Amma, but I didn’t tell Celina Aunty whom I waswriting to
appa will reicive the message and visit
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I wrote to Amma, but I didn’t tell Celina Aunty whom I waswriting to.
what would viji write to her?
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“Life isn’t fair.
famous quote
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rukku and muthu were put in a hospital
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Muthu lay in beds near one another. You were each hooked upto a contraption that dripped medicine and food and water into yourveins,
my cousin has once been in this situation
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“I hope so, Viji. Most people do, but . . .”
rukku will die
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stupor
being near to unconcious
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“Did you use mosquitonets?” “Did you boil the water before you drank it?” “Whatmedication did you try to give her?”
doctors ask the exact same questions to my mother when i go to a hospital
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“I’m not coming,” Arul muttered.
why is he not coming in?
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“Of course I’ll help.” Celina Aunty took the money. “And I’llkeep this safe for you.”
she will give it back to her
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they finally went to celina for help
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“Help!” I shook it until it jangled loudly, and a woman came out.Celina Aunty.
celina will heal everyone
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Only a few adults had ever really helped us. And this was morethan just seeking help. This was trusting her—a stranger—completely.
what is the problem with that?
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they are going to celina aunty
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Arul wound your new doll’s hair around one of his wrists like ahandcuff.
similie
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“Maybe we should light a candle in church for them?” Arulsuggested.
what good will that do?
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When I think of it now, it seems so clear, so simple that Ishould have gone straight to Celina Aunty once your fever spiked.
finally you understood what you have to do.
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But that night, I couldn’t pretend anymore. We couldn’t denyyou were worse
why doesnt celina go to them
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But that night, I couldn’t pretend anymore. We couldn’t denyyou were worse.
she is going to go to celina for help
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It sounded like you’d given up altogether. On him, on me, oneverything
will rukku die?
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jolted
shook
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I wondered ifmy lie about Kutti not loving us enough to stay had hurt you worsethan if I’d pretended he’d died.
rukku will give up on everything
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”
she brought the news to everyone
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Maybe Kutti wanted a better life, so he left.
kutti will come back to them
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“Maybe Kutti wanted a better life, so he left.”
why is viji lying about it?
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she sold kutti
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Then I remembered how Amma had shielded you from doctorsand hospitals.
maybe a family member died in a hospital and she got the wrong impression
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Then I remembered how Amma had shielded you from doctorsand hospitals.
why did she try to shield her from hospitals?
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she sold kutti
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Without saying another word, I turned around and walkedaway
why could she spare a simple thanks?
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”
they sold kutti
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nudged
gently push
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And it wasn’t justmy feet that dragged. It was like my mind was dragging my heartalong, and it and the rest of my body didn’t want to come.
similie
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My feet felt heavy as sacks full of scrap metal.
similie
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they are very sick and in a terrible financial situation
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I didn’t want to. I had no right to. I couldn’t do it.I could.I had to
she will sell kutti
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But hunger was clawing so fiercely at mystomach that I shut my eyes, scooped up a handful of the swill, andstuck it in my mouth.
she will get sick aswell
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inside was already wet. A rash had broken out on your back, makingyour skin as rough as sandpaper,
similie
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g
muthu and rukku are sick
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The wind picked up. It tore away the plastic tablecloth we’d usedas a door and sent it flapping like a bat across the dark graveyard.
similie
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“Her fever’s worse, I think,” Muthu said. His own eyes still hada feverish glaze.
muthu's words got into her and they wont go to celina
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“Her fever’s worse, I think,” Muthu said. His own eyes still hada feverish glaze.
why dont they go to celina right now?
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In spiteof how brave you’d been with Kutti during Divali, I was scared I’dfind you cowering with fear when I returned.
her being brave with kutti and now
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Your body was a tight knot.
metaphor
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Purple rain clouds burst over us like rottinggrapes.
similie
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Then they moved apart, and we went to work, trying to dredgeout at least a few bottles or tins from the sea of sewage.
they didnt want to go too far away from viji and muthu
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Then they moved apart, and we went to work, trying to dredgeout at least a few bottles or tins from the sea of sewage.
why did they work in the water instead of the Himalaya or blue hill
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dredge
clean something made of water
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sridar died and viji is trying to work
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“Don’t be.” Kumar churned the filthy water with his stick. “Kidsdie every day. You start feeling sorry, you’ll drown.”
metaphor
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“Thought he went on holiday?” Kumar gave a bitter laugh. “Hegot sick from something. Kept vomiting and then . . .”
they had someone die on them before
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“Thought he went on holiday?” Kumar gave a bitter laugh. “Hegot sick from something. Kept vomiting and then . . .”
why are they so natural about his death?
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of water thatlooked and smelled like raw sewage.
similie
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Gullies
a deep hole made by water
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“No, no, Akka.” Muthu grinned weakly at me. “If you kept mefrom working that long, I’d fall ill from shock.”
hyperbole
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e
rukku and muthu are sick
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“You three stay here,” Arul said. “I’ll work alone today.”
he will barely make any money and they will have to go to aunty
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“You three stay here,” Arul said. “I’ll work alone today.”
why does arul pretend that viji is too weak to work all the time
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I would have given anything to see you throw a tantrum orcomplain.
she is now wanting her to throw a tantrum but before she would do anything for her to not
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All through that starless night, your breath came in wheezy gasps asraindrops wriggled, like silver snake
similie
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she reflected on muthu's experience
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but I wasn’t sure he was right aboutCelina Aunty.
she wont give up on going to school
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Muthu’s tale had horrified me,
will she give up on school?
