1910s: Further Arguments

 

For Emily, it was not such a hard decision to join in the protest against the bar. After all, she has seen first hand what can happen when someone is in the grips of an addiction. Frank, however, did not approve, and by the time she returned home he was livid. "How dare you humiliate me like that? What were you thinking!"

"Can't you see that I'm doing this for you? You can't even spend a single night at home without getting drunk!" Emily retorts, but Frank is in no mood to listen to reason.

At the end of the fight, both are left deeply unhappy, wounded and hurt. Frank doesn't like to admit it, but what if Emily has a point? What if he is really a failure? And Emily worries she went too far, said too much. What if Frank falls out of love with her? What if he isn't just at the bar every night? What if he has found someone else to spend his nights with when she and the children are not enough to keep him entertained? 

As they fight, John escapes the house, first to his scout meeting, then to the garden, where he spends a good while cloud gazing, pretending everything is right while knowing things aren't. As his mother is busy with one toddler and one infant in the house, he knows no one will miss him, and only go back inside well after his bedtime. It's not like it's a school night anyway.

That night, after a fitful sleep, Emily wakes up in pain as she has gone into labour. After a brief panic, Frank escapes the room. He wanders the hall, and then decide that even if it is 4 am another child warrants a celebratory drink. By the time Harold is born, Frank is in a really good mood. He happily runs up to great his youngest son. 

As they head to church that morning, Frank's good mood is soured again, as the reverend is holding an impassioned speech against the evils of liquor. "We need to stop this evil from taking hold of our bodies and souls!" he argues. Emily is uplifted in her stance. This is right. This is what she needs to fight for. To get her husband back again the way he once was.

After service Abigail comes to visit. John is delighted! He can always rely on grandma Abigail to give him all the attention his parents do not have the time or energy to give him. He shows her his new uniform, and his new badges.

Abigail also greets little Harold to the world, and checks to see if Emily needs anything.

"Nothing at all," Emily lies. "Everything is quite well." As she goes to bed that night, alone, as per usual now, she wonders if she perhaps should have told the truth.