Chapter 85 (Chapter 83) Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Cherry, the narrator, describes her first job after university: a junior biometrician with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, tasked with applying statistical analysis to Australia’s Western Grey Kangaroo population. She explains that the reality of the job—solitary desk work using a slide rule—was far less glamorous than the image people imagine when she says she “counted kangaroos.” She loved being paid to solve problems, just as she had done as a child with her father.
Fieldwork occasionally took her to remote sheep and cattle stations, where she stayed in basic quarters. She enjoyed the feeling of insignificance in the vast landscapes and chatting with farmers’ wives. One such woman, Suzanne, was a thin, red-haired “city girl” unhappy in her marriage. Suzanne complained that her husband shouted, and her mother told her she had made her bed and must lie in it.
Out of character, Cherry offered to read Suzanne’s palm, claiming that her mother and grandmother were renowned palm readers. Suzanne eagerly agreed. Cherry felt a strange sense of power and heard herself speaking with absolute confidence, telling Suzanne that her “broken heart line” indicated multiple partners and that she saw her “leaving.” This phrasing came from Cherry’s mother, Madame Mae, who used the same prediction to counsel women in abusive relationships, sometimes slipping them a phone number for a refuge.
After the field trip, Cherry was overcome with shame, worrying she had recklessly meddled. She did not read another palm for years.
Back at the office, Cherry worked under Baashir, a Scottish man of Pakistani descent who was the first openly gay person she had met (aside from a television character). Baashir was a passionate traveler, having hitchhiked from Scotland to Australia, and he shared vivid stories of visiting places like the Taj Mahal and hot springs in Iceland. Cherry, who had only traveled to see the Big Banana, found his tales enchanting. Baashir gave her a taste for red wine and invited her to a Swiss fondue party, which she later reflects might have “changed her destiny”—though she dismisses that phrase as a logical fallacy. The chapter ends with someone telling Cherry not to try to be funny.
Key Events
- Cherry describes her first job as a junior biometrician, counting Western Grey Kangaroos, and her love of solitary data analysis.
- During fieldwork, she meets Suzanne, a lonely farm wife who confides her unhappy marriage and her mother’s discouraging advice.
- Cherry unexpectedly offers to read Suzanne’s palm, using phrases she heard from her mother, Madame Mae. She predicts that Suzanne will leave her husband.
- Afterward, Cherry feels ashamed and worries she may have caused harm; she stops reading palms for many years.
- Cherry’s boss, Baashir, is introduced: a Scottish traveler who shares stories of global adventures and inspires Cherry’s interest in travel.
- Baashir hosts a fondue party that Cherry attended, which she later acknowledges could be called a “destiny-changing” event—though she rejects that concept.
- The final line (“Don’t try to be funny, Cherry.”) suggests Cherry’s wry self-awareness.
Character Development
Cherry reveals more of her own history and inner conflict. She identifies strongly with the “sensible side” of her family (her father, Auntie Pat, and Grandpa) who reject the fortune-telling legacy. Yet, when put on the spot with Suzanne, she instinctively assumes the mantle of Madame Mae, feeling both powerful and ashamed. This chapter shows her as someone still grappling with her identity: a mathematician who borrows her mother’s language when it serves a purpose. Her relationship with Baashir opens her to new experiences and the idea that a single event (like a fondue party) can redirect a life, even as she resists romantic notions of destiny.
Baashir is portrayed as a charismatic figure who embodies curiosity and acceptance. He is the first openly gay person Cherry meets, and his travel stories expand her worldview. He gives her not only a job but also a taste for red wine and adventure.
Suzanne, though briefly seen, represents the vulnerable women Cherry’s mother used to help. Cherry’s decision to read her palm—and her subsequent guilt—shows how Cherry is drawn into the role of a fortune teller despite her rationalist self-image.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Evidenced Here
- Identity and Legacy: Cherry’s ongoing struggle between the logical, skeptical side of her family and her mother’s mystical tradition. The palm reading episode forces her to confront that she has absorbed her mother’s methods despite rejecting them.
- Power and Responsibility: Cherry experiences a “shot of power” during the palm reading, which later distresses her. The chapter examines the ethical implications of using influence over another person’s decisions.
- Destiny vs. Chance: Cherry explicitly dismisses the phrase “changed my destiny” as a logical fallacy, yet she acknowledges that a fondue party indeed altered her life path. This tension questions whether people create their own futures or are guided by random events.
- Travel and Expansion: Baashir’s travel stories contrast with Cherry’s limited experience, symbolizing the opening of horizons. Travel becomes a motif for self-discovery and the possibility of change.
- The Unseen Influence of Family: Even without believing in palm reading, Cherry uses language learned from her mother to give Suzanne hope. The legacy of Madame Mae’s “counselling” lives on in Cherry’s actions.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is crucial for understanding Cherry’s character arc. It provides the backstory of her first palm reading and her professional roots, connecting her seemingly mundane job as a mathematician to the destiny-obsessed world of her mother. It also introduces Baashir, a key figure who expands Cherry’s world and potentially leads her towards the fateful fondue party that sets later events in motion. The chapter deepens the novel’s exploration of how we shape our own lives versus being shaped by forces outside our control—a central question of Here One Moment. For readers, it humanizes the enigmatic Cherry and illuminates why she might later become the person who delivers fateful predictions on an airplane.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Cherry feel ashamed after reading Suzanne’s palm, and what does this reveal about her character? Cherry feels ashamed because she acted out of character, using her mother’s fortune-telling techniques without believing in them. She worries that her prediction might recklessly influence Suzanne’s marriage. This reveals Cherry’s internal conflict: she wants to identify with rational, scientific thinking but is drawn to the power and emotional intimacy of her mother’s practice. Her shame highlights her struggle with family legacy and her fear of causing harm.
2. How does the introduction of Baashir challenge Cherry’s worldview? Baashir is openly gay, well-traveled, and deeply curious—qualities Cherry has rarely encountered. His travel stories inspire her to imagine a life beyond her limited experiences. He also introduces her to red wine and social gatherings like the fondue party, which she later admits altered her path. Baashir represents possibility and the idea that a single encounter can reshape one’s future, even if Cherry resists calling it destiny.
3. In what way does the chapter address the theme of “insignificance” versus “power”? Cherry says she enjoys feeling small and insignificant in the vast landscapes, finding it healthy. However, when she reads Suzanne’s palm, she experiences an intoxicating sense of power and control—using her mother’s words to effect change. The chapter contrasts the humbling perspective of the outback with the seductive power of influencing another person’s life, suggesting that both feelings are part of the human experience.