I suppose I would look for your familiar footsteps approaching my office every now and thenโalbeit, Iโd be less light about it. Selfish as this may seem, I would still applaud you for I can think of no other more deserving of the praise of the people around him. I would simply be stunned by how little Iโll see of you, or the fact Iโll have to climb more stairs just to grant myself an opportunity to make myself known. It is out of our customary exchanges, for your lunch table wouldnโt exactly see me sitting across you, but rather a door, that when you step out, the city is waiting to swallow you whole. What Iโm attempting to say with this rabble of mine is that you neednโt lose a friend for the sake of a higher chair. Iโd await an honest man any day.
โ Arthur Wright, from a letter to Justin Lawson written in February 1912 (The Correspondence of Arthur Wright).
-Leopold contemplates his family while writing letters to his sons
TW: mentions of @bu$3, family problems
It was already late. Leopold was awake even though it was late. At the moment, he was in his study, and his appearance was less formal than the formal attire he generally wears in public. His suit jacket was hung over the chair he was seated in, and his neckerchief was untied.
Leopold was waiting for his fiancรฉe to return from the Swan Lake premiere. Minerva had said her goodbyes earlier that evening and promised to return late. For the time being, he was penning letters to his sons, Rockley and Larry, as he waited for her return. He had begun writing the letters hours before. However, due to his responsibilities, he had to set those aside. He was continuing them now as it had been a while since he had spoken to his sons.
Rockley was the bank's current head. Leopold had just appointed his eldest son as bank manager a few days before. He made the choice and made the arrangements for Rockley. His niece, Clarissa, had died unexpectedly, leaving the bank in disarray for some time. It wasn't until he understood that his son could improve Concordia's economy and restore the family's prestige that he realized.
Clarissa's demise was not the only reason he persuaded Rockley to accept the position. The chance was also a teaching moment for his son. When Leopold went to his son's factory, he found himself scolding Rockley. His son had been squandering his wealth, and he could not have been more unhappy.
The words he remembers distinctly coming out of his mouth were: "What were you thinking?! Have you not learned anything from your younger brother? Throwing your fortune about for pointless things is such a waste Rockley! Really, a year's income for a stamp?! It's utterly irresponsible! This ends now!" Leopold came to the conclusion that it was best to cut Rockleyโs funds for a while.
Naturally, his son was dismayed by his father's interference. Rockley was reluctant to leave his factory, but Leopold couldn't let him continue to be careless with his business and its finances. He remembered the disagreement they had a few days before, with Rockley again and again pointing out, "Dad, I just don't think I'm cut out for the job of bank manager! An innovator like myself and a career like this simply don't mix. Iโm not Clarissa!"
But Leopold was steadfast in his decision for his son. "I hoped you'd be more sensible than your brother, Rockley. I'm worried you'll go down the same path he did," Leopold had said. Rockley had sulked for days as a result of it. The photographs of him in the Concordian Gazette reflected his reactions.
"I shall be coming over to the bank to see on how you are currently running it," Leopold wrote at the end of his letter. โI am so proud of you for accepting this responsibility. "Wait for my arrival; I'll see you soon."
He set down his pen and picked up the letter, rereading it several times before sealing it in an envelope and addressing it to Rockley. Leopold will pay him a visit tomorrow. Hopefully, his son was just doing fine.
Yawning, he picked up the unfinished letter to his other son, Larry. Leopold's heart always went heavy when he thought of him. This time, that heaviness came again.
Oh, that terrible night, when his elation at being released quickly turned to terror. He couldn't accept the truth that his son, his son...became impertinent, self-centered, and murderous. A killer!
When he thought about Larry, all he could think of was his son in prison, most likely never regretting what he had done. And that horrible memory...Leopold never saw his son, but the news traumatized him. Sleeping for a long period of time was difficult because of it.
Leopold soothed himself by running his fingers through his hair. After a few seconds, readjusting his monocle, he resumed writing to his son with a heavy sigh and heart.
"I hope you are well. It has been quite some time since I last wrote to you. I just wanted to let you know that your brother has now taken the position that was once your late cousin's. I made an effort to try and see you, but Justin Lawsonโs orders has forbidden me to speak to you.โ
It was true. Leopold had been attempting to pay a visit to his son, whom he missed. However, Lawson made it clear to Chief Wright that no Rochester could speak to Larry.
Pausing for a moment to think, he returned to writing. In the letter, he wrote to Larry about what was going on in the family, how he disapproved of it, and tried to persuade him that his relatives' wild ambition would lead to their destruction. Eventually, Leopold had reached the conclusion of the letter.
โAllow this to be a tremendous lesson for you. I am shocked that we are all implicated in these scandals. I didn't want to get involved in the first place, yet here we are. I never wanted anyone in Concordia see our family as dishonest crooks. Our family is set to fall, and I am in fear that any of us could get harmed.โ
Leopold's thoughts were an unintelligible muddle at this point. He was involved in so many matters. His rising dread that one of his loved ones may get into greater difficulty or, worse, be hurt. The Rochester name had become significantly tarnished as a result of the repulsive behaviors and decisions made by certain members of the family, and the shame of it all was awful. If only he could invent something that would put an end to all of this.
With Archie's attempts to woo Vittorio Capecchi's daughter, his recent discovery of Malcolm's decadence, Horatio's misdeeds, the plans for the Rochester Republic that Malcolm and Horatio devised, and one of his sons committing a horrid crime, this family was doomed. Leopold ended his letter with a deep sigh.
