As the family is restored to its home, Nanny is restored to her own family, and most importantly, to the Professor.
Restoration
"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3:14)
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Chapter 1: Promises
The sun dawned hot on Friday morning. It was the big day. Nearly three weeks after Prudence had come home with the story that a local family of six children was a week away from becoming homeless, their home was rehabilitated and refurbished. Hal, Butch, and Trelawney were going over to the house to finish the final details which included moving all of the furniture back in. Nanny and the Professor had a session with Dr. Meyers and Prudence would spend the morning at home with Emmeline. Then they would all go over to welcome the Fleming family home.
Emmeline was grateful that the little girl was being very particular about the garden book, that she was making for Phoebe. In addition to pictures of the flowers, there were pictures of all the animals and the family. It would keep her busy and Emmeline would not have to worry about entertaining her.
Before she left for the worksite, Emmeline wanted to have a few words with Trelawney.
"Why don't you trust me?" she asked her point blank, as she had done the other night.
If she thought that this would throw the girl off, then she was wrong. Trelawney looked her back square in the eye and said petulantly,
"You ratted me out to Aunt Justine. Aunt Justine wanted me to tell her things that would have hurt Phoebe. She didn't care that they would hurt Phoebe, she only cared about being angry with me for defying her. She would have taken me away. You would take me away if you could. And that would hurt Phoebe most of all. But you can't as long as I have my gallant knight to protect me."
"Trelawney, I did not 'rat you out' as you so eloquently put it to Aunt Justine. You know as well as I do that the family needs to watch over you. There are many things about you that your 'gallant knight' does not understand," she replied, trying hard not to be sarcastic.
Trelawney however was unperturbed. Assuming her very straight posture, she stood before her with her hands neatly folded in front of her and said, "My gallant knight will sustain your assault. In America he is my guardian. As long as I am in America with him, I will be safe from you. You will see. You all will see. He will marry Phoebe, and all will be well. This is our destiny. You know it as well as I do."
Emmeline was amazed that the child knew so much. It then occurred to her that she could only have learned of the legal formalities by discerning it from the Professor's, or perhaps even Phoebe's, thoughts. No doubt when the issue first came up, his instant reaction had been to fight any Figelilly family claim, legally. It was only then that she remembered, somewhat uncomfortably, that in order to secure her immigration status, Phoebe had placed her in his legal custody. Since Phoebe was her legal custodian in England, she was perfectly within her rights to do this. It would not be impossible to bring Trelawney home, but it would be extremely difficult, especially if Phoebe refused to cooperate.
"Trelawney, don't you wish to help Phoebe? You know that I needed to come to help Phoebe. You said so yourself when the Professor suggested it," she asked, now trying a different tact.
"I do not have to trust you, to help Phoebe," she replied simply. "I only have to trust the light."
"Will you trust the light to help you escape the unicorn?" asked Emmeline.
"Do you know what your problem is?" asked Trelawney. "You always think that you are right."
"Really?" she drawled the word.
"Yes. There is no unicorn anymore. There is only darkness," said the girl serenely.
"Trelawney, I don't understand . . ."
"That is good," said Trelawney, nodding sagely. "In every Platonic dialogue, Socrates always brings his interlocutors to the point of bewilderment. For you see, they cannot begin to learn, until they say "ouk oida" "I do not know." You cannot learn what you already know, or think you know. You are now ready to learn."
Emmeline was so furious with the girl's obfuscations that she began to wonder what the legal recourse would be for bringing her home. She knew that once she started drawing on references to Plato to explain herself, that she was drawing on more than her eleven-year-old education and experience. She now fully understood why Aunt Justine had lost her temper with her. To fill in the silence, Trelawney continued.
"You misinterpret my feelings in this matter. I derive no pleasure from making you angry. You cannot help Phoebe if you are angry. Phoebe needs your wisdom to guide her towards the light," the girl explained calmly and patiently.
"And you can't guide her to the light?" asked Emmeline, calmer and now curious.
