A Perfect Gentle Knight (11 page)

8

Aunt Madge

A
t the end of November, Fa made an announcement. “I had a letter from my sister. She'd like to come and visit for Christmas. What do you think, my dears, shall we ask her?”

Aunt Madge! Corrie's heart leapt. Aunt Madge phoned on birthdays and holidays, and once in a while she wrote them a letter, but they hadn't seen her for two years.

“Aunt Madge?” asked Orly as if he weren't exactly sure who she was, but Juliet squealed, “Yes, please!” Corrie was amazed that she remembered her. Roz looked thrilled and Harry smiled in his sober way. Sebastian, however, frowned at his plate.

“I don't think that would be a good idea,” he mumbled.

“You don't? I must say, I miss Madge. I wish she hadn't had to leave us and look after Daphne, but I suppose she needs Madge more than we do.”

Everyone looked guilty except Harry and the twins—they had never known all the reasons why Aunt Madge had left.

“Oh,
please
say she can come, Fa!” begged Juliet. “I like Aunt Madge! She made cookies!”

Roz glared at Sebastian. “Don't listen to Sebastian,” she told her father. “We'd love to see Aunt Madge again.”

“Why don't you want her to come, my boy?” Fa asked.

Corrie knew he'd never tell. He shrugged, his face down. “It's all right.… She can come. Forget what I said.”

Fa looked puzzled, but he was distracted by the rest of them asking when Aunt Madge would arrive. “She wants to come on December twentieth and stay for two weeks,” he told them.

“Two weeks! That's too short,” said Roz.

Sebastian looked stricken. Corrie knew he thought it was far too long.

“W
E HAVE TO CLEAN
this filthy house,” said Roz the next morning. “Aunt Madge wasn't a very good housekeeper, but even she will be shocked by this.” She picked up one of the rolling dustballs that got bigger and more numerous every day.

“Let's do her room first!” said Corrie.

It took them two weeks. Every day after school they dusted and swept and vacuumed and scrubbed while the Elephant sat over her puzzle and her magazines in the kitchen. Sebastian even cancelled Round Table meetings so they could clean all day on Saturdays as well. They put pails and pails of garbage in the lane and even polished the silver. Meredith helped eagerly.

Surprisingly, Sebastian didn't seem to mind Meredith being there. He was the keenest cleaner of all of them. “I don't want Aunt Madge complaining to Fa that the Elephant isn't doing a good job,” he explained to Corrie.

“But she
isn't
doing a good job!” said Corrie. “Oh, Sebastian, couldn't we ask Aunt Madge to come back for good?”

“No! Anyway, she can't. She has to look after Cousin Daphne.”

Corrie nodded sadly. She tried to enjoy the fact that they would have Aunt Madge for two whole weeks, instead of remembering that she would then leave.

F
OR ALMOST EVERY DAY
in December they had clear, frosty weather. Corrie felt more and more Christmassy. In school they were learning from Mr. Zelmach carols she had never heard before: “Lullay Mine Liking” and “In the Bleak Midwinter.” On the last day of school they were going to go around to all the other classes and sing to them. She and Meredith pretended that the carol singing was being done for a neighbouring castle.

One evening Sebastian had them all write letters to Santa Claus. Corrie knew that he then took them to Fa.

“Roller skates, two turtles, and a dog,” copied Juliet carefully from the words she'd asked Sebastian to print for her.

“Santa won't bring you a dog,” Sebastian warned her. “He knows Fa doesn't like them.” Fa had told them how he'd been badly bitten by a dog when he was young.

“I know Fa's afraid of dogs, but maybe a
little
one would be okay,” said Juliet. “How do you spell ‘little'?” She added it in front of “dog.”

Corrie pondered her own list. All she could think of was books. Then she remembered something she'd always wanted and added “pogo stick” to her list. Fa—
Santa
, she grinned—might have a hard time finding one, but why not try?

A few days after the house was cleaned, Fa gave Sebastian their usual Christmas money. Sebastian carefully allotted it among them. Roz took Juliet and Orly to Woolworth's and they chose small presents for everyone, making her wait at the front so she wouldn't see hers.

Corrie and Harry rode their bikes up to the stores in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood one Saturday to do their own shopping. They split up, agreeing to meet in an hour.

