REBIRTHHE SWEPT the room with unblinking eyes and met his stare of lights. Then he heard subdued whispers and restrained sobs. He did not like all
this. Like a big wave, grief had rushed to wet him, but his heart remained dry. Slowly he moved towards the center of the room. There was his father, grim-looking inside a wooden coffin, lifeless
yet frightening still; and he – breathing, much alive, very warm – was frightened, but he would not show how he felt. Suddenly he turned away and receded into the room separated from
the corpse by a woolen blanket. Inside the room, he still felt crowded, for there were many people outside, looking at the dead, offering words of sympathy to his mother, hugging his little sister
Nita, and he felt them coming after him. Soon his pulse was beating fast
