How It All Goes Down
- Back to Grandpa's memoirs we go.
- After the revelation of murder-by-grits, Domenico refuses to eat any food prepared by Prosperine or Ignazia.
- He still refuses to baptize the girl, though, afraid that he damned his own son to hell when he baptized the dead baby himself.
- Since he's not sleeping with Ignazia anymore either, he starts seeing a prostitute in town.
- Two years pass, and Father Guglielmo comes back. The Monsignor is dead, and Guglielmo has been promoted.
- He wants Domenico to reclaim his former glory by building the new parochial school, and after much debate, he agrees.
- One day, Nabby Drinkwater just drops dead. Even though he worked for Domenico ten years, he doesn't really care.
- Later, Domenico has two questions for the priest: (1) "Did I damn my brother to Hell by throwing the cement [at the Monsignor]?" (41.135), and (2) "Have I banished my own flesh and blood from heaven by baptizing him with dishwater in my godless house?" (41.146).
- The priest answers both questions with "no" and encourages Domenico to baptize his daughter, dwell on his wife's good qualities instead of her sins, and to write down his life story.
- He has Concettina Pasqualina baptized, and starts eating his wife's cooking again.
- He also manages to get Prosperine out of the house by having her work for Signora Siragusa nearby.
- For building the school, he's awarded a silver medaglia, which he wears with pride.
- People come from all over to see the school and to celebrate what a wonderful man Domenico is.