said Eddie, "we've never been able to get it to switch
on."
I looked at Peg, and she
shrugged. "Lou picked it up second hand and thought he could fix
it, even though he knew nothing about computers."
I nodded. "That sounds like my dad,
all right."
"He was a wonderful man."
Peg gave me one of those piercing looks again, but just for a
second. "I miss him so."
Out of nowhere, I felt tears welling
up in my eyes. I couldn't stop one from rolling out and down my
cheek as she stared at me. "I do, too."
Peg watched me for a moment,
then coughed and headed for the stage curtain. "We'll be back in
two shakes of a lamb's tail."
I wiped away the tear. "I'll be
here."
"Later," said Eddie on his
way past to follow Peg.
"Later," I said, and then I found a
seat and got to work.
Chapter 12
By the time Peg, Eddie, and
Glynne got back, three hours later, I had sorted the crank file
into two piles of letters. One, consisting of death threats aimed
at Polish Peg, was less than a quarter of an inch high. The other,
in which all the letters targeted Dad or Dad and Peg both, was over
an inch and a half high.
As for my mind, it was spinning with
the residue of all those hateful letters. I felt dirty just
thinking about them. So much ugliness over so many years from so
many people, all aimed at a man who lived to entertain and loved
his family and community with all his heart.
And I'd never known about any of it.
I'd never dreamed so much negativity had been pointed in Dad's
direction.
It was enough to put me in a
foul mood by the time Peg came sweeping back into Polka Central.
She showed me her purchase--a new laptop with all the bells and
whistles, plus a printer/scanner/copier--but I couldn't fake being
interested. I shrugged it off, showed her the sorted piles of
letters, and asked her what she wanted me to do next.
At which point Peg gave me
another of those weird, piercing looks. She asked me if I'd had any
problem with the crank file task.
I didn't really want to show
weakness, but I admitted it hadn't been much fun. Even though Dad
was gone, it had been rough reading those vicious threats against
him.
"But it's done now." I
nodded at the laptop in Peg's hands. "Want me to help set up the
new computer?"
"Actually," said Peg, "I
want you to grab a bite with me. Are you hungry?"
"Did someone mention lunch?" Eddie
popped up beside her, rubbing his hands together
eagerly.
"Just Lottie and me today."
Peg turned and headed for the gray curtain. "Just girl
talk."
"But I'm a good listener," said Eddie,
"if a free lunch is involved."
Peg shot him a stern look
over her shoulder. "Call it boss talk, then, Ed."
Eddie grinned and spread his
arms wide. "I already know about everything that goes on here."
Peg parted the gray curtain
and paused before walking out. "How do you know we won't be talking
about firing you,
Ed?"
Glynne cleared her throat.
"Ever hear the expression 'quit while you're ahead,' Eddie
baby?"
"As a matter of fact, I
have." Eddie waggled his eyebrows. "How 'bout if I stay here and
help Glynne set up the laptop then?"
Peg called back from beyond
the curtain. "Sounds good, Ed. Are you coming, Lottie?"
Eyes wide, I waved at Eddie
and Glynne and scooted out after Peg, wondering what she wanted to
talk about that we couldn't discuss in front of them.
Chapter 13
By the time Peg and I walked
into Stush's Diner, the Sunday brunch rush was just starting to
wind down. The place was still crowded but not packed, and we
spotted a booth along the windows right away.
I hadn't been to Stush's in
a long time--years, probably--but it looked the same as I
remembered. It was a diner straight out of the 50s, complete with
lunch counter, chrome fixtures, red upholstery, and black-and-white
checkerboard floors. There were Polish touches, too, like the
framed photos of famous Poles and Polish-Americans on the walls,
from Pope John Paul II and Lech Walesa to Zero Mostel and Bobby
Vinton. Polish Lou's photo was right above the
on."
I looked at Peg, and she
shrugged. "Lou picked it up second hand and thought he could fix
it, even though he knew nothing about computers."
I nodded. "That sounds like my dad,
all right."
"He was a wonderful man."
Peg gave me one of those piercing looks again, but just for a
second. "I miss him so."
Out of nowhere, I felt tears welling
up in my eyes. I couldn't stop one from rolling out and down my
cheek as she stared at me. "I do, too."
Peg watched me for a moment,
then coughed and headed for the stage curtain. "We'll be back in
two shakes of a lamb's tail."
I wiped away the tear. "I'll be
here."
"Later," said Eddie on his
way past to follow Peg.
"Later," I said, and then I found a
seat and got to work.
Chapter 12
By the time Peg, Eddie, and
Glynne got back, three hours later, I had sorted the crank file
into two piles of letters. One, consisting of death threats aimed
at Polish Peg, was less than a quarter of an inch high. The other,
in which all the letters targeted Dad or Dad and Peg both, was over
an inch and a half high.
As for my mind, it was spinning with
the residue of all those hateful letters. I felt dirty just
thinking about them. So much ugliness over so many years from so
many people, all aimed at a man who lived to entertain and loved
his family and community with all his heart.
And I'd never known about any of it.
I'd never dreamed so much negativity had been pointed in Dad's
direction.
It was enough to put me in a
foul mood by the time Peg came sweeping back into Polka Central.
She showed me her purchase--a new laptop with all the bells and
whistles, plus a printer/scanner/copier--but I couldn't fake being
interested. I shrugged it off, showed her the sorted piles of
letters, and asked her what she wanted me to do next.
At which point Peg gave me
another of those weird, piercing looks. She asked me if I'd had any
problem with the crank file task.
I didn't really want to show
weakness, but I admitted it hadn't been much fun. Even though Dad
was gone, it had been rough reading those vicious threats against
him.
"But it's done now." I
nodded at the laptop in Peg's hands. "Want me to help set up the
new computer?"
"Actually," said Peg, "I
want you to grab a bite with me. Are you hungry?"
"Did someone mention lunch?" Eddie
popped up beside her, rubbing his hands together
eagerly.
"Just Lottie and me today."
Peg turned and headed for the gray curtain. "Just girl
talk."
"But I'm a good listener," said Eddie,
"if a free lunch is involved."
Peg shot him a stern look
over her shoulder. "Call it boss talk, then, Ed."
Eddie grinned and spread his
arms wide. "I already know about everything that goes on here."
Peg parted the gray curtain
and paused before walking out. "How do you know we won't be talking
about firing you,
Ed?"
Glynne cleared her throat.
"Ever hear the expression 'quit while you're ahead,' Eddie
baby?"
"As a matter of fact, I
have." Eddie waggled his eyebrows. "How 'bout if I stay here and
help Glynne set up the laptop then?"
Peg called back from beyond
the curtain. "Sounds good, Ed. Are you coming, Lottie?"
Eyes wide, I waved at Eddie
and Glynne and scooted out after Peg, wondering what she wanted to
talk about that we couldn't discuss in front of them.
Chapter 13
By the time Peg and I walked
into Stush's Diner, the Sunday brunch rush was just starting to
wind down. The place was still crowded but not packed, and we
spotted a booth along the windows right away.
I hadn't been to Stush's in
a long time--years, probably--but it looked the same as I
remembered. It was a diner straight out of the 50s, complete with
lunch counter, chrome fixtures, red upholstery, and black-and-white
checkerboard floors. There were Polish touches, too, like the
framed photos of famous Poles and Polish-Americans on the walls,
from Pope John Paul II and Lech Walesa to Zero Mostel and Bobby
Vinton. Polish Lou's photo was right above the
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