A Bird in the House

Grandfather Connor always wore a bear pelt coat during the winter. To young Vanessa, the coat seemed sinister; it only made her grandfather more bear-like, as he already had a stern demeanor and a habit of pacing. When men who were courting Edna came over, Grandfather would retreat to the basement, which Vanessa called “the cave.” There, he would sit in a rocking chair, and the creaking floor would resonate through the house.

One cold Saturday, Grandfather Connor approaches Vanessa while she is skating. He tells her that her father and mother are out of town, and that she will be staying the night at the Brick House. Her brother, Roddie, stays with Grandmother MacLeod, whom Grandfather Connor refers to as “the old lady,” even though she is younger than him.

As they walk to the Brick House, Vanessa’s thoughts drift to her writing. Recently captivated by themes of love and death, she has started crafting a tragic love story set in ancient Egypt—a period she admits knowing little about. In her tale, a hero is doomed to carve a sphinx in the desert for a cruel Pharaoh; she debates which character to kill off, as she usually chooses the one she likes least.

Grandmother Connor is at her canary’s cage at the Brick House, while Grandfather Connor grumbles about the bird being “messy” and Edna’s delay in preparing dinner.

In the kitchen, Vanessa expresses her desire to sleep in Edna’s room, secretly planning to try on her makeup.

Jimmy Lorimer, an old flame of Edna’s from Winnipeg, calls Edna and she invites him to dinner. Grandmother Connor appears pleased and hopeful about Jimmy, and she asks Edna if he is a good man. Edna, flustered, hastily agrees and rushes out to meet him, leaving Vanessa puzzled by her aunt’s nervousness.

Jimmy’s visit doesn’t sit well with Grandfather Connor, who criticizes city folks and dismisses Jimmy’s job at a loan company as crooked. Despite Jimmy’s efforts to relate, the dinner escalates into an argument, prompting Jimmy to hint at his imminent departure. Grandfather Connor retreats to the basement to sulk in his rocking chair. Vanessa, eavesdropping, hears Jimmy challenge Edna about their past and possible feelings, which Edna rebuffs sharply. Discomforted by the intrusion, Vanessa leaves as Jimmy exits the house. Edna, visibly upset, retreats to her room alone, asking Vanessa to sleep elsewhere.

That night, Vanessa seeks comfort by crawling into bed with Edna but leaves upon hearing her cry. Reflecting on her own tragic Egyptian love story, she feels an urge to destroy it.

Around this time, Grandmother Connor falls seriously ill, trusting only Ewen, Vanessa's father, for medical care. Beth moves in to nurse her, but Vanessa is kept away from her ailing grandmother.

One cold morning, Vanessa learns from Grandfather Connor on the porch—noticeably without his bear pelt—that Grandmother Connor has passed away. Seeing her grandfather cry deeply unsettles her.

Edna is distraught, lamenting how harshly he treated Grandmother Connor, especially toward the end, and his refusal to show kindness to Jimmy despite her pleas.

Vanessa is not permitted to attend the funeral, a fact that brings her a sense of relief. Her Uncle Terence from Toronto arrives for the service. Vanessa feels a kinship with Uncle Terence, reminiscent of her fondness for Dan.

Amid discussions of giving away the canary, Grandfather Connor insists it stays, snapping at Edna. Beth urges Edna to be understanding and recognize that he, too, is grieving. The local newspaper reveals that Jimmy has married another woman, and Beth cautions Vanessa not to mention it to Edna, who is already aware.

Alone during the funeral, Vanessa holds a makeshift ceremony for her grandmother, with only the canary for company. Upon the family’s return, Grandfather Connor reminds her to think of her grandmother as an angel before retreating again to the basement. Uncle Terence pours whiskey. A family argument erupts over whether Grandmother Connor knew of Grandfather’s love for her. Terence reveals a painful family secret: Grandmother Connor had almost left Grandfather before Edna was born upon discovering his affair with a woman from Winnipeg. He suggests that Grandfather saw Grandmother as too virtuous for him, burdened by the contrast between her universal adoration and his lack of it—a burden similar to Edna’s defense mechanism of using humor to shield herself. After a poignant silence, Edna decides to offer him tea.

Years later, Vanessa’s visit to a museum brings her face to face with a Haida Indigenous bear mask. The familiar look in its eyes transports her back to her grandfather, connecting his memory with the mask’s expression.