The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store Chapters 25–27 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 25–27

Chapter 25: The Deal

Meanwhile, Marvin Skrupskelis goes to visit Isaac in Philadelphia and asks if Isaac can help with a situation back in Pottstown. He wants Isaac to help convince Gus Plitzka to force Doc Roberts to confess the truth of what he did to Chona. Marv knows that Plitzka is facing pressure from Nig Rosen due to the money that Gus owes the gangster. Marv also knows that Piltzka is not paying for the water he gets for his businesses. He wants to expose Plitzka, but Isaac argues that all that would do is expose the shul for tapping into someone else's water supply without paying.

Isaac tells Marv that Doc Roberts will never confess to the attempted rape and that Nig Rosen can handle Plitzka. Isaac is focused on saving the shul, addressing the water issue, and rescuing Dodo from Pennhurst. To accomplish that, he needs Marv’s assistance arranging for two people on the train that delivers coal and flour to Pennhurst each week to help the boy once he has escaped. Marv offers to recruit railroad union Jews to help for free, citing their loyalty to Chona and an exchange of shoes that Marv can make for them. This causes Isaac to reflect on the concept of principle, something he feels Moshe has and Chona had, but that he himself has lost. He assures Marv the water issue will be resolved but doesn’t offer any details.

Chapter 26: The Job

Fatty recruits Big Soap to help secretly disconnect and reconnect some of the city's water pipes at a well by the Clover Dairy. Fatty plans to recruit Rusty as well but Soap is hesitant to get involved. He argues that they'll be caught but Fatty assures him that no one will be around because of the Memorial Day celebration. Even if there is someone keeping watch, it will be Reverend Spriggs, so Fatty is unconcerned. Paper arrives and asks Fatty why he has not gone to see Nate to arrange taking him to Hemlock Row. She mentions that their plan to rescue Dodo is set to begin that night. Fatty considers telling Paper that he has taken another job that night reconnecting the water pipes. He tries to get out of the Dodo scheme but Paper pleads for his help and he agrees.

Meanwhile Moshe's theater, which has historically stored the supplies for the Memorial Day parade, receives a note asking Moshe to bring over the supplies. Moshe is home sick, so Nate agrees to bring over the supplies instead. However, Addie insists that he stay focused on the Dodo mission scheduled for that night. Addie is anxious, but Nate tries to calm her nerves, assuring her that all he's doing is meeting with Bullis and arranging for Dodo’s release. Addie wants to make sure that he will never step foot inside Pennhurst, and he assures her that he won't.

Fatty tells Nate about his plan to connect the shul to the city reservoir that night, a job that was passed to him by his sister Bernice. He is unsure where she got her own marching orders from. Nate reasons out that Isaac is behind the whole operation. Fatty admits that he ripped and subsequently misplaced a portion of the note explaining the job, though from the pieces of the note he's able to locate, he thinks that part of the job hinges on railroad workers. He eventually admits that of the $900 in the bible, $400 of the sum was for the railroad workers. Nate demands that Fatty give him the $400 to give to Dodo for the railroad workers, and Fatty begrudgingly agrees.

Chapter 27: The Finger

Back at Pennhurst, Monkey Pants wakes up Dodo but Dodo does not want to talk. Dodo was recently cleared to go to the cafeteria for lunch and he had found the experience rather disturbing, fearful of being around other patients and the odd power dynamics among them. Dodo wonders why his family has not been to visit him and he begins to blame himself for attacking Doc. In his guilt, he starts to believe he deserves to be locked away. Sensing Dodo's upset mood, Monkey Pants distracts him with a game. The boys hold their fingertips together and try to see who will let go first.

They stop when Son of Man enters the room. The man moves the boys' beds apart and grabs hold of Dodo, removing Dodo's pants and assaulting the boy. Son of Man is soon distracted as he is covered in feces which Monkey Pants has hurled at him. Monkey Pants then begins to convulse with a major seizure, prompting attendants to rush in. The doctor seems suspicious of Son of Man and sends him away. Monkey Pants appears to be struggling after his seizure, continuing to breathe shallowly. Dodo later thanks him for his help and they fall asleep with their fingers touching. When Dodo awakes, he finds that Monkey Pants has died.

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