Ondine Childs Timeline and Summary

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• Ondine speaks with Sydney in the kitchen about how much she dislikes her boss' wife, Margaret. Sydney points out that Ondine used to get along with her, but Ondine just dismisses this claim. Their niece Jade walks in, and both of them are delighted to see her.
• Ondine asks for a chicken from a local lackey named Yardman (not his real name). He brings her the chicken wrapped in a newspaper, but neglects to pluck its feathers. Ondine knows she should call him back and make him do it, but she can't be bothered.
• Ondine's husband Sydney walks in and gets angry about the chicken. Ondine, though, calms him down and defends Yardman.
• Ondine is annoyed when she finds out that the lady of the house, Margaret Street, plans on making Christmas dinner herself. This is Ondine's job, and she knows she'll have to clean up when Margaret is done playing house.
• Ondine receives a nice new dress from her niece Jade for Christmas, and she decides to wear it for Christmas dinner.
• The dinner is a disaster, though, as Ondine freaks out at Valerian (her boss) for firing Yardman without telling her. During the ensuing argument, she blurts out that Valerian's wife Margaret abused their son Michael when he was just a baby.
• Ondine assumes that she and Sydney are fired. But things just carry on as usual after the dinner. Valerian is so shattered by the news about his wife's treatment of his son that he can't be bothered to fire anyone. Ondine and Sydney carry on as usual. Ondine is sad, though, that her niece Jade has taken off to live in New York with that good-for-nothing young man who calls himself Son.
• When Jade breaks up with Son, she comes back to Valerian's house to pick up some things on her way to France. Ondine tells Jade how disappointed she is that Jade has decided to leave her and Sydney in their old age. Jade insists that she won't give up her ambitions just to take care of two old people.
• Ondine accuses Jade of forgetting who she is and where she comes from. But Jade just shakes her head and flies away, leaving Ondine and Sydney to grow bitter at how they've been deserted.