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”
muthu told the story of his school
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“I was sold to a ‘school’ once,” Muthu said. “A school where they‘taught’ us to make handbags. We had to cut and sew all day. Theykept us locked in. The man who called himself our owner only let usgo to the bathroom at dawn and at night after our work was done
why did the school do that?
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But the woman at the orphanage was arakshasi.”
metaphor
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“You’re the one being ridiculous,” he said. “I went to one ofthose ‘schools’ once. It was a prison.”
metaphor
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“Because she’s trying to catch us and sell us,” Muthu said.
why does muthu think that?
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”
Viji considered going to school?
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“Maybe we should go see the lady we met in church—CelinaAunty—tomorrow,” I said. “We could go to school and—”
she will go to the adress alone
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That was a miracle.
metaphor
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scrunched
to make a loud crunch
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“We found a new waste mart man, but he’s worse than stingy.”Arul’s forehead was scrunched up in a worried frown. “He drove areally hard bargain.
why did the new waste man not try to help the kids?
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they spent the money on medicine
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I didn’t want youtraveling all alone to our palace.
metaphor
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But in spite of the cough syrup, you weren’t any better the nextmorning.
she has dengue
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Worse, you wouldn’t let me rub the repellent on you properly,because you didn’t like the sticky feel of ointment on your skin.
why did she still not want repellent despite her sickness
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she tried to make bead necklaces
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You were shivering and coughing, but you started stringingbeads while we sang out, “Bead necklaces, pretty bead necklaces!”
she was just comforting herself
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You were shivering and coughing, but you started stringingbeads while we sang out, “Bead necklaces, pretty bead necklaces!”
why did she sing that in the rain with no customers
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y
rukku attempted to save worms
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They’redead. Gone. You can’t bring them back to life. None of us can.”
why is she still trying to save the worms if she knows they wont revive
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“That worm’s dead, Rukku,” I tried to explain. Death was one ofthose things, like money, that I wasn’t sure how well youunderstood. “It’s never going to move again. Ever.”
her understanding of money with her understanding of death
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“Cheee!
onomatopeia
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”
everyone was bothered by mosquitos
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Paavum
hurting another person
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“Rukku’s the sweetest of us all,” Muthu said. “That’s why themosquitoes like her best.”
metaphor
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rukku protected kutti
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You whispered to Kutti and stroked him until he was calmer.You were so focused on his fear, you didn’t seem to mind the noiseyourself.
rukku never cares about herself and only vcares about others
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”
they went to the rich girl's house and they bargained
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“Mummy, you could vaccinate him,” Praba wheedled. “Please,may I get him some food?”
why did the girl want the stray dog so badly?
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Not that it mattered. “I told you he wasn’t for sale.”
she will sell him eventually
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”
they showed kutti to the family
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I’ll brush his coat so it shines like silk
hyperbole
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“Please, Mummy,” the girl wheedled, like she hadn’t heard me.Did she think poor, low-caste kids like us didn’t count?
they will sell kutti
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He disappeared around the back of the house and reappeared,carrying a few glass bottles.
who pays for glass bottles and how does the waste man get money from it?
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frilly
decorated with ornaments
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“No, but it was a rich neighborhood, so maybe they’ll pay morefor Rukku’s necklaces.”“Or maybe they got rich by being stingier, so they’ll pay less,”Muthu said.
rich nice people to rich mean people
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they planned on how to work
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“Any policemen there?” Muthu wanted to know. “Orwatchmen?”
why would that matter
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I suggested. “At least if he chases usaway again, we might get another orange.”
they will go to him and get another orange
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neem twigs
medicinal twigs
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“Rich boys, for sure,” Arul said. “You have to be rich to wastetime going on escapades at night instead of catching up on precioussleep
i do homework in the middle of the night
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”
boys entered the graveyard
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“Daring each other to explore a‘haunted’ graveyard?”
they will come back later
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”
boys thought they saw a ghost
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nonchalant
relaxed and calm
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“I’m telling you, this place is haunted,” came another boy’svoice. “I saw a ghost moving near that banyan tree yesterday
why did they go to the graveyard if they were scared by it?
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viji fed them the anti-sick powder
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“Tastes worse than poison,” hesputtered, swallowing it only after I promised to reward him with acookie.
he and rukku will get sick since they did not drink as much
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scrounged
looked for to get
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y
they retreated to the graveyard
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Pale sunshine
sunshine,supposed to be hopefull is now pale.
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surely our bead saleswould pick up again once we had a bigger stock of necklaces toshow.
why do people like when there is many neckalces to sell?
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she accepted a gift from a girl
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I turned the cookie package around in my hands, feeling like aprincess who’d just granted a favor to a pitiful subject.
why does she not like receiving things from others and being rude about it?
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haughtiest
arrogant and superior
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“Rukku,” I said, “will you teach me to make necklaces?”
soon everyone will make necklaces
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I scowled at the girl. “Did you hear us beg?”
why is she so mean to kind people
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”
they re-visited teashop aunty for the last time
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monsoon
periodic wind in the indian ocean
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“My friends and I sell trash to make ends meet,”
metaphor
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they went to teashop aunty
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“Tea?” You scratched at a mosquito bite on your elbow. “Tea!”
how did she remember teashop aunty by a mosquito bite?
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Silver pins of rain fell around us as we left the church.
metaphor
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“Priests don’t accuse kids who are in God’s house,”
metaphor
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”
they went to church and left
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Good for your souls,” I said. “But can we please use what’s leftof our money to take care of our stomachs, too?”
they will imagine something to eat again
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sulkily
in a bad mood
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e
they found someone that can get viji to school
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like they could hear music. Like theywere alive. Alive the way you were alive, alive right there, right then,
repetition
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