How the Penguins Saved Veronica

Now that Veronica is feeling better, she has a conversation with Patrick and expresses her approval that he’s physically more presentable and has stopped using marijuana. He explains that he was going through a rough patch, and Veronica seems to understand. That same day, Terry proposes taking Pip out to introduce him to the penguin colony. He must get acclimated as he grows older and learn to feed himself like the rest. Veronica is anxious, but Terry and Patrick promise to bring him back after a short visit to the colony. He has a special yellow band on his flipper that makes him easy to spot.

When they return, Terry and Patrick report back to Veronica about Pip’s first day. Everything went well, and Veronica bursts into tears of relief when the penguin is returned to her safe and sound. The next day, Veronica learns that Patrick has found a way to repair the generator using spare parts. Now, no one needs to conserve electricity, and they can go back to their usual routine. Veronica can have as much tea as she likes again. Of her grandson’s accomplishment, she says, “I confess, I do feel rather proud” (282).

On his next visit, Patrick tells Veronica about his mother’s suicide, which gives her an entirely different view of him. She says, “I look at this shabby boy before me. I am in a state of wonder. He is remarkably willing to give the benefit of the doubt. He is extraordinarily forgiving. He is undeniably kind” (283). Veronica feels the urge to show him the four strands of hair inside the locket she wears around her neck but then feels the associated pain would overwhelm her. She will show him another time.

Terry reports that the penguin blog has been retweeted 846 times. This is a bigger response than Robert Saddlebow’s show elicited. Veronica asks what use the blog is, and Terry explains that social media engagement can get people involved in environmental protection. A long conversation follows in which all the scientists talk about ways that the average person can conserve energy and reduce their carbon footprint. Veronica decides that she will make more eco-friendly purchasing decisions once she gets back to Scotland.

The discussion ends when Chef Patrick enters with mini pizzas and wine. A DVD of Vanity Fair provides the evening’s entertainment. The following day, Veronica contemplates the budding romance between Patrick and Terry. The next ship is due to arrive in a week, and she worries that the couple will be pulled apart too soon.

Patrick steels himself for the journey back home with Veronica in tow. She sits him down for a talk in which she explains that she will be funding the penguin project on an ongoing basis so long as the team saves one orphaned penguin each season. Patrick says, “She thinks I must be well peed off not to get her money. I’m not, though. The important thing is that she’s OK” (293). After their talk, Patrick takes Pip and goes out to the colony with Terry. He is on the verge of confessing his feelings for Terry but loses his courage. When she slips on the ice and he rushes to her rescue, they kiss.

As they walk back to the center and exchange several more kisses, Terry discourages Patrick from thinking they have a future together. Her life is with the penguins, not back in England, as he suggests. Patrick thinks, “It’s going to be one hell of a five days, with an ill grandmother and a penguin chick to care for and a cabin full of scientists with no room to maneuver at all, let alone indulge our newfound passion” (301). By the time Patrick returns that afternoon, Veronica seems to have taken a turn for the worse. This throws the rest of the team into a panic. They contact the doctor, who refuses to fly out again unless it’s a life-or-death emergency.

Patrick is subjected to a roller coaster of hope and despair. One day, Veronica rallies, and the next, she slumps down again. Her food goes uneaten for an entire day, and then she eats heartily the next. Her health is still uncertain by the time the ship arrives to take them home, so Patrick and Veronica remain on the island.

Veronica confesses afterward that she resorted to trickery to stay at the research center for another three weeks. Using artfully applied pallid makeup and forgoing a few meals, she fooled everyone. On the day when they are supposed to depart, Veronica pretends to collapse on the floor of her bedroom. Over two weeks later, she reports with some satisfaction that Patrick and Terry are growing more attached to one another. By now, she has allowed herself to recover properly and is again able to hike out to visit the penguin colony. She is satisfied to see Pip integrating into the collective so easily.

One day, Veronica asks Patrick to have a private chat and reveals that she intends to establish an annuity to allow the penguin research to continue indefinitely. Patrick is crestfallen to realize that he will never pry Terry out of Antarctica now. However, Veronica suggests that Patrick might make a life for himself on Locket Island. He says he has no skills, but Veronica points out that he is a capable cook, a genius at repairing faulty equipment, and an excellent penguin wrangler. Besides, she has already talked the matter over with Dietrich and Mike, and they agreed. Veronica will subsidize Patrick’s salary as the new member of the research team. She is already confident of Terry’s consent.

Patrick is overjoyed and asks if Veronica will stay on, too. She briefly considers the possibility but then decides that she wants to return to her creature comforts in Scotland. Patrick promises to visit her there often, and they agree to conduct more family research together about Patrick’s father. Veronica also proposes to invite Gav’s family to stay with her periodically. She has become intrigued by Gav’s eight-year-old daughter Daisy, who is undergoing cancer treatment but is courageous about this challenge. Veronica knows that she will miss Pip. “I must be strong. Maybe this Daisy girl will provide me with a new focus. I might even, conceivably, tell her something about my own life” (315).

Patrick is very satisfied with Veronica’s new life direction and her focus on Daisy: “A new mission will be great for Granny. She needs to care about somebody like she’s cared for Pip all this time. It brings out the best in her” (316). The day finally arrives for Veronica to depart. Her farewells are bittersweet as she realizes how much her life has changed because of her Antarctic adventure. She promises to correspond with the team on a regular basis but refuses to use a computer. Eileen will transcribe her letters and send them via email. Veronica will also continue to read the penguin blog, so long as she has a print copy. Veronica’s locket contains some new material now. “In addition to the four strands that were there before, there are two new specimens of human hair, plus a tiny tuft of fluff from a penguin” (321).

In March 2013, Veronica is safely back at Ballahays and prepares to welcome Gav’s family as guests. She is slightly alarmed to have two children tearing about the place but manages to cope with all the excitement. She calls Daisy to come and sit with her. “Her eyes are wide, hungry. I shall enjoy this. ‘Listen, Daisy. I am going to tell you all about penguins’” (327).

During this same time, Giovanni lies on his deathbed in Italy, surrounded by four generations of his own family. His mind drifts back to his teenage romance with Veronica. After the war, he was determined to find her again, but his mother talked him out of it, saying the English girl would have found somebody else by then. He eventually married an Italian girl and happily raised a family of his own. Still, in his final moments, his mind drifts back to the English girl he once loved. “Veronica: true, headstrong and gloriously vivid. How she shines! No matter what life throws at her, she will defy the odds. Whatever she does, she will be extraordinary” (329-30).