FreeLook BookStore

Book Cover  •  Table of Contents  •  < PREV Chapter  •  NEXT Chapter >

CHAPTER 33

Swan Has A Suggestion

      ALL AFTERNOON, Lucy worried about how to tell Bobby. But unfortunately Normalade kept him longer than usual that afternoon, and he came in late. And by then the place was full of customers, so it had to wait still longer.

      Business was unusually brisk until about ten o'clock, but then, when things thinned out, and just as she was ready to take him aside and discuss it, Bobby came to her himself. "Listen, Sis, I'm not going home with you tonight. I finally got Swan to agree to talk to me about all this — just discuss things, you understand — and we're going to slip away right now. You can close up okay, can't you?"

      That gave Lucy a sinking feeling, oh, Bobby, she thought don't start it all up again. Aloud she said, "But I need to talk to you myself. We got big money problems here that you don't even know about."

      He shook his head at her, sober and desperate. "Sis, there's no problem in the world right now that's as important as me making things right with Swan. Whatever you got to tell me, it'll have to wait." And he was gone before she could argue.

      The next day Bobby slept very late. And as Normalade kept him within arm's reach all day, Lucy had no opportunity either to talk to him about money or to learn what he and Swan had said to each other, supposing he had been willing to talk about it. Supposing they'd talked.

      That evening, in spite of being interrupted constantly, she made a determined effort to tell him everything. But when she was in the middle of explaining what Charles White had said to the new boss of Westertex, a crowd of cowboys came in and she had to go away and take their order. And later, just as she got to the part about how much money they owed, Clive and Bertie arrived, immediately followed by Ricky and Pancho, and they all sat down at the bar to socialize.

      There were so many distractions that Lucy began to fear Bobby was really not taking it all in. What with his stopping every few minutes answer a question or to draw a glass of beer for someone, it seemed he'd only half understood, and even when she showed him the letter, he hardly glanced at it.

      "We'll just have to work it off as best we can," he said. "Try to keep paying a little extra each time."

      "Listen to me — there is no time. And what's more —" But as Lucy began telling him how they weren't making enough to keep even, much less to pay extra, Ricky called down the bar, "C'mere, Bob, you got to hear this one."

      With an impatient look, Bobby thrust the paper under the counter. "Sis, I can't talk about this now."

      "But you can't put it off. You've got to read it." Lucy hissed impatiently.

      "I will — I will. But not now!" And he shoved the lawyers' letter into the tin box, under the cash and strode down the bar to talk to Ricky and Pancho.

      There the letter stayed. Because after that, even Lucy didn't have time to think about it: because that was the night Normalade made good her threat to spend her evenings with Bobby at Cowboy Bob's.

      She came sauntering in all by herself, just after eight o'clock. Everyone stared when she came in, but Normalade seemed to enjoy the attention, and she had certainly dressed to attract it. She was wearing far too much makeup and too short a skirt, and her hair was all teased and tossed to beat the band.

      When Bobby saw her, he was so taken aback that he stood staring, letting the tap overflow the glass he was filling. Then, realizing what he had done, he closed the spigot and shook off his wet hand, saying, "What're you doing here, Normalade? Something wrong at home?"

      But it was obvious there was nothing wrong. She strolled over to the bar and sat down like a customer. "I said I was coming in, Bobby, and here I am."

      "You're supposed to be looking after the baby," Bobby growled, glaring at her.

      "Oh, don't worry, Mrs. Panadero's there," Normalade answered coolly. "And I got Mama to come over too, since you're so worried about Little Bobby's welfare all of a sudden. He was sleeping when I left, and Mama and Mrs. Panadero were playing cards."

      Bobby's scowl got darker. "I don't care who-all's there, this no place for you."

      "I don't see why — it's good enough for your sister. And for my sister." Normalade leaned across the bar and took the dripping glass from under the tap and took a drink out of it. "Mind if I have this? They say it builds you up."

      She stayed all evening, drinking beer, talking volubly to everyone who came in, and flirting with the younger men. It drove Bobby crazy. And at ten o'clock he strode around the bar, took her by the arm, and hustled her outside. And since by that time she was clearly unable to drive, he took her home himself, driving Miss Peaches' car which Normalade had borrowed for the evening, and leaving Lucy and Swan to close the bar alone.

      Lucy never knew what they said to each other that night — but whatever it was, Bobby wasted his breath, because on Friday, in she came again.

      From then on, virtually every night, Normalade would call and plead with Miss Peaches to baby-sit little Bobby and let her use the car. Then she'd dress up and head for Cowboy Bob's.

