Why does Arnold live with his grandparents? Where are his parents?
The story is explained in “Parents Day” and “The Journal”; the short version is, Arnold’s father is a doctor who visits out-of-the-way parts of the world (Flying Doctors/Voladores, Medicines sans Fronteirs/Doctors Without Borders, that sort of thing). His co-worker considers him a “ladies’ man”, but he figures that no woman would ever put up with the amount of travel he does…until he meets one that travels just as much; an archeologist. It’s love at first sight; they get married, have a son (Arnold), and settle down. At least, until Arnold’s father’s friend asks him to perform another mission; despite his protests that he has a wife and son, he gives in, and Arnold’s mother joins him. Leaving Arnold with his parents, they take off in their two-seater biplane…and haven’t been heard from since. (By the way, for those of you outside of North America, Mother’s Day is the second Sunday in May here. For those of you in North America, the UK celebrates “Mothering Sunday” in March. Father’
The story is explained in “Parents Day” and “The Journal”; the short version is, Arnold’s father is a doctor who visits out-of-the-way parts of the world (Flying Doctors/Voladores, Medicines sans Fronteirs/Doctors Without Borders, that sort of thing). His co-worker considers him a “ladies’ man”, but he figures that no woman would ever put up with the amount of travel he does…until he meets one that travels just as much; an archeologist. It’s love at first sight; they get married, have a son (Arnold), and settle down. At least, until Arnold’s father’s friend asks him to perform another mission; despite his protests that he has a wife and son, he gives in, and Arnold’s mother joins him. Leaving Arnold with his parents, they take off in their two-seater biplane…and haven’t been heard from since. (By the way, for those of you outside of North America, Mother’s Day is the second Sunday in May here. For those of you in North America, the UK celebrates “Mothering Sunday” in March.
