Chapter 83: Things Overheard

July 3, 1981

We arrived at Uncle Tim and Aunt Helen’s just before noon. There were more cars waiting this time. I could see Grandma in the backyard, and Uncle Ryan just coming around the corner. He waved, turned towards the backyard, said something, then headed over.

Dad got the car parked and got out.

“Well, hello, Ryan! It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you, too, Sam!”

They shook hands as Aunt Colleen came out from the backyard. Both were dressed fairly conservatively — Ryan in a short-sleeve denim shirt and dark slacks, Colleen in a dark green dress that was nearly as concealing as Helen’s had been yesterday. I’d opted for my burgundy shirt and black jeans; Angie had opted for a dress that almost matched Colleen’s in color, but was just shorter. I couldn’t reasonably see it bothering anyone, but then I wasn’t worried about reasonable reactions. At least, not what I considered reasonable, anyway.

Aunt Colleen hugged Dad, Mom hugged her brother, and then Aunt Colleen hugged Mom. Angie and I were out of the car by then, and then both came right over. “Steve!” Uncle Ryan said, “it’s good to see you!” We shook hands, Aunt Colleen hugged me, and then they both turned to Angie. “And you must be Angie!” Aunt Colleen said, smiling. “It’s so nice to finally meet you!” She hugged Angie, then Uncle Ryan did.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Angie smiled.

“We’d love to talk later. My, you’re a pretty girl. And I hear you’re even smarter than you are lovely,” Aunt Colleen said.

Angie blushed. “Thank you, Aunt Colleen. I’d love to talk.”

We all headed back into the backyard. Uncle Tim had a large grill going with burgers, bratwurst, and hot dogs. There was an open cooler with beer, near-beer, and soda as well as pitchers of tea and lemonade. There were also some bowls with cheese curds.

Dad came over to us. “You can each have one beer. As much of the other stuff as you want, of course.”

“Thanks, Dad!” Angie said.

“Yeah, thanks!”

He walked off to talk to Uncle Ryan. “I’m going to wait, I think. It’d go well with bratwurst.”

“Sounds good to me. What’s that? In the bowls?”

“Cheese curds. Basically, cheese. The more I describe them the worse they sound, but since you like cheese, you’ll probably like them. They’re very much a Wisconsin thing. Of course, anything dairy is a Wisconsin thing.”

Grant was nearby. “Wisconsin. Smell our dairy air!”

Angie giggled. “That’s a good one. I’ll have to remember it!”

Uncle Tim started piling up some burgers onto a plate.

“Colleen, Helen, Angela! Would you come help, please?” Aunt Helen called.

I worried a bit. Fortunately, they returned right away with salad, rolls, buns, and condiments. Angie went back to talking with Aunt Colleen and Uncle Ryan after the interruption.

Soon everyone was eating and talking. I hung out and talked with my uncles and with Grandma. Angie joined me for much of it, once Aunt Colleen went to talk to my cousins, and I fetched the one allowed beer for each of us. We clinked bottles and drank slowly.

As lunch wound down, Uncle Tim brought out some yard games — bocce, croquet, and Frisbees. Angie and I both tried bocce — new to us — and enjoyed it. She begged off on chasing Frisbees in a dress, so croquet was planned next.

“Hey, you can start without me and let me catch up, or wait, but I need a trip to the restroom first,” I said.

“No problem!” “I do, too!”

I went to the restroom further into the house while Angie went to the closer one on the main level and our cousins went to the one in the basement. I’d played with them a lot in the basement on previous trips, but we’d agreed it was a bad idea to bring Angie down there. If a golf course was a den of iniquity, what would the reaction be to an unchaperoned trip to the basement?

As I sat, I could hear the party outside. Then the noise focused into a conversation. I was a bit embarrassed at eavesdropping; that is, until I was angry.

“It’s unfortunate what’s happened, but that’s not a reason to allow things to become even worse,” Aunt Helen was saying.

“I’m not sure what you mean, exactly. I didn’t see any issues... ?” Aunt Colleen replied.