      The strain of this began to tell on Swan. She lost a good deal of weight, losing some of her prettiness with it, until she began to look very much the way Mrs. Arthur had, on that bad day she had come in to pick up Cal. And Bobby sank deeper and deeper into despair, because it seemed that nothing he could do could make Normalade behave herself.

      The whole affair made Lucy sick to watch it. When Normalade came in, she made no effort to help out. And because she invariably drank more than was good for her, Bobby always had to take her home early. So she got her way coming and going, which Lucy felt was unfair. And one night, after Bobby had dragged Normalade home, she said to Swan, "You know — I don't know how much longer we can all stand this."

      Swan stopped what she was doing and gave Lucy a sober look. "Well," she answered, "I guess we can all stand all we have to." And without another word, she went off to take somebody's order.

      Half an hour later, Swan came behind the bar to talk to Lucy. "You know, we have been a bunch of gloomy gusses around here lately, and I was wondering how to cheer us up. Do you remember how in high school we always had a dance this time of year? And everybody got cheerful and had a good time planning it? Suppose we give a party. Wouldn't that be nice?"

      Lucy thought about it. "What kind of party?"

      "A big one, right here. Or a dance, even. For Valentine's day — just the way we did in high school," Swan said. "Come on, Lucy, it'll be fun, and we could all use some fun for a change."

      Lucy considered. "I guess it wouldn't be too much work. It might even bring in more business."

      "Good. I'll make some posters to advertise it, and we'll have decorations, and maybe play games. Everybody around here is bored to tears in the wintertime — I bet we'd fill this place up, Lucy!"

      The more they talked about it, the better it sounded. It was certainly worth a try, Lucy thought. Certainly better than anything Charles White had suggested — they'd sell a little more beer and more chili and make some extra money. "If it was for Valentine's we could put up red paper streamers," she said thoughtfully.

      "Sure. And the posters could look like invitations." Swan nodded, her eyes shining. "I'll write them in red marker and put lots of hearts on them."

      "Maybe Tagg would put one in the feed store," Lucy said.

      "Sure. And Clive would hang one — maybe Mr. Schneider would put one in the drugstore, too," Swan agreed. She put her head on one side and said, "You know, this is going to work. I feel better already, don't you?"

      They talked about it the rest of the evening and even telephoned Bobby to discuss it with him. And if he wasn't enthusiastic, at least he didn't say they couldn't do it.

      Tagg showed up around closing time, as he often did, and when they explained to him about it, he nodded judicially. "Been a good while since I did any dancing, sounds like a good idea. Maybe I'll take a couple turns around the floor myself. How about it, Lucy, would you save the last waltz for me?"

      "Maybe," Lucy said. "I'll be pouring beer most of the time, but I guess I could dance one."

      "Okay then, I'll hold you to that, I'm warning you," Tagg said. Then he went off to talk with Ricky and Clive a while before closing.

      When he was out of earshot, Swan said, "Still sweet on you after all this time. You know that, Lucy?"

      "Tagg? No, he flirts with everybody. Listen, when would you start making those posters?"

      "I'll bring the stuff in tomorrow," Swan answered. "And we'll do it together when things are slow. And when people come in, that'll give us a chance to talk about it, and whip up some interest."

      Just before closing, Shark sought Lucy out. "I heard you and Miss Swan talking about doing something here for Valentines." They were alone in the kitchen. Gene had left a little early, and Shark was cleaning the stove.

      "Yes, we're planning for it."

      "You want Brother to bring down his band?"

      "Oh, Shark, I don't know . . ."

      "He'd like to. They're just working weekends now, and Valentine's in the middle of the week this year, so they can fit it in with no trouble."

      Lucy shook her head. "I'm sorry, Shark, but we don't have the money to pay for a real band."

      "Aw please, they work cheap. And there's only five of them." He hesitated and then added, "Maybe if I ask, they'll do it for nothing. And I do want you to hear him play."

      Lucy began thinking: it would be nice to have a band — people would come to hear something different. And after all, it wasn't as if refusing to have a band would help them to pay off the beer man anyway.

      "I couldn't let them do it for nothing," she said slowly. "But if they played for us for just an hour or so, I could manage, maybe, forty-five dollars? And I'll give them all their dinners. But I can't go higher. Would they consider that?"

      "Oh-KAY." He was all sunshine. "I bet they'll do it. And if Gallie plays for you, that party'll be a real humdinger!"

      "I hope so," Lucy sighed. "We could use some kind of humdinger right about now."

     


Cover  •  Contents  •  < PREV Chapter  •  NEXT Chapter >  •  Page Top

Copyright (c) 2001, FreeLook BookStore. All rights reserved.