Family Reunion
This is post 7 of Section III. To begin at the beginning, go here. Section II begins here. Section III begins here.
At first the extended visit went well. The revelation that Chloe was just as much a liberal Episcopalian as ever, and not attached to a younger man inhabiting a double-wide, brought joy all round. Bennett recoiled from learning the intimate details of what had gone wrong with Gregory, and Gwen delicately forbore to inquire, at least of Chloe. She did canvass everyone else in the family, however, and eventually elicited from Bennett a vague reference to a porno tape. This seemed to her more than sufficient grounds for leaving the worm, so she stopped wondering how she might help patch the rift in the lute and felt prouder of Chloe than she had in years.
Bennett passively enjoyed Chloe’s presence. For one thing, it meant that Gwen was home more, and things, including himself, were generally better attended to than usual. For another, he was encouraged that Chloe did not once accuse him of having some neologistic emotional disorder, and she had time to listen to the bits he liked to read to her from Horace or one of the English masters. She curled up on the other armchair in his study, the one that didn’t recline, and sipped tea, smiling in the right places. Whole afternoons would slip by while Lizzy played on Grandma’s computer and Grandma did unaccustomed things like making cookies or bread.
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At first the extended visit went well. The revelation that Chloe was just as much a liberal Episcopalian as ever, and not attached to a younger man inhabiting a double-wide, brought joy all round. Bennett recoiled from learning the intimate details of what had gone wrong with Gregory, and Gwen delicately forbore to inquire, at least of Chloe. She did canvass everyone else in the family, however, and eventually elicited from Bennett a vague reference to a porno tape. This seemed to her more than sufficient grounds for leaving the worm, so she stopped wondering how she might help patch the rift in the lute and felt prouder of Chloe than she had in years.
Bennett passively enjoyed Chloe’s presence. For one thing, it meant that Gwen was home more, and things, including himself, were generally better attended to than usual. For another, he was encouraged that Chloe did not once accuse him of having some neologistic emotional disorder, and she had time to listen to the bits he liked to read to her from Horace or one of the English masters. She curled up on the other armchair in his study, the one that didn’t recline, and sipped tea, smiling in the right places. Whole afternoons would slip by while Lizzy played on Grandma’s computer and Grandma did unaccustomed things like making cookies or bread.
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posted by Hobbes at 9:48 PM
3 Comments:
Neulogistic? I don't know the word.
I really like the way you expanded time. The story went from intense to pastoral in a flash. Good work.
Neologistic, from the Greek, "neo-" (new) + "logos" (word). Having to do with coining new words. Often pejorative. "Emotional-avoidant" is an example of the kind of thing Bennett hates.
Or were you making a joke?
Anyway, thanks for the compliment.
It did go from action to tension to sad and now a comfortable family feeling. It's a fun ride. We're enjoying it.
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