Sandhill Street: The Loss of Gentleness
Chapter 19 Aunt Arctica
On Christmas Eve day, Dignity’s Aunt Arctica called him, hinting that the long separation from his parents might soon be over, and asking if she might visit him at Grace House. Dignity told her she was more than welcome, and accordingly she appeared that afternoon, stepping out of an old Cadillac, wrapped in a fur lined coat, and looking a severe version of the fairy godmother. She had come to fix things.
Soon she was seated in the living room, with Reason, Truth, Dignity, and Obscurity gathered around her. Dignity did not expect much to come of this, and in fact, almost hoped not, for after so much coldness and anger from Leasing House, he feared reconciliation might be worse than continued estrangement.
Making polite conversation, Reason asked Arctica about Neglect and Folly’s health.
“They’re fine, but this separation is very hard on them. I think it’s terrible, Dignity, that you should feel cut off from your father and mother, and I told Guiles so. But he said you aren’t cut off. He says you can stop by to see your parents at any time, only to just call first and leave a message on the answering machine saying you’re coming.”
Besides being surprised and suspicious of this offer, Dignity wondered how, by only leaving a message, he could know his parents would be at home. “Will someone call us back?” he asked.
“No, he said just leave the message and come. Really, I wish you had done it a long time ago.”
“But we couldn’t, you know,” Reason said, “because we were barred from Leasing House. We tried again and again, but no one there would open a door to us or answer a phone call. Later we were told that our only way back into that house was for Dignity to make a full apology.”
“That was just your misunderstanding,” Arctica said. “Guiles says you always could have left a message and come over. Of course, he says it’s clearly understood that, if you do come, you musn’t discuss anything of Neglect and Folly’s private business or anything about Relocation or anything else that would be inappropriate. But Dignity, you could have seen your parents weeks ago, and he’s very sure that he communicated that to you. That’s what I mean that there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Dignity was so stunned by the cruelty of this lie of Guiles’ that he found nothing to answer.
“You must come,” Arctica continued. “Folly is so upset that she’s been crying every day. Won’t you see her soon? Let me go back and be able to tell her that you’re coming. That would cheer her so.”
“But, you see, these restrictions on what I’m allowed to discuss…” Dignity said. “It isn’t that I want to talk about those things anymore, but it’s just the idea of being told what I can and can’t say.”
“I know, but seeing your mother again is what’s important, isn’t it?”
Dignity found he couldn’t answer this. Some others things seemed more important—such as the truth, for instance. How could he allow himself to be muzzled when speaking to his own parents?
“We’ll think it over,” he said, indicating the others, “and make a decision.”
Aunt Arctica seemed satisfied with this answer and soon changed the subject. The rest of her short visit was taken up with indifferent subjects and went by pleasantly; that is, until Gentleness and Goodness came bouncing into the room and asked if Kindness had been seen by any of them. It happened that Gentleness’ abrupt entrance brought him closest to Arctica, who looking up at him, shrunk away as if from a large mongrel dog of unknown intentions. Word of his resurrection had permeated the neighborhood, but she had not actually believed it until now. She stood and moved to put a chair between them, not for a moment taking her eyes off him.
When someone had directed the twins to look for Kindness in the kitchen and they had galloped out, Arctica regained her composure and thanked everyone for such a nice visit. She just knew she would be seeing Dignity and Reason at Leasing House for Christmas and would wait till then to give them presents.
When they had seen her out the front door, Dignity turned to the other three in the entrance hall. “I’m not going to make a decision about this without your full input. It looks like I can finally see Mom and Dad if I’m willing to put up with Guiles’ delusions of control over the visit. What do you say?”
“You’re right that you need to hear from us,” Truth said, “but this is a lot more serious than it looks at first glance. I say we call a household council and hear from everyone. There’s not much time if we’re going to do it before Christmas tomorrow, but we can just get it in this evening.”
“That’s a good idea,” Reason said. “We can meet here in the entrance hall where there’s plenty of room. Leasing House may not have much in the way of open communication, but that doesn’t mean we should lack for it. I’ll bet Grace will approve.”
So it was settled.