Big Bangs, Prohibition, and a Sugar Daddy

Visit With Mother

I knocked on my Mother's door. Mother answered. It took her a moment to recognize me. My long blond hair was gone, my clothes were modern, and I wore the latest makeup.

"Ellen, dear, you look so different." Mother stood in the doorway. Looking me up and down.

"Do you approve?" I hoped Mother would.

"Yes. Of course, you look lovely. It was such a shock." Mother stood aside and let me into the apartment. "Carol is at the hospital with Phillip. He is to be released tomorrow. After that there will be the wedding. Then they will move into Carol and your old room."

"Have they set the date?" I asked as I sat at the dining table.

Mother poured me some coffee then sat down with a mug of coffee herself. She offered me some cookies that she baked herself. "Not yet, I imagine they might wait until after the New Year. Although I have tried to talk Carol into marrying in November."

"If finances are a problem, I will help." Luke would help, I couldn't tell Mother that. She might wonder why Luke was being so generous.

I suppose I could use the excuse that Phillip was Luke's friend. If Luke kept his promise to me and paid for the wedding. The thought of what I did to earn that promise made me tear up again. I felt conflicted still. Despite talking to Rae, knowing that it was something I wanted, it was still something I have been taught was wrong.

"It's bad enough you insist on helping to pay my medical bills. You needn't worry about Carol and Phillip affording their wedding. Both of them have decent jobs, they will make do." Mother sounded like she was chiding me. "They will be living here, after all, and I'll make some money doing tailoring and sewing."

"Mother, you've supported us all of your life. You shouldn't have to work now, not after your heart problem. Let us support you." I felt Mother was worn out, I knew her heart was. After all of these years I could finally repay her for all of the support she gave Carol and me.

"Dear, that isn't how it works. Once your children are on their own, they have their own lives. As your Mother, I'll survive. Just as Linda Merkal survives. By sewing, baking, and other little things." Mother sounded a little sad. As though she knew she'd be alone like Mrs. Merkal was one day. That Carol and I would eventually abandon her, as Mrs. Merkal's children did her.

"No, Mother. Not like Mrs. Merkal, many families still support their parents long after they leave home, often moving them into their own home. If need be." Mother's view of children abandoning their parents was unrealistic. People didn't abandon their parents normally, even when they move away. "Mrs. Markel's two sons died in the war. Her daughter does have her own life in Boston, but she visits now and then, and sends what money she can."

There has been a recession this year, jobs are scarce at the moment, but even so, Mrs. Markel's daughter tries to help her Mother. Carol and I were in much better positions to help Mother. I certainly wouldn't abandon her. Nor would Carol, which is one of the reasons she was planning to move into the apartment with Phillip. Not the only reason, but one of them.

"Carol and you shouldn't worry about me." Mother insisted.

"I will always worry about you. I love you." I said.

"I noticed a black Buick in the street. Is that your car?  Are you driving now?" Mother seemed hopeful. Many people were driving cars now.

"No. It's Luke's other car. The Buick would be too expensive on my salary. The most I could ever afford is a used Model T." I said. "Henry, Luke's man, drove me down here."

"Where is he, dear?" Mother seemed upset. "You didn't leave him sitting all alone in the car? Did you?"

"He went to the deli across the street." I had told Henry if he wanted to grab some lunch while I visited Mother that would be fine.

"You didn't invite him up? Dear, you should have asked him to come up, I'd love to meet Luke's friends." Mother was making a fuss over nothing.

"He's employed by Luke." I had a feeling that Henry could be a friend, if not just extremely loyal. "He wouldn't want to be bored by our personal conversations. He's more interested in eating his lunch."

"Well, I'll bring him some cookies." I felt that would just be embarrassing for both of us.

"Mother." I was exasperated by her insistence in meeting Henry. "Henry is a hard boiled bull of a man, he won't want any cookies."

"Everyone likes cookies. Dear." Mother insisted. "Whenever you are sad, you always eat cookies and drink milk. Henry is most likely the same, despite that rough exterior."

Determined to embarrass me, Mother insisted on taking the cookies down to Henry. As we walked down the stairs I worked out in my mind how to best handle the situation, when Henry, no doubt would reject her offer. Possibly quite rudely.

Henry was sitting on the fender of the Buick sedan. When he saw Mother and me coming out of the apartment building. Henry stood up, he tipped his hat to us. Most likely because Mother was with me. At least Henry was respectful, so his refusal would most likely be a kind one.

"I brought you some cookies, Henry." Mother talked to him like she always knew Henry. "I thought it was the least I could do to thank you for bringing Ellen here to see me."

"Well, thank you Mrs. Cross." Henry took the paper bag with the cookies in it. Opening the bag. "Molasses cookies are my favorite too. Only I was doing my job, Mr. Mason asked me to take Miss Ellen wherever she wanted. I'm am glad to meet you, Mrs. Cross."

"You are very polite." Mother said. "I'm glad that Mr. Mason has such good employees working for him. You take care."

"Let me escort you back to your apartment, Mrs. Cross." Henry offered as Mother turned back to go upstairs.

"Thank you, Henry, but I plan to visit some neighbors, this neighborhood is very safe." Mother went back inside the apartment.

"Thank you, Henry for being so kind to my Mother." We were driving back to the mansion.

"I do like molasses cookies Miss Ellen." Henry smiled, I saw it in the rear view mirror. "I think your Mother is pretty jake to bring me cookies. She even knew my name."

"I think you are pretty jake to, Henry. You were very nice." I could tell that Mother was genuinely impressed.

"I bet you didn't expect that from a thug like me, did you?" Henry was right, I didn't.

"You surprised me, Henry. But, it was a good surprise." I admitted.

We spent the rest of the ride in silence, but I had a new respect for Henry. My view of him went beyond the rough exterior. Like Mother said, there was more to Henry then how he looked. I thought of him as rough, possibly mean. He didn't seem to be either of those things.