Chapter 89 (Chapter 87): Cherry Meets David Smith and Their Honeymoon
⚠️ 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 recounts meeting David Smith at a Swiss fondue party. Too exhausted to take public transport, she accepts his offer of a ride home. She falls asleep in his warm car, and he finds her address using a street directory and the sign for her mother’s business, Madame Mae. They begin dating, and on their first dinner date, Cherry loses her virginity to David on a waterbed in Wahroonga. She reflects on the powerful force of desire, which overrode her Catholic upbringing and her prior decision with Jack Murphy to wait. She later confesses to Auntie Pat that she feels guilty Jack died without experiencing sex; Pat hints that she did not make her own lost love wait, and Cherry realizes she may have been too rigid. Cherry and David marry after a year. On their honeymoon in Thailand, Cherry suffers severe food poisoning from oysters. David, a cardiologist, is not cruel but brisk and inconvenienced; he continues his scuba diving course while she lies ill on the bathroom floor. The chapter ends with Cherry thinking of Jack and wondering if he would have been good in bed.
Key Events
- Cherry meets David Smith at a party; he offers to drive her home.
- She falls asleep in his car; he finds her address discreetly.
- Their first date leads to Cherry losing her virginity on a waterbed.
- Cherry speaks with Auntie Pat about Jack’s virginity and feels foolish for following rules.
- Cherry marries David after a year; they honeymoon in Thailand.
- Cherry gets severe food poisoning from oysters; David shows self-interest by focusing on his own activities.
- Cherry lies ill, recovering alone, and thinks about Jack Murphy.
Character Development
Cherry: This chapter deepens Cherry’s vulnerability and her internal conflict between desire and guilt. She presents herself as an introvert and someone who followed conservative rules, only to later question her choices. Her honesty about the affair and her disillusionment on the honeymoon show growth in self-awareness.
David Smith: Initially portrayed as handsome and thoughtful (letting her sleep), David is revealed to be driven by self-interest and convenience. His briskness during her illness and his decision to continue diving expose a lack of empathy. Cherry’s comment that “his relationship with David Smith was based very much on desire” underscores his superficial appeal.
Jack Murphy: Though dead, Jack looms in Cherry’s memory as a contrast. Her regret about his presumed virginity and her fantasy of his sexual prowess highlight unresolved feelings and a sense of what might have been.
Auntie Pat: A minor but significant character; her quiet admission that she did not make her lost love wait challenges Cherry’s earlier choices and deepens Cherry’s guilt.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Desire vs. Love: Cherry explicitly states that desire—not love—was the basis of her relationship with David. The chapter examines how desire can override reason and lead to life-altering decisions.
- Self-Interest: David’s behavior on the honeymoon exemplifies self-interest; Cherry notes he preferred never to be inconvenienced. This motif recurs in his failure to even warn her about the oysters.
- Food Poisoning as Symbol: The severe illness symbolizes the sickness of the marriage itself—a beautiful exterior (seafood buffet, resort) that turns into a nightmarish, isolating experience.
- First Impressions vs. Reality: Cherry’s initial impression of David as kind and considerate (letting her sleep) is later corrected; she realizes she misjudged him.
- Guilt and Regret: Cherry’s guilt over Jack’s virginity lingers, and her honeymoon thoughts suggest she regrets her choice.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter provides essential backstory for Cherry’s character, explaining how she came to marry a man who prioritizes his own comfort. It deepens the tragedy of her romance with Jack Murphy and sets up potential future conflicts—audiences now understand the emotional baggage Cherry carries into the present timeline. The contrast between her two significant relationships (Jack and David) illuminates how early choices and societal pressures shaped her life trajectory. The chapter also reinforces the novel’s theme of the unpredictability of life and the consequences of small decisions (eating oysters, accepting a ride).
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Cherry feel guilty about Jack Murphy’s death, and how does Auntie Pat’s response affect her? Cherry feels guilty because she believes Jack died without experiencing sex, having agreed with her to wait for marriage. Auntie Pat’s quiet revelation that she did not make her love wait makes Cherry feel foolish for taking the rules too seriously. This deepens Cherry’s doubt about whether her conservative choice was misguided.
2. What does Cherry’s honeymoon experience reveal about David’s character? When Cherry becomes severely ill, David is not unkind but is brisk and focuses on his own convenience. He suggests she should have known not to eat oysters at a buffet, implying blame, and continues with his scuba diving course rather than staying with her. This shows that David is driven by self-interest and dislikes being inconvenienced.
3. How does the chapter use the symbol of seafood to foreshadow the marriage’s reality? The glistening buffet represents the surface allure of the honeymoon and the relationship. Cherry’s food poisoning from oysters—the first she ever ate, encouraged by David as an aphrodisiac—mirrors the sickness that emerges when the initial passion fades. It symbolically shows how something beautiful can become toxic.