“Well, I certainly did! The child has no respect; she does things she knows are wrong, or worse, doesn’t understand they are wrong. Not that I haven’t seen that before, but boys will be boys and respond in different ways. Girls should understand where to draw lines without a parent present, or you know what will happen.”

“Helen, you never did things you wouldn’t have wanted your parents to know about, or bent the rules a bit?”

“I most certainly did not! And I am surprised you would say such a thing. Are you saying that you did?”

“Of course I did,” Aunt Colleen laughed. “Nothing like what you were hinting at before, of course, but every teenager that I know of, boy or girl, yearns to try things. Sometimes before they’re ready. And if they don’t, they often have much worse endings later in life because they didn’t learn their lessons when failing wasn’t so costly.”

“Well! I do not believe in any of that! And in any case, whether or not ‘most teenagers’ might try things, we both know that this is not an ordinary situation. Her mother is ... is a hussy! Divorced, taking on with strange men, doing who knows what, but enough that a court decided she was an unfit mother! And with the things courts will put up with, that must be quite depraved. And you know as well as I do that the apple does not fall far from the tree! You’ve seen how she’s dressing! That fabric is practically transparent! And there’s too little of it! And drinking beer! And then, the very idea of studying with boys! Competing against boys! It’s disgraceful!”

“Helen, I don’t believe this. Are you telling me you’re holding her mother’s failings against her? And saying she can’t use her God-given talents?”

“Of course I am not holding them against her. But one can observe and learn and know what to watch for. She is, of course, not guilty of those failings, but she must be guarded lest she fall victim to temptation, which is always out there. And God gives talents for many reasons. She will be a great help to her husband and a great mother to her children if she uses those talents wisely. That’s what God intends those talents for.”

“You do know that I worked for a few years after high school and plan to go back to work after the kids are grown?”

“After her children are grown, that is a different matter. And before she finds a husband. But that’s different. Girls these days have crazy ideas about competing with men and doing things that are men’s work. There’s more than enough to do in keeping a home and raising children, and that’s what God intended!”

“Helen, I’m surprised at you. It’s not the 1950’s anymore. Women have careers, very successful ones.”

“God doesn’t change, and his plan doesn’t change. And even if ‘women’ do, girls need careful watching!”

“Well, I don’t agree. And I’m pretty certain not one else here will, either.”

“That is of no concern to me. Doing what is right for that poor girl is what is of concern.”

“Helen, your sister-in-law is going to explode if you push this.”

“Better she explode than the truth go unspoken.”

I finished up and decided to leave. I needed to talk to Mom. I might get scolded about eavesdropping, but Aunt Colleen was right. My Mom would explode if she didn’t know what was coming. She might well, anyway.

Coming out I ran into Angie. “Steve? What’s wrong? You look upset.”

“I’ll tell you in a bit, but I need to talk to Mom first.”

“Um ... OK. Should I have them wait?”

“I’ll catch up in a bit. This can’t wait.” I pulled her into a hug and touched noses. “I love you, little sis.”

“I love you too, big brother.”

When I got outside I found Mom deep in conversation with Uncle Ryan. “Mom? I really hate to interrupt, with how little time you get with your brothers. I have a newfound appreciation for how precious time like that might become.” That got me two big smiles. “But this is important, and I’m sorry, Uncle Ryan, but it’s personal, too.”

“No problem, Steve, I’ll talk to Helen when you’re done.”

I led Mom just a bit away. She looked at me. “What happened? Is something wrong? I mean, well, obviously there must be.”

“Well. It’s easy enough to explain. I need to say first that I know how you feel about eavesdropping and I promise I had no idea that I was before it was too late.”

Mom frowned. “Go on.”

“I went inside to use the bathroom, the one just outside Uncle Tim’s and Aunt Helen’s bedroom. Angie was using the nearer one, and the cousins went downstairs, and I didn’t want to hold things up. As I was sitting, I realized I was hearing a conversation. It was clear and I couldn’t really avoid it.”

“I’m not sure I’m following. What conversation?”

I sighed. “Aunt Helen and Aunt Colleen were discussing Angie.”

Mom frowned a bit more. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”

“You won’t. Trust me. I had to tell you, Mom. I’m pretty sure Aunt Helen is going to say some things that will upset you. They really upset me.”

