I assumed. According to my husband, his father had walked out on
them shortly after knocking up his mother. No one had seen or
heard from Isidore Pollack since.
Another sound best left undescribed erupted from behind the
door.
"What's she doing in there?" asked Alex.
"I'm not sure I want to know."
"We need another bathroom," said Nick.
I offered him a wry, caffeine and sleep deprived grin. "I'll add it
to my list."
"Sorry, Mom," he mumbled. I hadn't yet told my sons the full
extent of our financial problems, but I did have to tell them something of the situation. Our lifestyle had to change and change fast.
They'd taken the news as best as can be expected from typical
teenage boys, which is to say not well at all.
I dreaded having to tell them all that I'd left out. Like their now
nonexistent college accounts. Only a year and a half away from
college, Alex had his heart set on Harvard. Until last week, I believed we'd have no trouble swinging the steep Ivy League fees.
Today we couldn't even afford the local community college. Coward that I am, I kept putting off the college discussion. But now
that Lucille knew the extent of our pauperdom, I knew I had to tell
my kids soon.
Nick fixed his gaze on a dust bunny that had taken up residence between the carpet runner and the baseboard. Or maybe it
was one of Catherine the Great's hairballs. Something else I didn't
want to know at six-thirty in the morning. Cleaning came last on
my to-do list right now. Not that it had ever ranked all that high,
but there are just so many hours in the day, and a girl's got to juggle and prioritize.
And delegate.
As soon as they decamped from the bathrooms, I'd assign
Mama and Lucille cleaning and laundry detail. I didn't dare ask
them to take over the cooking. Either they'd burn the house down
or we'd all wind up with a case of food poisoning. Possibly both.
I placed my hand on Nick's shoulder. "We'll get through this."
"How?"
I haven't a clue, but we will. Meanwhile, go use the bathroom
in the apartment above the garage."
"I thought we were going to rent that out."
"We are. As of Saturday. And don't worry about the bus. I'll
drive you both to school."
The phone rang as the boys headed toward the back door. "I'll
get it," Alex yelled.
A moment later he called out, "Hey, Mom, it's for you. Some
guy. Says it's important."
I grabbed the phone, placed my hand over the mouthpiece and
pointed to the back door. "Hurry up," I told the boys. I waited until
they closed the door behind them before speaking into the phone.
"Hello?" As much as I hoped it was that guy from Publisher's
Clearing House telling me I'd won a million dollars, I knew immediately it was my not-so-friendly neighborhood loan shark.
"Got my money?"
"I told you, I don't have your money."
Ricardo made a noise that sounded halfway between a tsk and
a kiss. "And I happen to know otherwise. Check your safe deposit
box recently?"
"Look, for all I know Karl never even met you. What proof do I
have that he owed you any money?"
"My word."
I snorted. "Since when is the word of an extortionist worth
anything?"
"Extortionist?" His tone grew more menacing. "Look, lady, I
staked that no-good weasel husband of yours to fifty G's. I know
for a fact he got the dough to pay me back. Now I want it, and I
intend to get it. Capisce?"
"And I'm telling you I don't have it. Karl left me with nothing
but debt."
"Then you'd better find some way to get it. And remember,
Sweet Cheeks, you tell the cops, and you live to regret it. Get my
drift?"
I clenched the receiver so tightly that my knuckles turned white
and my fingers throbbed. "Stop threatening me!"
"No threats, Sweet Cheeks. Facts. By the way, those are two
handsome looking kids you got there. Spittin' image of their old
man. Sure would be a shame if they lost those good looks."
"No!" I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle my strangled
cry. My words came out in a choked whisper. "Leave
them shortly after knocking up his mother. No one had seen or
heard from Isidore Pollack since.
Another sound best left undescribed erupted from behind the
door.
"What's she doing in there?" asked Alex.
"I'm not sure I want to know."
"We need another bathroom," said Nick.
I offered him a wry, caffeine and sleep deprived grin. "I'll add it
to my list."
"Sorry, Mom," he mumbled. I hadn't yet told my sons the full
extent of our financial problems, but I did have to tell them something of the situation. Our lifestyle had to change and change fast.
They'd taken the news as best as can be expected from typical
teenage boys, which is to say not well at all.
I dreaded having to tell them all that I'd left out. Like their now
nonexistent college accounts. Only a year and a half away from
college, Alex had his heart set on Harvard. Until last week, I believed we'd have no trouble swinging the steep Ivy League fees.
Today we couldn't even afford the local community college. Coward that I am, I kept putting off the college discussion. But now
that Lucille knew the extent of our pauperdom, I knew I had to tell
my kids soon.
Nick fixed his gaze on a dust bunny that had taken up residence between the carpet runner and the baseboard. Or maybe it
was one of Catherine the Great's hairballs. Something else I didn't
want to know at six-thirty in the morning. Cleaning came last on
my to-do list right now. Not that it had ever ranked all that high,
but there are just so many hours in the day, and a girl's got to juggle and prioritize.
And delegate.
As soon as they decamped from the bathrooms, I'd assign
Mama and Lucille cleaning and laundry detail. I didn't dare ask
them to take over the cooking. Either they'd burn the house down
or we'd all wind up with a case of food poisoning. Possibly both.
I placed my hand on Nick's shoulder. "We'll get through this."
"How?"
I haven't a clue, but we will. Meanwhile, go use the bathroom
in the apartment above the garage."
"I thought we were going to rent that out."
"We are. As of Saturday. And don't worry about the bus. I'll
drive you both to school."
The phone rang as the boys headed toward the back door. "I'll
get it," Alex yelled.
A moment later he called out, "Hey, Mom, it's for you. Some
guy. Says it's important."
I grabbed the phone, placed my hand over the mouthpiece and
pointed to the back door. "Hurry up," I told the boys. I waited until
they closed the door behind them before speaking into the phone.
"Hello?" As much as I hoped it was that guy from Publisher's
Clearing House telling me I'd won a million dollars, I knew immediately it was my not-so-friendly neighborhood loan shark.
"Got my money?"
"I told you, I don't have your money."
Ricardo made a noise that sounded halfway between a tsk and
a kiss. "And I happen to know otherwise. Check your safe deposit
box recently?"
"Look, for all I know Karl never even met you. What proof do I
have that he owed you any money?"
"My word."
I snorted. "Since when is the word of an extortionist worth
anything?"
"Extortionist?" His tone grew more menacing. "Look, lady, I
staked that no-good weasel husband of yours to fifty G's. I know
for a fact he got the dough to pay me back. Now I want it, and I
intend to get it. Capisce?"
"And I'm telling you I don't have it. Karl left me with nothing
but debt."
"Then you'd better find some way to get it. And remember,
Sweet Cheeks, you tell the cops, and you live to regret it. Get my
drift?"
I clenched the receiver so tightly that my knuckles turned white
and my fingers throbbed. "Stop threatening me!"
"No threats, Sweet Cheeks. Facts. By the way, those are two
handsome looking kids you got there. Spittin' image of their old
man. Sure would be a shame if they lost those good looks."
"No!" I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle my strangled
cry. My words came out in a choked whisper. "Leave
Similar Books
