The Bridge Home

The narrator, an 11-year-old girl named Viji, is told by an older woman called Celina Aunty, that she should write a letter to her sister Rukku. The writing material she is given is recycled from scraps and would be considered trash by most people. She is encouraged to write even though she doesn't know where the letter will go. Aunty says the thoughts in the letter will probably get to Rukku.

The narrator accuses Aunty of always being too optimistic. Aunty replies that Viji’s problem is an unwillingness to give voice to her thoughts and feelings. Viji says that she is going to write about the night they huddled together atop the ruined bridge. She will describe two sisters who rule a magic land. The two sisters, she promises, will always be together.

The narrative is addressed by Viji to Rukku, who is referred to throughout the story as “you.” In Chapter 2, Viji talks about her 11th birthday when Amma, her mother, fixes a special meal for her and her sister. It is apparent that Rukku has an intellectual disability.