The Hutchins and Mojica Renovacy Chapter 10

Chapter 10. Viriato. “Look, Desmond, we can’t go on like this. And we don’t have to.”
Desmond was a simple soul – he had his father’s single-mindedness, yes, but also his mother’s sunny and open nature.
“You’re right,” he said. Things had been strained between them ever since Viriato’s outburst the night of the prom. He waited for Viriato to apologise, to admit that he and Uiara were no longer children, and that they were on the right track. Behind them, Queen’s Hope drank deeply from the water Desmond had just brought for her. Viriato took a deep breath, and Desmond waited patiently, trying to project calmness and openness.
“Eugenio graduates this year. That only leaves Tesni at school. The four of us can support her – and that woman and her children can go.” No-one had ever seen Desmond lose his temper before. Okay, he had red hair, but the proverbial hot-headedness that was supposed to go with it had toally passed him by. Until today.
“That woman? Her name’s Reggie. And she’s my aunt. She’s part of my family. And where would they go?”
“Well, I don’t know…”
“And you don’t care either, do you?”
Uiara had told Desmond, and the younger ones, about some of her conversation with Reggie. “She’s given up years of her life, to take on a bunch of children including a sulky, stroppy teenage boy and bring them up, and this is how you want to repay her? Chuck her out with her children? Well I’m having no part in that! And nor will any of the others. You’re out-voted!” Fern’s family were seriously wealthy. This was the ‘little’ sitting room – and it was bigger than the whole sitting room at home. Normally Viriato felt quite ill-at-ease in Fern’s opulent family home, but today he was so desperate that it didn’t bother him. Fern could see that he was nearly at breaking-point too, and her heart turned over inside her for him.
She did love Viriato very much indeed. But…and it was the ‘but’ that had made her put the brakes on the relationship some while ago, kept her from taking that next step, offering Viriato something more than close friendship. “Viriato, what’s wrong?”
Fern had talked to her dad about her misgivings, and he’d agreed with her, praised her for her insight – and self-control! Was she about to find out what lay beneath the surface? She did! It all came tumbling out – Viriato’s obsession with getting Regina and her illegitimate brats out of the house, his desire for the others to have steady, stable careers with good pensions, his total sense of betrayal that neither Desmond nor Uiara would back him up in this…This was a mess, and she was in way over her head!
Fortunately she had someone at hand who could help. Her consultant-level psychologist, trained counsellor dad. And Viriato wasn’t going to be given the option of backing out of talking to him. An hour or so later, Viriato was sitting in the same room beginning what would be the first of many deep and painful conversations with Fern’s father. “You did so right to call me in on this. I really don’t like the state this young man is in – but I don’t think he’s a danger to himself or anyone else. Just very confused. Fern, you love him, don’t you?”
“I do.” She sighed. “But…”
“He needs help right now. And I’m willing to give it – on a very non-professional basis. On a family basis, in fact. I think there’s a lot of good in there, but it’s got overlaid. What I wanted to ask you was: how would you feel about him moving in here for a while? I think he needs to get away from his family, and we’ve got the space. Your mother says yes, but what about you?” “He’d have to lighten up a bit, wouldn’t he, with Philip and the others around. And give up his I-am-responsible-for-everything attitude? And he’s used to a large family. And he can’t have me and ignore the rest of you. He needs to get to know us anyway. Yes. Let’s give it a go.” “You snuck off to hide, didn’t you?” Regina had finally run Uiara to earth in Desmond’s bedroom.
“Yep,” Uiara said, grinning unrepentantly. “This bed’s really uncomfortable though – I think Desmond needs a new one.”
“Once the final extension’s built,” Regina said absentmindedly. “Uiara – about Viriato…” The smile disappeared.
“Now that is just one big mess. And, honestly Reggie, I don’t know what any of us can do. He wants Eugenio, Desmond and I to all get boring jobs, Tesni to go to university – and he’s quite happy to throw you, Charlie and Henrietta out with nowhere to go. Desmond told him where to get off in no uncertain terms. I’ve told the younger ones that he’s just gone to stay with Fern for a bit. Eugenio swallowed that hook, line and sinker – you know what he’s like.”
“Lovely, but a bit dopey sometimes,” Regina agreed.
“And the younger ones are just relieved. Have you noticed how happy your two are without him around?”
Regina had. Uiara swung her legs off the bed, ready to go and Do Something Useful, but Regina spoke again, slowly and painfully.
“You’re right. But I do feel like I failed him so badly.” The hurt in Reggie’s voice was unmissable. Uiara cast around in her mind for something helpful to say.
“He always was moody and difficult. Mum said he was sometimes just like Dad when she first met him. But she could usually coax Viriato out of it. With a bit of time! Was Dad really moody and odd when they first met? You must have known him. Come for a walk and talk to me about him.”
She looked out of the window at the snowy landscape and added, “A short walk though!” “Do you know, it still feels like a treat to be able to just walk out of the house!” It was a casual comment, but it made Uiara think even more deeply about what Reggie had given up in looking after them all.