Corrie found most of her presents in the stationery store. She got a stapler for Fa, crayons for the twins, glue for Harry (he was always running out), an eraser shaped like a butterfly for Roz, and a family of tiny china dogs for Meredith. In a clothing store next door she found a lace handkerchief with an “M” on it for Aunt Madge.

That left Sebastian. He was the hardest because Corrie wanted his present to be perfect. Finally she discovered a small penknife in the hardware store. It cost more than she had left from Fa's money, but she pooled her saved-up allowance with it. Sebastian would love it!

She waited for Harry outside the drugstore as they'd planned. People bustled up and down the sidewalk in front of her, getting ready for Christmas. A Salvation Army band stood on the corner and played “The First Noel.” Corrie's cheeks glowed in the frosty air. This week before Christmas was her favourite, with so many treats in store. And Aunt Madge would be here again! Corrie pretended that everything was normal.

Of course, nothing had been normal for three years, not since Mum left them. But at least it could be as normal as possible.

T
HE FIRST TERM
of school ended with a flourish. In November, everyone in 6A had drawn a name. On the last afternoon of school they had pop and cookies while they exchanged their gifts. Corrie received a pink barrette from Jamie. She never wore barrettes, she didn't like pink, and Jamie irritated her; sometimes he called her Freckles. But she was feeling so excited about Christmas that she thanked him politely and put the barrette in her pocket. Juliet or Roz might like it.

Corrie had drawn Deirdre's name and had given her three pencils with her name on them. Deirdre, who had never paid any attention to Corrie, smiled warmly. Sharon was eagerly thanking Meredith for a package of red licorice. Brent pulled one of Carolyn's braids and she didn't even protest. Kathy, Valerie, and Louise started singing, “We three kings of orient are / Trying to smoke a rubber cigar,” and everyone joined in. Then Gary and Frank, who were always being hauled into the principal's office for fighting, passed out candy canes arm in arm, saying, “Ho, ho, ho!” Mr. Zelmach had them all bellow, “We wish you a Merry Christmas!” before they scraped back their chairs and dashed out the door into the holidays.

Meredith's family was taking the train to Calgary and staying there until school started. “I'm
so
excited about seeing Sue and Ruthie!” she told Corrie. “I hope we'll still be friends.”

Corrie tried to suppress her jealousy. But she was reassured when Meredith gave her an autograph book. It had different-coloured pages. On the first blue one Meredith had written: “On the golden chain of friendship may I always be a link.” She seemed to love the china dogs.

C
ORRIE WAS THRILLED
when Fa chose her to go with him in the cab to pick up Aunt Madge. All the way there she struggled to think of something interesting to say. Finally she simply leaned against him. Fa put his arm around her. Corrie pressed her cheek against the prickly tweed of his coat, hardly daring to breathe in case he moved.

The train station was packed with holiday travellers. Corrie and Fa peered into the crowd. Will I recognize her? wondered Corrie. Finally she spotted a tiny figure laden with luggage.

“Aunt Madge!” Corrie dashed to her aunt and was engulfed in her soft fur jacket.

“Corrie! Goodness, how you've grown! And William, my dear, how are you?”

Fa pecked his sister on her cheek and took her heaviest bags. Corrie struggled with two more. She was squished between the two adults on the way back, like a filling in a sandwich.

Fa asked Aunt Madge politely about the weather in Winnipeg and about Daphne, the old cousin she lived with and took care of.

“She's quite a bit better, although her heart still isn't strong,” said Aunt Madge. “Her friend Dorothy has moved in with her while I'm gone.”

Fa and Aunt Madge had always been formal for a brother and sister. Corrie wondered if they had been like this as children. There were only the two of them; had they been closer then?

Aunt Madge asked about every member of the family. Just as she did on phone calls, Corrie told her an edited version. When she left out Sebastian being bullied and the antagonism between him and Roz, the Elephant's slovenliness and her own worries, their family seemed as smooth and content as the Bobbsey Twins or Dick and Jane. “… And Harry won first prize in the science fair,” she finished.

“Did he?” asked Fa with surprise. “Why didn't anyone tell me?”

“We did,” said Corrie.

“Dear William, as absent-minded as ever,” said Aunt Madge fondly, patting him on the arm. “I'm so excited about seeing everyone again!”

