The Good Man
- All right, awesome readers, it's time for Sal to give us the scoop on her dad.
- Her dad is Gram and Gramps' only living son. They had three other sons who each died young.
- Her dad is a good guy who loves the simple life. He's loves flannel shirts and taking care of the same car for 15+ years.
- He is incredibly thoughtful, she tells us, and he's always on the lookout for things he can do for other people. Once, he dug up a flowering bush in a field and brought it home for his mother.
- Because of all this good deed doing, Sal's mother always felt like she had to keep up with her husband in the generosity department. She never felt like she was as "good" as he was.
- Right before she left, she would say things to her husband like, "sometimes, I don't think you are human." (18.8), which made Sal mad, because it seemed like her mom wanted her dad to be "meaner."
- As it turns out, this is all related to the reason Sal's mom has peaced out. She decided to leave so that she could clear her mind and heart. "She needed to learn about what she was" (18.13).
- Sal's mom didn't even say goodbye to Sal, because saying goodbye to her was so hard. So she wrote her a letter instead and told her she will be back soon.
- But when they found out that her mom wasn't ever coming home, Sal's dad started chipping away at the fireplace he discovered behind the plaster wall. He carved his wife's name, Chanhassen, into the cement.
- Soon after this, he started receiving letters from Mrs. Cadaver. Sal didn't like this one bit, so she started throwing some major tantrums. We're talking whoppers.
- After a while, her dad decided to sell the farm. Sal acted out even more, so he agreed to only rent the farm out to other people, rather than sell it. That way, they could move back if they wanted to.
- But he told Sal he needed to get out of Bybanks where he was completely haunted by her mom.
- Sal agreed to temporarily move with him to Euclid, but she didn't understand what was brave or courageous about this move.
- Despite all this, Sal didn't want to know anything about Mrs. Cadaver, or even think about the fact that her dad had been corresponding with her.
- Honestly, Sal kind of wished her dad weren't such a good guy so that she could blame him for her mom's leaving. After all, she doesn't want to blame her mom.