#manasabookclub

Once there were flies roaming around in a distant forest. A charismatic magician passed by and they huddled together in wonder. He quickly threw over a thread which passed through them, turned them into jewel. Then they dangled happily together in his neck. The necklace danced as he danced. Once when he slipped over, the string severed. The jewels fell back in a pit. Now with only the remembrance of their past glitter, they fly in infinite rounds waiting for the touch of a magical string. One day sensing the shadow of the same magician passing over, they huddle together. He connects them again and they rejoice in the reunion. In their dream they see the string turn to a web and the magician a bigger fly caught in the same net. 

    The novel hints the cycle of rise and fall when there is complete dependence on an outside authority. The novel is about the life of the few remaining inhabitants of a village left to decay by the death of the once thriving mill. What happens when a past hope surfaces. Does it ignite in them new hope, or takes back the ember?

    The novel happens in an unstable period where there is no institution for support. Past ones are still in neglect- the chapel in ruin, the mill abandoned. The hand of nature is slowly pulling down their homes and their heart. The rain beats them down to earth. The Earth saps their will. The sun and the moon pass silently over them. To break out, some scheme was set off but doubting all along whether they can relieve themselves of the pull. At that time news of their reliever, who once showed them prosperity, comes. After being summoned, held in suspicion and threatened by the official to follow his order, Irimias sets out to village to grab the villager’s money. Obedient Petrina follows. The recluse doctor who wants to have minimal contact with world but notes down all the changes happening through his windows, was made to come out for supply refill. With his bumped head, tightening heart, he drops down after trudging along the path to bar and was taken to hospital by horseman. 

    Esti, who was last seen by the doctor, commits suicide. After the school for special kids and other support went down with the mill she was fated to be at home. There she is anxious and aware of how others see and treat her. Her brother treats her badly but she is deeply fond of him and want to be in his good side. Once when his brother asks her help in growing a money tree she was glad her brother considers her and gives her little savings as seed and waters it daily. On the day, before she discovers the money tree was dug up, she has a revelation. While in her hiding place, a pet cat wanders there. She darkens the hiding and fights and pins her down. She does this again and realizes she cannot lose against the helpless meek cat. Then when the cat disgusts her with its smell, she drowns the cat in the rat poisoned milk and it dies. When her father commited suicide it was told to her that he is going to the place of angels. She sees angels herself in the darkness of her dream when the doctor sat near her all night and constantly nursed her back from death. She takes the cat with her to the money-tree and finding the place dug out , she runs in confusion and accidentally finds her brother waiting down the road. He reveals her that he was the one who took the money and leaves here in the open, so as to not let others see her with him. With his cigarette’s glow vanishing last, she goes to the glow of bar’s window. There she clings tight to the doctor plodding on the road and was pushed down. She runs back in turmoil and finds herself in the dugout and seeing back the dead cat her confusion goes out and she proceeds to a faraway place, eats one half of rat poison and leaves other half for her brother. 

    Her brother welcomes and accompanies Irimias and Petrina back to the village. In the bar the villagers gather for his arrival. There is the greedy barkeeper, envious Halics, prideful Kraners, lustful headmaster, gluttonous Horgos, wrathful Schmidt, slothing Futaki. In the imagination of regaining their loss, they dream, ruminate, celebrate and slumber. Then Irimias arrives. 

    Gathered around the coffin of the child, he makes a speech. He starts speaking about the crime, how it was possible, who is responsible. He slowly makes them feel pity, guilty and shows their helplessness and brings them to complete surrender. He shows them a way. It is about a new island of model economy which he his trying to build and the reason he is passing through the village is that a nearby abandoned manor is going to be the headquarters. But there are problems he says. The envigored villagers ask what it is and he says it is money. Then everybody pitches in all they have. He reminds them that the venture is risky and they may lose all. But now they have gone past listening to his word to flowing down to his tune. The villagers agree to leave immediately to manor and he gives them word to meet them there before daylight and leaves with Petrina and Sanyi, Esti’s brother. 

    Futaki packs but hesitates leaving, but pushes on and goes to call others. He find them enjoying destructing their homes. The Kraners breaking all furniture to not let passersby take them, the headmaster copying them, breaks the door but stops when futaki looks and continues later. Then they all leave without a farewell to village. They start well but soon gets irritated by journey. They arrive at the dilapidated manor. The doubts of their dream getting fulfilled starts to germinate in that decay and it haunts them in their dream. 

    In this time Irimias and co witnesses a fantasy which shocks and questions their act. They hear strange sound and see the corpse of the dead girl which they buried, rise up and down in a nearby forsaken building and finally it rises to sky. They fear hell for the first time. 
    The people in manor all wake up feeling let down but none dare to say out. Then Kraners hints it, Schmidt flares at it, Futaki tries to cool down and gets a broken nose from Schmidt. At that time they hear the voice of Irimias and they all attach to him with redoubled faith. They wonder at the demonic possession they went through. He says there is a minor setback, so for the meantime they will have to stay separate. He takes them in a truck and drops them at different locations for a minimal living and instructs them to be vigilant. Most of them content except for Futaki who lost hope in Irimias the moment he saw him back at the manor. 

    Did conscience bud in Irimias? Maybe. Has their quality of life improved? Maybe. But nothing is sure.

     The novel ends at the same place where it started.