The Buddha of Suburbia: Part 2, Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

On Saturday, Karim and Eleanor dress up and take the train to Pyke's house. Karim studies the house and thinks of what Terry had told him about Pyke. Terry recently landed a gig playing a policeman in a TV drama, an ideologically uncomfortable role given that he believes the police are fascist. Terry had asked Karim to publically ask Pyke's son what school he goes to, insisting that it'll be expensive, exclusive, and proof that Pyke is a class enemy.

A servant girl lets Karim and Eleanor in, seats them in the living room, and explains that Pyke and Marlene are "dressing." Eleanor wonders why Pyke invited them over and haughtily tells Karim that they shouldn't deny each other experiences. Karim feels nervous, as he has no idea what "experiences" Eleanor is referring to. He asks her why they don't talk about Gene, but she cries and runs to the bathroom after insisting that Karim is too self-centered to understand.

Karim pretends to be a "class detective" and looks around the living room. He thinks that Terry must have underestimated Pyke's wealth, as the furnishings are extremely expensive. Eleanor returns as Pyke and Marlene make their way down the stairs. Karim thinks that Marlene is undeniably sexual, but definitely not young. They all sit and eat turkey salad in the living room and barely make conversation. After dinner, Marlene brings out some marijuana.

As they smoke, Pyke's sullen teenage son walks into the living room. Pyke nonchalantly mentions to his son that Karim is Charlie Hero's stepbrother, and the moody boy is suddenly excited and alert. Karim answers the boy's questions, and asks him what school he goes to. The boy, as Terry predicted, attends a very prestigious school. Karim notices that Marlene and Pyke look bored to death.

Suddenly, Pyke stands and opens the doors to the backyard. Eleanor stands and follows him out, leaving Marlene inside with Karim. Marlene gets herself another drink and comes to sit beside Karim. He pretends she's not touching him. As Karim begins to feel the marijuana, he asks Marlene to tell him what happened to Gene. Marlene sympathetically explains that Gene was a talented, sensitive black actor, but he never got the work he deserved. Instead, he played criminals and a nurse and was often picked up by the police for no reason. He overdosed one day after getting rejected by a big theatre company, and Eleanor came home to find him dead.

Karim and Marlene sit for a while, and then Marlene asks Karim for a kiss. He panics, but lets her kiss him. After, Marlene jumps up, pulls off her dress, and seems to celebrate. Karim is scared but finds he likes feeling that way. He and Marlene have sex and he allows his mind to carry him back to the night of Dad's first appearance. He thinks of Charlie and how Charlie is now famous, and how Karim himself is now a successful actor, but he fixates on Mum's pain and Gene's death.

When Karim sits up he has to think of where he is. Though he barely recognizes them, he watches Pyke and Eleanor touch each other across the room. Karim looks up later to see Pyke coming to him. Pyke puts his penis in Karim's mouth, and Karim thinks that he doesn't like it even though Pyke is famous. He bites Pyke just hard enough to make him stop, and Pyke returns his attention to Eleanor. Karim watches them kiss and listens to Eleanor tell Pyke that she's always wanted to have sex with him.

Marlene walks around Pyke and Eleanor, exclaiming about what a beautiful couple they are. Pyke snaps at her to stop. Dreamily, Eleanor removes Pyke's fingers from her vagina and puts them in Karim's mouth. Pyke moodily tells Karim and Marlene to touch each other. Marlene drunkenly falls onto the couch and cries that there's a full night of pleasure ahead of them.