"It is not allowed," she said. "I must go. There are many things to do today."
Emmeline looked after her. Once she had turned away, she saw her skipping down the steps and off to the car. It was most odd.
"I'm afraid that this is becoming more and more common behavior," said Phoebe from behind her.
"Did you hear our conversation?" asked Emmeline, concerned at what she may have overheard.
"No, but you have the same look on your face that Hal gets when she does it. She is a wise little owl one minute and she returns to her natural state, the butterfly child," she answered.
Emmeline raised her eyebrows.
"It is difficult to say what it is all about. She never lies. She never exaggerates. But she is very dramatic," she continued. "Her psychic powers and ability to tap into the universal consciousness are stronger than she is able to cope with right now. I believe that that is the root of her fear that she will be taken away. She knows that she cannot fully control her thoughts, and she fears that once you realize it that you will insist that she go home."
"Why do you fear that we will take her away?" inquired Emmeline.
"I love her. She is my baby sister," answered Phoebe. "I watched her being born and held her in arms when she was only minutes old. I made a promise that I would always be there to care for her and protect her."
Emmeline looked at her and realized that there were deeper implications to that promise than Phoebe realized, even now. Trying to see things from another perspective, as Trelawney had suggested, she wondered if that promise was not somehow a part of the darkness that threatened her at this moment. Could she possibly be thinking that she had broken the promise already?
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Reluctantly, Phoebe got in the car to go with the Professor to see Dr. Meyers. She knew that Hal was hopeful that he could help to explain what they had learned last night about the dream. She herself had serious doubts. There could be no scientific basis for anything that they had experienced last night. She was thankful that she had not accepted their offer of drugs. Keeping her sedated would not have allowed her access to her nightmares, even if it would have allowed her to sleep.
She was also uncomfortable with the idea that Dr. Meyers was so curious about how her mind worked. She viewed that curiosity as invasive. Her mind, and how it worked, were her own personal business. She did not want him to "figure her out" or Trelawney for that matter, so that he could publish a journal article about their "psychic abilities."
But she knew that Hal put a lot of stock in the man's abilities to help see her through this, and right now Hal needed to feel like he was doing something to help her. She wished that Hal had enough faith in himself, to realize that without his help she would have been lost months ago to her own despair. She also wished that Hal could accept that Pastor Jason was really the one who was helping them the most right now.
Hal had wanted to bring Trelawney to a counselor. Yet being on the worksite with Pastor Jason each day was somewhat akin to "bringing the mountain to Mohammed," as the old saying went. Their relationship had evolved naturally, without the trappings of an office and a couch, so to speak.
He had been skilled enough to converse with her in a way that did not reveal his counseling background. Or if he did, which was also possible, she had trusted him enough to confide in him anyway. Their relationship was one of young person to trusted adult, not client and patient. And Pastor Jason was not an academic with another agenda. To use a phrase that had been on the children's lips all week, he was doing the Lord's work.
Once they were sitting in Dr. Meyers' office, Hal did most of the talking. He gave him an update of what had happened since Emmeline came and the latest nightmare episode. She sat quietly, trying not to project the hostility that she was feeling towards him. Dr. Meyers seemed to sense it anyway.
"Phoebe, do you want to add anything?" he asked in his soothing voice, that she now knew was intended to put her at ease and open up to him. But she had had enough, and decided not to play along anymore. Her own strong personality was emerging and gave her the confidence to assert herself.
"No," she said quietly, but definitively, knowing that the fastest way to frustrate him was to give a monosyllabic answer.
"Phoebe, we can't help you if you won't . . ."
". . . talk," she finished bluntly.
He waited expectantly for an explanation, and when there was none forthcoming he asked, "Phoebe, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," she replied calmly and peacefully smiled, giving him the answer that annoyed her most when one of the kids used it. Seeing his discomfort, she began to understand the kind of perverse pleasure that Trelawney got from taunting her elders.
Dr. Meyers looked at Hal, who was looking at her with a very puzzled look on his face.