“Your dad – he was a funny one at first! I’d forgotten: but he was moody, difficult, no social skills worth mentioning. Aurora fell for him though, saw the real Lincoln inside there, took him in hand and forced him to get some counselling. It made all the difference.”
“How? And why? I mean, how did he change and why did he need the counselling?”
“His parents. They were really abusive. Not obviously – it was all mental stuff, mind games. And Lincoln just retreated. Some people would have fought it, but he just went into his own little world. That’s why you never met your grandparents, why it was always me who was going to be your guardian. Only I never expected to actually have to do it when I said yes!” “Do you think Viriato is trying to play mind games with us?” Uiara was suddenly anxious.
“No, I don’t. I think he’s done what Lincoln did though, and retreated into his own little world. I just feel so bad that I didn’t help him more right back at the beginning.”
“Hey, Reggie, don’t be sad. I think you’ve done brilliantly by the rest of us. You’ve listened to us. Viriato – he wouldn’t do that. It was like he had a story in his head and we were all just characters in it, not people in our own right.” Then, with a change of tone, “It’s cold out here! Let’s go home!” “Choc chip cookies,” Tesni said cheerfully. “It’s that sort of day!” Tesni’s Christmas present (well, sort of Tesni’s) had been a baking oven. The kitchen was being changed around again. The garden produce had paid for that – Queen’s Hope was financing the extension. The kitchen was looking a bit less sparse now, Regina thought, as she went to wash her hands. A moment later, she was decidedly wet! And a slight snigger from behind her told her who she had to thank!
“You monster! Wait until you’re not making me something delicious to eat! I will tickle you until you beg for mercy!” Tesni had always been really ticklish. They had chairs now in the sitting room, and a rug, and it would be curtains next. Uiara sat down near the fire with her book and relaxed. Another couple of days and the holidays would be over, but for now she was going to enjoy them. The smell of Tesni’s baking drew them all into the kitchen.
“I’ll mop that up, Reggie.” said Henrietta, laughing at her rather damp mother.
“Uiara! Cookies!” Eugenio yelled. “Finish your homework afterwards, Tesni. Come and eat with us.”
Viriato would have said homework first, Tesni thought. But as long as she did it, did a half-hour delay really matter? “These are great, Tesni. Maybe I’ll let you off after all. I’ll only tickle you half to death.”
Like Uiara earlier, Tesni was unrepentant though! Spring was coming. Slowly but surely. The house was finished, at least as far as all major building work went. Uiara, to her delight, had got what she thought was the nicest bedroom in the house, a hodge-podge of strange angles and corners. Tesni and Henrietta had moved bedrooms – “Again!” – but this bedroom was bigger and lighter. The bathrooms had been shuffled round – “Again!” – though Regina still didn’t have a bath yet.
The boys’ rooms were unchanged – Viriato’s still dark and silent. But he was beginning to make contact – he’d only spoken to Eugenio so far, but that was a start. And enough for now. Downstairs was still being furnished…the main kitchen was getting an upgrade as they could afford it, and the old units were being recycled into the utility room. Though some of them had been moved and recycled so often that they fell to bits in protest at another move!
They’d successfully salvaged enough of the old kitchen floor tiles to do the utility room, and even the kitchen floor had had a facelift. They were going to have to find some way of storing Desmond’s ever-expanding collection of race trophies though – they were everywhere! And Queen’s Hope had something as well – a set of training jumps. And she took to jumping like a duck to water. They’d enter a beginner competition quite soon and see how she shaped. Finn Annan was steadily (and painfully at times!) sorting out Viriato’s thinking. Flora was working on his appearance! First it was a haircut. Then it was, “Either grow a beard properly or shave every day. You look like you only shave once a week and can’t be bothered the rest of the time.”
This was actually true.
“Take some care of yourself and show some pride in yourself!”
But Viriato didn’t mind. It was sort of nice to have someone nagging him. Today Flora was after him again. “Clothes,” she said firmly. “I don’t mind you dressing like a gardener when you’re gardening – that makes sense. But the rest of the time..? And I’m not taking no for an answer. You’ve more than earned them with everything you’ve done round here.” And there they were. A selection of new clothes just for him.
“Fern helped choose them,” Flora had said. “And she’ll be really hurt if you refuse to wear them out of some misguided sense of pride. You have to let people who care about you, give to you.” People who care about you. The words rang in Viriato’s head as he went to find Fern and show her how they looked on him.
“Do you like them? They look great on you.”
“I do really like them. And…” Viriato paused for a moment, but then went on bravely. “All the more because you gave them to me.” He was changing, Fern thought. Three months ago, he’d never have accepted a gift as gracefully as this. He’d never be the life and soul of the party type, but his prickly defences were coming down, he brooded less and less. He was becoming the man he should be – very nurturing, very family-oriented. In fact just the kind of man she wanted at her side for the life she was planning for herself. Time to take off the brakes a little. She leaned closer to him. He still wasn’t getting the message! She knew how much he cared for her – she’d just have to take matters into her own hands. He got the message.
“Really, Fern?”
“Really. But you have to carry on talking to my dad, you know.”
“I know. I know I need to. I’m not there yet, but…”
“We’ll get you there together. All of us.”