โLarry, wherever you are, I am still worrying about you and your older brother. Take responsibility for your words and actions. I'll write to you again soon."
Leopold put down his pen once again. He rubbed his eyes and removed his monocle. Unlike when he picked up his letter to Rockley in order to reread it, Leopold merely looked blankly at the letter intended for his younger son.
Leopold was fatigued in every wayโฆ it felt as though nothing could solace him during these times. Why, his life appears to be spiraling out of control with each passing day. Just like when small cracks appear on an old statue.
He was apprehensive about his family's future. Malcolm's Rochester Republic was something he didn't want to be a part of, and his plans to place his son Archie as Lawson's personal assistant at city hall were just another indication of their insane thirst for power. Are they still not satisfied? It appears that they already had Concordia in their possession!
It seems as if...he was the only one who could put a stop to this madness. But he has tried several times before. His brother's reactions were quite frightening. Leopold remembered trying to negotiate with Horatio, but it escalated into a furious dispute, with his elder brother seizing his collar and pushing him dangerously close to whisper a threat.
Horatio's warning still haunts him.
โDo you remember my darling wife who was once in the asylum? The one who disgraced us? I believe it would be a suitable punishment if someone like her met the same fate. I would do anything to keep this family's name alive, Leo.
"But if my 'family,' and I mean EVER, turns against me, after everything I've done to make them feared and adored, I'll make sure they gradually suffer the repercussions of their actions. Do you understand?โ
The fight ended with Horatio letting go of Leopold and walking out of the room, leaving his younger brother with shock that lasted till the next day, unable to grasp what had transpired.
Leopold had not noticed the tears streaming from his eyes after recalling the unpleasant experience. Taking off his monocle, he covered his face with his hands, weeping silently in his study.
He could no longer hold out hope that his family might be mended.
(Yung mabawi ko lang ang Langit Points ko pls lang juskolowrd ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ)
1. One of the turtles in the pond is named Pong Pagong. The only other person who can differentiate little Pong from all the other turtles who now bear Renaissance artist names, aside from His Holiness, is Dean Cardinal Lawrence.
2. Sister Agnes is the one who first referred to the poor Dean as a "perpetually exhausted pigeon." That being said, all the Sisters keep an eye on him and there is a Not So Secret Conspiracy, led by His Holiness himself, to make sure the Dean eats enough.
(Obviously, it is Cardinal Bellini who notices that said Dean is putting on a healthy bit of weight.)
3. The Pinoy Mafia, obviously, was absolutely THRILLED to have a Pinoy Pope at last. Notable Pinoy dishes start apppearing in the Vatican kitchen menu. Sister Maria Lourdes who got "Papa Enteng" to beam with delight after trying her Bicol Express, was walking on air for days.
4. Sister Agnes would have normally been horrified to see the Holy Father puttering about in her kitchens but as the arroz caldo he was cooking was for a sick Dean Lawrence, she let it go.
Also, that was very good arroz caldo. Instant addition to the kitchen menu.
5. OBVIOUSLY His Holiness was delighted to bless the opening of a Jollibee near Vatican City. The video and pic of Jollibee himself doing a respectful "mano po" to Santo Papa Enteng broke Pinoy socmed.
6. Arroz caldo was not the last thing His Holiness cooked in the Vatican kitchens. His mischievous rendering of a Pinoy "carbonara" gave the Italian Curia collective apoplexy.
The Dean was amused but he actually liked the bacon and mushrooms.
Cardinal Bellini was in despair over his friend's hopeless "English palate." But Bellini himself did ask for seconds.
("Sinasabi ko nga sa inyo masarap eh," was His Holiness' amused comment. None of the Pinoy clergy wanted to explain what he meant to the non Tagalog speakers.)
7. No one wants to come forward and admit WHO filmed Cardinal Tedesco's reaction to Pinoy spaghetti, as cooked by the Holy Father, and uploaded it to Tiktok.
(It is widely suspected that it was the cheery, talkative, mischief-loving Cardinal from Manila who was responsible but no one wants to give him up anyway. Plus, he was a solid Papa Enteng supporter since Day 1 of the Conclave. He also famously did not get on with the Patriarch of Venice.)
8. Look, Pope Innocent was only going to get away with speaking Tagalog and not being understood by his polyglot Dean for so long. The first time he was surprised by his Dean showing off his newfound fluency was during the Holy Father's first visit to the Philippines.
(There was absolutely NO CRIME or other forms of violence in that country for the entire two weeks His Holiness was there. Filipino Catholics adored their Papa Enteng, no question. The mass attendance at Luneta alone broke the records set by the previous Popes.)
9. One favorite moment was when the Pope quietly slipped away to visit a shelter for street children and spent a precious couple of hours with them. There was a storytelling session too.
When the news media was able to interview one of the adorable little babbus who had sat on Santo Papa Enteng's lap during storytime, the little one blurted out that Papa Enteng told them all about the good Pong Pagong and his adventures in the Vatican, along with his good friend Kiko Matsing.
10. Papa Enteng, like about 95% of his countrymen, had a good singing voice. He made the country proud by singing a verse from "Bayan Ko" - and sent certain highly placed government officials sweating nervously.
the way june describes this woman as if she's going to be reactionary and accusatory and then the actual dialouge from her is just. a well-framed and valid question
