How It All Goes Down
- Men are hammering stakes into the ground outside. For a minute, the Major thinks it's an impromptu cricket match.
- But it isn't. It's a bunch of surveyors.
- The Major's neighbor, Alice Pierce, says that Lord Dagenham plans to sell the land to build houses on… right in the Major's backyard.
- The Major goes to check it out, and one of the workmen confirms it.
- Back at the house, Alice tries to convince the Major to join a protest against the plans. "It's not about progress […] It's about greed" (12.42).
- The Major writes a sternly worded letter to Dagenham and puts it in the postbox.
- After mailing the letter, the Major decides to say hi to Mrs. Ali at the shop.
- Mrs. Ali says that she offered for Amina and her son, George, to stay with them, but Abdul Wahid won't stay in the house with an unmarried woman. He's sleeping in his car.
- The Major offers his guest room to Abdul Wahid, who stops by later to move in.
- The Major is happy to be more involved in Mrs. Ali's life.