The Bridge Home: Chapters 27–44

by Padma Venkatraman
After running away from home, Viji and her sister Rukku join up with a group of orphans struggling to survive in the city of Chennai, India.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–12, Chapters 13–20, Chapters 21–26, Chapters 27–44
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rasp
    speak in a harsh, grating voice
    “There’s nothing here.” It was a rasping voice I didn’t recognize. A boy.
  2. rouse
    cause to become awake or conscious
    A twig snapped so loudly, it roused you and Muthu.
  3. nonchalant
    marked by casual unconcern or indifference
    “Didn’t hear anything.” The other boy was trying to sound nonchalant, but his voice trembled.
  4. suppressed
    held in check or kept back with difficulty
    We heard the boys thrashing through the undergrowth, twigs snapping as they rushed away from us through the darkness. Muthu’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.
  5. racket
    a loud and disturbing noise
    I heard the boys call out for God’s protection and dash away, raising a racket as they stumbled through the dark graveyard.
  6. escapade
    a wild and exciting undertaking
    “Rich boys, for sure,” Arul said. “You have to be rich to waste time going on escapades at night instead of catching up on precious sleep.”
  7. stingy
    unwilling to spend
    “Or maybe they got rich by being stingier, so they’ll pay less,” Muthu said.
  8. bound
    move forward by leaping
    He disappeared around the back of the house and reappeared, carrying a few glass bottles. He was dropping them into Arul’s sack when the rich girl bounded out of the house and flounced over to us in her frilly dress.
  9. flounce
    walk in an emphatic or exaggerated way
    He disappeared around the back of the house and reappeared, carrying a few glass bottles. He was dropping them into Arul’s sack when the rich girl bounded out of the house and flounced over to us in her frilly dress.
  10. frilly
    having decorative ruffles or similar ornamentation
    He disappeared around the back of the house and reappeared, carrying a few glass bottles. He was dropping them into Arul’s sack when the rich girl bounded out of the house and flounced over to us in her frilly dress.
  11. wheedle
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    “Please, Mummy,” the girl wheedled, like she hadn’t heard me.
  12. muzzle
    forward projecting part of the head of certain animals
    “He won’t run away, Mummy.” The girl stroked Kutti’s muzzle. “I’ll brush his coat so it shines like silk and—”
  13. horde
    a vast multitude
    You were coughing in concert with the buzzing hordes of mosquitoes, and we were all slapping and scratching at our skin.
  14. rosary
    a series of prayers counted using a string of beads
    Your busy fingers made so many necklaces, Rukku.
    I still have one, the only one we didn’t sell, and nights when I just can’t get to sleep here, I count the beads on it, like it’s my own kind of rosary.
  15. grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
    Arul’s face was too grimly set to smile.
  16. gully
    a deep ditch cut by running water
    Gullies of water ran down the sides of the enormous garbage pile, into an ocean of water that looked and smelled like raw sewage.
  17. dredge
    search the bottom of a body of water for something valuable
    Then they moved apart, and we went to work, trying to dredge out at least a few bottles or tins from the sea of sewage.
  18. cower
    crouch or curl up
    In spite of how brave you’d been with Kutti during Divali, I was scared I’d find you cowering with fear when I returned.
  19. mangle
    destroy or injure severely
    Your body was a tight knot. You lips twitched, but no sound escaped them. Your forehead was hot, and your hair was mangled with sweat.
  20. labored
    requiring or showing effort
    We ate in silence, broken only by your labored breaths and the rainstorm lashing the banyan’s branches.
  21. docile
    easily handled or managed
    You were unusually docile, swallowing the medicine without any argument.
  22. stupor
    a state of being half-awake
    You were both in such a stupor that neither the flashing lights nor the sirens seemed to upset you.
  23. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    After all those days of having my nose filled with the scents of rubbish, it took me time to recognize the burning scent of the acrid liquid Amma used to clean our bathroom every once in a while.
  24. ward
    block forming a division of a hospital shared by patients
    She clutched my hand until a nurse came and led us through the hospital to peek into the overcrowded ward where you were.
  25. contraption
    a small mechanical device or tool
    You were each hooked up to a contraption that dripped medicine and food and water into your veins, Celina Aunty explained.
  26. delirious
    experiencing hallucinations
    Muthu was delirious, raving in his sleep.
  27. rave
    talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
    Muthu was delirious, raving in his sleep.
  28. creche
    a representation of Christ's nativity at Bethlehem
    In the hall of the home, Celina Aunty set up a little crèche, a set of dolls in a stable: baby Yesu, Mary, Joseph, three kings, a drummer boy, and lots of animals.
  29. frail
    physically weak
    Arul and Muthu got fancy kurtas, which they changed into right away. I noticed they had both put on a bit of weight. But though Muthu’s body looked less frail than before, his eyes hadn’t regained their twinkle.
  30. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    “Don’t talk back.” Her face flushed redder than a brick. Lips quivering with rage, she hauled me off to Celina Aunty’s office and ranted.
  31. solace
    comfort offered to one who is disappointed or miserable
    “Religion can be a solace, Viji. If you have faith in a higher power, if you trust that each life has a purpose whether we see it or not, if you could only believe your sister has a soul that’s still alive—”
  32. oasis
    a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary
    She drove us to a white bungalow, three stories high, an oasis of calm in the midst of all the noise and bustle.
  33. wiry
    lean but strong
    Sitting behind a desk, beneath a picture of the Hindu God Ganesha, was a wiry young woman.
  34. tousle
    disarrange or rumple; dishevel
    “That must be it.” She tousled his hair and smiled at us. “But please, next time you want to stay out late, warn me so I don’t get scared?”
  35. pendant
    an adornment that hangs from a piece of jewelry
    For his pitiful sake, I ripped open the package he’d brought. Inside, there were two things. A hand-carved wooden pendant. And a hand-carved doll, just like Marapachi.
Created on Thu May 09 14:55:50 EDT 2019 (updated Thu May 09 16:50:53 EDT 2019)

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