T
HEY HAD OPENED
the curtains in the living room. Now they all sat there, everyone but Sebastian. Orly perched on a stool and gazed at Aunt Madge suspiciously. Juliet snuggled into her side, wiping her eyes. Juliet rarely cried, but at the sight of Aunt Madge she had burst into loud sobs.

Corrie studied her aunt greedily. She hadn't changed a bit. Aunt Madge wore owlish round glasses and kept wiping back the wispy brown hair that escaped from her bun. She blinked a lot. She wore the same shabby blue tweed suit that she had two years ago, its lapel pinned with a gold horse brooch that had belonged to her mother.

“How clean everything looks!” said Aunt Madge. The living room gleamed with polish; holly was piled on the mantelpiece, and their stockings were carefully draped over the firescreen, ready to be hung up. The neglected room seemed to glow with appreciation.

“You must have a much better housekeeper than I was,” said Aunt Madge in a quavering voice.

Juliet sat up, fully recovered. “The Elephant?
She
doesn't do anything!”

Corrie tried to shush her but Juliet continued scornfully. “We cleaned the house all by ourselves! Well, Corrie's friend Meredith helped. Me and Orly dusted every single rung of the banister. It took us hours!”

Luckily Fa didn't seem to hear this. Sebastian had taken him over to examine one of Mum's paintings in the corner of the room. Corrie knew he was avoiding having to talk to Aunt Madge.

“Remember, all of you, you mustn't let on how bad the Elephant is,” Sebastian had told them at breakfast. “We don't want Aunt Madge suspecting anything.”

“Why not?” said Roz. “Maybe then Mrs. Oliphant would be fired!”

Sebastian had glared at her. “I keep telling you, Sir Gawain. If the Elephant leaves we might get someone who interferes with us too much. Kindly remember that.”

Now Corrie thought fast. “We let Mrs. Oliphant go for her holidays early—that's why we all cleaned,” she told Aunt Madge. “She
usually
does the housework, of course. And she cooks our dinner every night.”

Roz looked as if she wanted to tell Aunt Madge the truth, but Corrie knew she would do as Sebastian wanted.

“Mrs. Oliphant is a terrible cook, though,” said Harry. “Can you make macaroni and cheese for us, Aunt Madge, like you used to?”

“And snow pudding!” said Roz.

“And oatmeal cookies!” Corrie remembered.

Aunt Madge laughed. “Hold your horses! Of course I will. I'll make all your favourites.” She seemed very pleased that they didn't like Mrs. Oliphant's cooking.

A
UNT MADGE SLIPPED BACK
into the family as easily as if she'd never left. Orly decided he liked her and followed her around like a puppy. She patiently admired all of Harry's collections and helped Roz shorten her new dress. She even managed to wash Juliet's hair thoroughly.

Aunt Madge took complete charge of the kitchen, and every night they feasted on her roasts and desserts. Corrie and Harry helped her cut out shortbread and ice gingerbread men. She had brought Christmas cake and pudding with her.

One evening they all walked up to the church parking lot, where the Scouts were selling Christmas trees. They took turns dragging their tree home. It reigned over the living room, its branches laden with cranberry chains, bubble lights, and the homemade decorations from school that increased every year. An angel with feathery wings teetered on the top. Now the house smelled of baking and pine needles instead of mould and neglect.

Every night before she went to bed Corrie crept into the room and turned on the tree's lights in the dark. She lay on the floor and gazed up at the soft colours, holding the magic of Christmas to her like a fragile glass decoration that might break.

Presents accumulated under the branches, and the twins spent hours shaking and discussing each one. On Christmas Eve, Aunt Madge cooked tourtière. Then they sat in the living room and Fa read them the last section of
A Christmas Carol
out loud, as he did every year. When Tiny Tim said, “God bless us, every one!” Orly's eyes were closing.

“Off to bed, you two!” Aunt Madge said to the twins. “Harry too.”

“Harry's allowed to stay up until eight-thirty now,” Sebastian said stiffly.

“But—”

Sebastian frowned, and Aunt Madge stopped talking. Flushing, she helped Juliet and Orly hang their stockings from the hooks under the mantel. Roz brought in the milk and cookies for Santa Claus.

“Do you think Santa will remember my Wild Bill Hickok holsters?” Orly asked sleepily as Aunt Madge led the twins out of the room.