Chapter 17 - The Family Photograph
I learned what Eudora had planned for the morning after the tent incident.
Annual family photograph.
All Alden descendants.
My father’s old tradition.
Eudora had asked Garrett the night before:
“What do we do with Sorrel?”
Garrett answered:
“He’s Bram’s son.”
That was better than expected.
Eudora:
“Dana will be watching.”
Garrett:
“Then let him stand with Bram.”
Eudora:
“He looks like you now.”
Garrett did not answer.
Then Eudora suggested:
Maybe Bram and Sorrel stay at motel tonight and come back after breakfast.
Garrett said:
“That will look worse.”
Then during another conversation, Eudora said:
“If he complains about tent, Bram leaves.”
Garrett replied:
“Maybe that’s easiest.”
There.
He did not order Sorrel gone.
He agreed with outcome.
Then he told Sorrel within earshot?
What exactly?
Owen later remembered Garrett saying to Eudora:
“If Bram wants to keep pretending nothing is different, they should go before morning.”
Sorrel heard part.
Interpreted:
They want me gone.
Accurate enough.
The tent collapse was Eudora’s escalation.
Not Garrett’s instruction.
She wanted to force departure before photograph.
Why care so much about photo?
Not legal evidence.
Family archive.
Faces.
Resemblance.
Fear.
The absurdity became obvious once stated.
My mother was willing to humiliate a five-year-old to prevent a photograph that might make adults notice biology already documented in a lab.
May you like
Control makes intelligent people stupid.
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