"Phoebe," said Hal gently. "You promised to cooperate."
She thought about that. When she had agreed to cooperate, she had been feeling almost hopeless. However she had lost those feelings. She might not have any confidence in Dr. Meyers, but she did in Pastor Jason. If this was about her, then she knew that Hal was the one who would have to back down this time, and let her talk to the counselor with whom she felt most safe.
"I know," she said briefly.
"Are you now breaking that promise?" he asked beginning to look anxious.
She ignored his worry, and without skipping a beat said, "Yes."
Hal looked at her with exasperation, and then as the realization of what was happening began to flood his mind, slowly began to smile. Throwing his hands up in the air and rolling his eyes towards heaven he said, "Why fight it?"
She looked at him, with more than a hint of mischief in her eyes, and replied, " Why Professor, are you inferring something?"
His response surprised Dr. Meyers, who had not been able to make any sense of the last exchange between them.
"Why Miss Figalilly, I do believe that you are trying to tell me something."
She didn't speak, but widened her eyes with that familiar "who, me?" expression in them.
Hal by now was close to tears. Sitting before him was his Nanny, the one who had shown up one day to drive him nuts by claiming that she had determined the true sex of a guinea pig by talking to it and had bought a special lens for a surprise telescope for Hal simply because it was on sale.
But no, she was no longer his "Nanny." Nanny was gone. Sitting before him was his Phoebe, full of joy and laughter, teasing him with her ability to read below the surface of words. This time, her manipulation of the conversation was not a defense mechanism this time, intended to thwart his clumsy attempts to help restore her equilibrium. Rather, it was proof that she was back to her old self. He decided to do a little testing of his own.
"You know, Phil," he said. "Maybe we should cut today's session short. We have busy day today with the big homecoming event for the Flemings. It's so big that Harvey Sloan is coming with his television cameras."
Imitating what had become a favorite gesture of the girls, Phoebe gave a toss of her bright blonde hair.
"I have no doubt that Trelawney will enjoy being the center of attention once again!"
Hal looked at Phil, who was still looking very bemused. He would probably never understand his role in helping Phoebe take this next important step in her recovery. The strongest indication that he now had, that she was truly on an upward trajectory, was her spirited "push back" to Phil's attempts to understand her.
It was somewhat irritating for Hal to realize that she had been right that Phil had become so eager to understand her that he lost his effectiveness as a counselor, however he easily let go of that. It was her annoyance with him that had finally returned his Phoebe to him.
She now sat before him, with sparkle returned to her eyes and her lips waiting to be kissed. Forgetting Phil's presence, he happily obliged. This was their moment and he had every intention of celebrating it.
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That afternoon, as soon as they arrived at the worksite, Pastor Jason came up to them. Grabbing Hal by the arm, he led him aside.
"Phoebe needs to talk with her sister," he said quickly.
"I'll get her and Emmeline," he answered just as quickly.
Pastor Jason hesitated, but then said, "Not Emmeline."
"She still doesn't trust her?" asked Hal.
"No," replied Jason honestly. "That relationship is going to take a long time to rebuild. But Trelawney had faced up to something important this morning. It is something that will set her sister free. I just hope that she is ready for it."
"She's ready," stated Hal. "She's come back to me. You're finally going to get to meet the real Phoebe Figalilly."
"Soon to be Everett?" asked Pastor Jason with a grin. "Of course she is still in need of . . ."
"A ring!" finished Hal impatiently. "I know, I know. When is everyone going to let that rest?"
"When she has the ring," replied Pastor Jason logically.
Hal scowled, but went to get Phoebe to bring into the house, while Pastor Jason went to collect Trelawney.
Sitting in the living room for privacy, Phoebe asked, "You didn't want to speak with Emmeline present?"
It was Trelawney's turn to scowl. "I'm still quite mad at her."
"You know, Trelawney," said Pastor Jason. "If you retain this bitterness, you will only be hurting yourself in the long run. If you forgive her, it will not only make her feel better, it will make you feel better."
