8
Timothy reached Varanasi a couple days later. He and Prema had waved goodbye to each other in the Delhi train station, she hurrying off into the bright sunlight surrounding the taxis outside the station. She was planning to visit more family in Delhi. Timothy immediately boarded a train to Varanasi. The next morning, exhausted from the long trip, he checked into a guesthouse in the old city. For the next few days he split his time between feeding Isaac and wandering the tiny streets of the ancient city and the steps to the river—those that weren't still covered in mud. The noise of the pressure washers ground into the air as men worked to clear the mud that was left on the steps when the river receded after the monsoon.
One morning, when Isaac had fussed so much Timothy's jaw felt perm
