Susanna offered to fill her father’s plate and then Gary’s with the enchilada creation. The two men sampled it hesitantly, but upon tasting the dish, decided it was acceptable and dug in. Susanna loved the spices and flavors that came from the casserole. She would have to find out how it was made. She had learned a lot about cooking during her marriage to Mark. He had liked simple fare, but from time to time she had experimented using one of the cookbooks she’d been given as a wedding present. Mark had heartily approved of her adventurous nature, even if there were one or two dishes he received with less enthusiasm than others.
“This is really good. I like it a lot,” Gary said, passing his plate for more. “I tried something called a tamale at work today. It was a lot of ground corn on the outside and meat inside. They were really hot with spices that made my eyes water. The fellas laughed at the way I could hardly eat it. Owen said I’d get used to the spices in time.”
“How was your workday?” Susanna filled his plate and handed it back.
“It’s hard work. Hot too. So hot. I don’t know how a man bears it, but I did.” He puffed out his chest in pride. “Owen took me to the river afterwards. A lot of the men go swimming there, while some go for cold beer and to shoot pool. I might try that tomorrow.”
“You’re too young to be drinking until all hours,” Father said. “I won’t have a drunkard as a son.”
“I don’t intend to be a drunkard. But I do intend to make friends. If we have to live in this horrible town and work for a living, I intend to make the best of it.”
“Good for you, Gary. Friends are important. I’m sure Owen will be a good one to have.”
“Aw, he’s my boss. I can’t really be friends with him.” Gary reached out to stab a slice of tomato. Next he took several cucumber slices, some ham, and finally a slice of bread. “But the boomers are there, and they’re good to me. I can go with them to play pool. I guess there’s poker too, but that’s done in backrooms. It might be illegal, but I don’t know for sure, ’cause it seems all the men know about it and do it. I guess a lot of money changes hands.”
“Poker, eh?” Father murmured.
“Well, don’t get yourself in trouble.” Susanna began to prepare a plate for her mother. She knew Mother wouldn’t appreciate the enchilada casserole but put a tiny bit on the plate anyway. She then added ham and some of the fresh vegetables and placed some bread and butter on the side. “Do you suppose Mother would like iced tea or hot?” she asked, knowing the answer but hoping to draw her father into considering that his wife had once again taken to her bed.
“I guess hot tea, but the day has been so wretchedly warm that she might prefer the iced. Maybe start with it.” He shook his head. “The hotel is rather warm. I don’t know how Harrison thinks people are going to want to stay there.”
“It cools down in the evening, Father. I find it rather comfortable at night.” Susanna poured her mother iced tea, then stood to fetch another tray. She arranged the food for her mother, then remembered to grab silver and a linen napkin at the last moment. “I’ll be right back.”
She went to the bedroom door and gave a light knock. Her mother’s voice was barely audible. She was trying to prove how weak she was to whoever was coming to see her.
“Oh, it’s you, Susanna. I’m afraid I’m just so weak from the heat.”
“I thought you might be, so I brought you iced tea with sugar. It should perk you right up, although I know you prefer hot tea.” Susanna arranged the tray on the bed so that it was near her mother, who had changed from her clothes into a dressing gown and now lay atop the bed with a book.
“I don’t suppose we have any cake, do we?”
“No. I haven’t had time to bake.” Susanna offered nothing more. If Mother wanted cake, she could figure out for herself how to get it. “I’ll be with the boys if you need anything.”
She didn’t give her mother time to protest but returned to the table to find her father and brother arguing.
“I don’t want to help you at the hotel,” Gary said firmly. “I like what I’m doing.”
“You like being a dirty laborer? I didn’t raise you to take on such work. You were meant for greater things. I want you to go to college this fall.”
“And how will you pay for that? We have no money because you lost it all.” Up until now, Gary had said very little about their change of status. It seemed a hard day’s work had brought out the frustration in him. “I lost all of my friends because of your inability to manage your accounts. You were the laughingstock of Topeka and no doubt elsewhere. I was glad to leave so that I could be spared further embarrassment.”
Father slammed down his fork. “How dare you speak that way to me? We had a minor setback. Nothing more. You cannot gain great capital without taking risks of equal greatness. It is hardly my fault that the man involved in the investment was a crook, nor that your uncle wouldn’t stand by me.”
“If you’d taken Uncle Harrison’s counsel in the first place, you wouldn’t have made such a mess of it,” Gary countered. “You think you’re so wise, but you aren’t.” He got up from the table, shaking his head. “And so we must live like this.”
He stormed off to his room, leaving Susanna and her father to stare at one another.
Susanna wondered if there was anything she could say to help the matter, but she decided her father wouldn’t hear it, even if she offered praise. He knew in his heart of hearts that this mess was his fault. He had to know. Even with all the denial and blaming of the conman who’d sold him out, he had to see that he had rejected advice from others more qualified to judge. He had to accept that he was responsible. Didn’t he?
“Your brother will never know how these things work,” Father groused. “He’s too impatient to learn. If he could only see the way industry and finance requires a man to make choices that others might see as far too dangerous in order to bless that man with riches and security. Perhaps one day when we are resettled and recovered from this, I will be able to teach Gary how to judge the situations for himself.”
She frowned and tried to keep her focus on her food. What could she possibly say? It was as if her father lived in a world of his own making.
After supper, Susanna cleaned up, knowing no one else would. She put away the food and clean dishes, then went to her mother to say good-bye before heading over to the hotel.
“Everything is put away, Mother. I’m hoping to speak to Lia tonight to see how soon she can start working for you.”
“Oh, I do hope it is soon. I simply cannot abide a dirty house, and of course there is no one to fix breakfast. Your father had to bring breakfast from one of the local cafés this morning. It was greasy and cold by the time it reached me.” Mother gave a little sniff.
“You can always eat cold ham and make toast. We have sliced bread.”
“I wouldn’t know how to make toast,” her mother protested.
“Well, perhaps it would be a good idea to learn.” Susanna kissed her mother’s forehead, then headed for the door. “I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.”