“What things?”

“Are you sure you want to know? If Aunt Helen thinks better of things, I’ll be slandering her.”

“And if she doesn’t, I won’t be prepared. Just ... give me the worst.”

I took a deep breath. “Aunt Helen believes Angie is ... the apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree. And that she needs to be watched every second. That she shouldn’t be allowed to study with or compete with boys. That she shouldn’t have beer — you know Dad allowed us each one, right?” Mom nodded. “That her dress is immodest, she’s too forward, and she’s studying the wrong things. That she needs to be married off and focused on raising kids and keeping house.”

Mom’s face had turned an impressive — or scary — shade of red. “Steven, I would never say this except at a time like this. I believe you, but I still need to ask. Is everything you said true? No embellishment? No overreaction?”

“Mom, I can’t remember every word. Some of that is context. Aunt Helen didn’t say ‘her dress is immodest’. As best as I can remember, right after she said ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’, she said, ‘did you see how she’s dressed? That fabric is practically transparent, and there’s too little of it.’ That might not be literally the words, but it’s close. I just summed it up as ‘immodest’.”

“That is a fair summary, I would say. I, um ... well. I don’t know what to say.” She was furious, that was clear.

“Aunt Colleen was trying to talk her down, but all it was doing was getting Aunt Helen upset with her. And she said it didn’t matter if it ... um ... caused you to explode, that saying it to you was a matter of right and wrong. I didn’t use the word explode, that was Aunt Colleen.”

“Does Angie know any of this? Any at all?”

“She knows I’m upset about something, but not what. I don’t think she has any idea I overheard anything, much less who or what.”

“Thank you for telling me this, Steve. I don’t believe in eavesdropping, but when you can’t avoid hearing a conversation, and it would harm people if you didn’t say something ... well, you did the right thing. Let me and your father handle this.”

I looked her in the eye. “Mom, I will, that’s why I brought it to you. But, if she says anything like that in my hearing, I’m not going to just stand there and not say what I believe.”

She tensed just a bit, then softened. “I know you wouldn’t, and it would be wrong to ask that of you. Go off, play your game, and don’t let on.”

“Thanks, Mom. I ... I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, honey,” she said as she pulled me into a hug. “I’m not shooting the messenger.”

I hugged back, then went over. The others held the game for me to catch up. After a couple wickets Angie came close.

“What was all that?”

“Sis, I can’t tell you now, OK? Later. I need to see what happens.”

“This is about Aunt Helen.”

“I can’t say anything, sis. You can understand that.”

“I can. And you just confirmed it, anyway.”

I shrugged and gave her a brief smile.

About ten minutes later, I saw Aunt Helen heading over to Mom. After a few minutes of their talking, it was pretty obvious it wasn’t going well. Then Aunt Colleen went over and joined in the conversation. That didn’t seem to help matters much.

To my surprise, Grandma spotted the gathering and went over. I had no idea where that was going to go. Watching, it looked like it was becoming three to one. Aunt Helen was looking more and more agitated. I hoped things weren’t being said that would be hard to unsay.

Angie bumped my hip as I watched. “Hey, it looks like everyone else with a vagina is getting together. Think I should join in?”

I laughed softly. “First, um ... not my preferred way of putting that. Second, no, I think that would be up high on the list of really bad ideas.”

“So, it’s about me!”

“I never said that.”

“Yeah. But you confirmed it, again. Relax, I’m not going.”

We kept playing; I kept watching. Their conversation lasted perhaps 15 minutes. After that, Aunt Helen headed for Uncle Tim, but, surprisingly, Grandma stopped her. Whatever she said got Aunt Helen frowning, but stopped her heading for Uncle Tim.

Until the game finished, I figured it might be over. Then, as we were putting things away, Aunt Helen called me over.

“Steven, I wanted to talk to you and ask you to watch out for your sister. She’s a beautiful girl and I’m sure you know what can happen to beautiful girls.”

I nodded. “My sister’s wellbeing is very important to me, Aunt Helen. Of course I’ll watch out for her, at school or study group, or in debate if she joins, or wherever we’re together.”