Twisted Roots (DeBeers 3)

"Good. Well, please, give your mother our congratulations. And your stepfather. too. Did you hear all about that. Linden?" she said, turning to him. "You're an uncle again. You have a little nephew."

He continued to rock and stare.

"Oh." Elizabeth said, realizing he was in one of his deep trances. "How long have you been here, honey?" she asked me.

"I just got here. I just told him about Mommy and little Claude."

"Urn," she said. She stared at him a moment. "Well, don't let this upset you. He's doing real well, you know. He's been working regularly and eating well. too."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Linden, aren't you happy to hear the good news? You have a new little nephew," she repeated, hoping to get a response and bring him back from whatever thought or memory had seized his brain.

He continued to stare blankly,

"He gets quiet like this sometimes. It's not usually good to force him to listen. He'll come around when he's ready. I'm sure you'll have a better visit next time." she told me and turned back to him. "Hannah's leaving now. Linden.'

"I wasn't going to leave." I said.

She smiled and squinted. "I'll get him to go in and rest a while before dinner. That always works best." she said. "Linden, would you like to come inside and rest up far a while?" He lowered his head slowly and then nodded.

"Yes. I'm tired." he said. "I'm very tired."

"Sure you are," Elizabeth told him. He was working all morning on a new painting. He was at it intensely. Weren't you. Linden?"

"Yes," he said.

With her urging, he stood.

"Tell Hannah you'll see her another time. Linden," Elizabeth suggested.

He looked at me as if he had completely forgotten I was there. It put a cold chill in my heart.

"Tell Willow to come with you next time." he said. "I haven't seen her for a long time. We have things to talk about. She's not taking proper care of herself for a pregnant woman," he said and turned with Elizabeth toward the door.

She looked back at me and mouthed. "Don't worry. He'll be fine."

I watched them go in. I felt like I had swallowed a rock. Was this why Mommy was always warning me not to talk to him about the past? This wasn't the past, but something triggered his withdrawal so quickly and get him confused. I thought.

Frustrated and disappointed. I stepped off the porch and walked to the car. I wanted to tell Mommy about this, but then I was afraid she would be angry I had been the one to tell Uncle Linden the news. She might tell me he wasn't prepared properly or something, and she might forbid me to come back without her.

I felt so alone. I thought about calling Daddy. I sat in the car and dug into my bag to find my cell phone, a birthday present from Miguel.

"I know kids your age have too many electronic toys and such, but this makes sense. It's good to have it in an emergency," he said, more for Mommy's ears than mine. She was always warning him about spoiling me or trying to buy my affection, something she knew Daddy loved to accuse him of doing. She hated giving my father the opportunity to pounce on anything, which only made it harder for me when I was alone with either of them, part of that tightrope I walked.

"Why did you tell him that?" she would ask, annoyed after he threw something I had said back into her fact. "Why is it any of his business?"

What should I tell him then? I wondered. What was his business? It wasn't my fault there was a No Man's Land between them. I didn't create it they did. I never said any of this to either of them, Maybe I should have. I thought, Maybe I should have asked her for a list of permissible subjects.

Daddy's secretary, Mrs. Gower, answered on the first ring. "Eaton. Cooperman. and Robatille," she said.

"It's Hannah," I said. Usually that was enough,

"Just one moment, please." she replied. All these years I called his office. Mrs. Gouter never was anything but correct and businesslike with me.

'Hannah. I'm right in the middle of something. Anything wrong?" Daddy asked quickly.

"No. I just wanted to tell you Mommy gave birth."

"Yes. I heard." he said.