The answer to this question should be “flying”, if I’m correct.
The two sentences in this excerpt that reflect the main character's uneasiness with his family history are:
1) The full contents of the chest never came quite clear, perhaps because he didn't want to know.
and
2) His mother had once tried to explain the paper to him, but he hadn't wanted to listen.
Both sentences show that the main character, as a child, is not interested in the chest and its contents, because to him the family heirloom represents death and decay, so his family history, which is locked in that chest, makes him uneasy. As the story progresses (and the character grows), his view of the chest changes and varies, until he understands its importance.
A. Is past participle
B. Is past tense
C. Is present continuous
D. Is present tense (factual)
Hence B is the right answer :)
