Contents
36. The Squirrel Wood
Overview
Years after the main conflicts, Turner takes his seven-year-old son to a woodland clearing to teach him to shoot and observe squirrels. The boy remembers a secret plane his mother showed him and asks about Uncle Rudy. The chapter closes on Turner’s wry acknowledgment of survival and exceptions.
Summary
In a tranquil aftermath, Turner hikes with his seven-year-old son to a forest clearing, carrying Rudy’s old nylon-stocked Winchester. The clearing is special to the boy because his mother once brought him there and showed him a hidden, slowly sinking plane whose plastic skin holds the imprint of a hand.
As Turner sets up pine lengths for target practice, the boy’s thoughts drift to the plane and to his mother’s earlier tears when she spoke of Uncle Rudy, saying Rudy had saved her twice—once from youth and folly, and once from a dangerous man. The boy also recalls playful family mysteries, like his father’s red hair “from the Dutchman.”
After Turner explains squirrel-hunting and promises Sally they won’t kill anything, the boy asks if squirrels are truly so foolish they return to be shot. Turner answers yes, then amends it with a smile: “Well, almost always,” hinting at resilience and exceptions within the hard lessons he’s passing on.
Who Appears
- TurnerFather teaching his seven-year-old son to shoot; reflects on survival with a wry caveat.
- The boyTurner’s seven-year-old son; remembers a secret plane and asks about Uncle Rudy.
- SallyThe boy’s mother; previously showed him the hidden plane; extracted a promise not to kill.
- Uncle RudyRecalled in the mother’s story as the man who saved her twice; figure of family lore.
- The DutchmanMysterious origin of Turner’s red hair, mentioned in family banter.