A Father

"We still expected my father to come home each weekend, as he had since the war began, and subconsciously we continued to save things to tell him. We were surrounded by his possessions, and though his touch in life had been light, it was found to be everywhere. A curious thing, for his was a quiet and detached personality; he never demanded attention and often could be in the house for hours without anyone realizing he was there. Yet, when he wasn't there and now would never be there, we missed him in every part of our lives." A Quite Remarkable Father, pg. 5

"We, his children, naturally agreed wholeheartedly that he did look a little ridiculous kissing girls and playing the juvenile because we did not feel that parents were supposed to do things like that, and he always roared with laughter and agreed that we were right: 'I look like a silly old fool, not the respectable father I am.'" A Quite Remarkable Father, pg. 6

"He was not a great party-lover, which also endeared him to his children, and most parties, when I was small, found him sneaking up to my room like a conspirator and again dozing off on my bed. He was usually found out; someone would miss him, and my poor mother then had to play the villain and come searching for him. Suddenly, her voice would be heard saying she hoped he was not in 'that' child's room at 'this' time of night. We would giggle with our heads under the blankets, and he would beg me to hide him. This was obviously terrible for discipline, but wonderful fun for me." A Quite Remarkable Father, pg. 7

"He was great fun as a father, and Winkie and I would never miss any opportunity to be with him. Being the younger and also at home all the time, I had more chance than my brother, and never had a child a more entertaining companion. He had a rare talent of being able to suit his humor and his interests to whatever age his children happened to be. Perhaps we unconsciously suited our age to his, but whatever the case, I cannot remember a time when he talked down to us or failed to get the same ridiculous glee out of the little things. For at least the first twelve years of my life, I was his shadow, feeling no need for friends of my own, riding with him, learning to dance or draw or read with him, and always laughing with him." A Quite Remarkable Father, pg. 9

"It took a great deal of provocation to irritate my father. He had developed a remarkable defense mechanism. He simply did not see what he chose not to see. Once I remarked that some people connected with a particular film he was working on struck me as rather unpleasant. He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment and then said, 'Yes, I suppose they are, but I don't really notice them.' When I replied a little tartly that he was lucky, because I found them impossible, he answered, 'It's not luck, Dood. You simply must learn to retreat inside yourself or you'll find life takes too much out of you—it's exhausting and a great waste of time to dislike people.'" A Quite Remarkable Father, pg. 10

"Possibly because his own father had been severe, he was determined to be understanding and easygoing and let us make our own decisions." A Quite Remarkable Father, pg. 12

"My father's growth is interesting partly because he never tried to overcome his weaknesses. He was in some ways quite lazy, and he found it delightfully easy to make use of his disadvantages: shyness and shortsightedness, vagueness and unpunctuality became his trademark, and he hid behind it shamelessly, sheltered from the outside world. But he seemed to have remarkable talents, and he was gentle and humorous and a splendid friend." A Quite Remarkable Father, pg. 14


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