Trelawney looked skeptical.
Pastor Jason took her hands and looked her straight in the eye.
"God forgives all. God is the way and the truth and the light. The only way to reach the light is to be like God. You must forgive Emmeline, and in fact your whole family. Unless you do, you cannot be like God. You cannot come to God. He is waiting for you," he said gently.
Trelawney was silent for a moment and then replied slowly, "Okay, I forgive them. But do I have to tell them?"
Her question was sincere. It very much like her to try to figure out an angle that would make something that she was reluctant to do more amenable.
"It kind of defeats the purpose of forgiving them, if you don't tell them," he answered.
She once again pondered his answer. "Okay, I will tell them."
"Now tell Phoebe what she needs to know," he said gently. "She is very much recovered, but needs your final affirmation so that she may complete her final journey towards the light."
The girl nodded. Turning to Phoebe, she took a deep breath and began.
"Phoebe, you must let go of your guilt. You have not done anything wrong. Therefore, your guilt is not real. The unicorn did not come for you. He came for me. Unicorns will only come to maidens. When he first came for me, I did not have a gallant knight to protect me. As the darkness fell, he laid his head in my lap."
She stopped and looked at Pastor Jason. She seemed to be looking for the strength to say what she must say next. Pastor Jason laid his hands on her forehead in a gesture of healing and blessing. She bowed her head. After a few minutes he released her and she returned her gaze to her sister.
She saw that the Professor had put his arm around Phoebe. With her second sight, she could see the aura of his strength flowing into her. Silently, she nodded.
"The unicorn's horn was sharp. It pierced. It hurt, but I did not understand. The unicorn left and said that he would return one day for the fair maiden," she picked up where she had left off.
But now she faltered. "I thought that he had come for you, Phoebe, for you were now the maiden. But when he came, he came for me as well as well as you. He was greedy.
"I am safe now. You are safe now. This time, when he returned there was a gallant knight waiting to slay him. He did. You knew, but you did not understand. The darkness came to you but it was not real, the light was real, but you could not see it. But now you see it."
Phoebe carefully considered her words. She looked at her sister and saw the pain. She knew what it had taken for her to face her own darkness. But now that she understood, she knew that the darkness could no longer trouble their dreams. She extended her arms and Trelawney slipped easily into her embrace. She held her tightly, but there was still one thought that troubled her.
Trelawney answered her question for her.
"Phoebe, you did not break your promise. You were not there the first time the unicorn came for the maiden. But the second time he came, you had set the gallant knight to watch over her. The gallant knight destroyed the unicorn. He is no more. You have fulfilled your promise," she explained.
"How did you come to realize this?" asked Hal.
Trelawney stood up straight, with hands neatly folded in front of her and spoke,
"God sent His angel to reveal the light. The light has chased away the darkness. Look towards the light, Phoebe, you are the child of light, for 'Phoebe' means light."
"And who are you, Trelawney?" asked Phoebe.
"I am a child of God. We are all children of God," she said simply.
Then she returned to her mischievous self. "May I go now? Mrs. Lenihan has brought us ice cream."
"Yes, dear," she answered.
But before she left, she turned around and said impishly, "Professor, will you kindly get Phoebe her ring? We are all growing most impatient."
"Scram, you little rascal! Go get your ice cream," he growled at her, only half joking.
Turning to Pastor Jason, he asked curiously, "Are you the angel?"
"I'm not sure. She has also referred to Francine and Topher as the angel on different occasions," he replied.
"She can only have one angel," said Phoebe thoughtfully. "To have more than one, to use her own turn of phrase, 'is not allowed.'"
"Well," said Hal. "Maybe this is one of those things that we are all just going to have to take on faith."
Phoebe smiled at him softly and he held her closer. Pastor Jason knew that she was finally turned toward the light. She would sleep well, and as for the unicorn, and the darkness that he brought, he had been banished by the gallant knight forever. And the angel? The words of Robert Frost came into his mind.
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep."
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