The Mexican by Lee Clinton

Author:Lee Clinton
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780719821509
Publisher: Robert Hale

14

A LITTLE CRAZY

Misunderstandings in Stilwell

‘Where do you suppose all that money went?’ Sarah lifted the pencil from the page of the recipe book and touched the blunt end against her lips in contemplation.

Ned shrugged, while Frank thought out loud, ‘Maybe south.’

‘Why south?’ quizzed Sarah.

‘Just guessing because it hasn’t turned up in Kansas.’

Sarah was now tapping the end of the pencil against her cheek. ‘It couldn’t just disappear. Money just doesn’t disappear. It has to go somewhere.’

‘Are you sure of that? It seems to disappear when I spend it,’ said Frank.

‘How do you spend that much?’ contemplated Sarah. ‘And if you had all that money, what would you spend it on?’

Ned went to respond, but Frank beat him to the punch. ‘Buy a property, get some horses, maybe travel a little and never worry about being cold or hungry.’ Frank looked at Sarah. ‘What about you?’

Sarah raised her eyes to the ceiling as if looking for the answer and repeated the question. ‘If I had all the money I wanted, and then some?’

‘Yes,’ urged Frank, waiting.

‘I would buy a piano,’ said Sarah with consideration.

‘A piano, is that all?’ It was said to show disappointment in her grand desire.

But Sarah hadn’t finished. She stopped examining the ceiling and said, ‘And a parlour to put it in. A big one, attached to a brand new house.’

Sarah’s answer tickled Frank so much that he couldn’t stop cackling, while saying, ‘A piano, a parlour, and a new house,’ Then he said, ‘I didn’t know you could play the piano.’

‘I can’t, but I would learn.’

‘And what would you do then?’

‘Give recitals.’

‘Who to?’

Ned watched this banter going back and forward between Sarah and Frank with close interest.

‘The Kennedys, the Ballards and the Boettichers. Oh, how I would love to show up the Boettichers with some fancy piano playing in my fancy new parlour.’

‘The Boettichers don’t live here any more, do they?’ said Frank. ‘Didn’t they move to Paola a real long time ago?’

‘Fifteen years ago, but I’d go and get them from Paola,’ said Sarah with a smile. ‘Just to show them that I had made good.’

‘I didn’t think you were that kind of person, Sarah Lennon,’ said Frank.

‘And what kind would that be? The show off kind?’

Frank nodded. ‘Maybe I just don’t know you well enough.’

‘Frank, it’s not only me that you don’t know well enough. You don’t know women at all and it’s probably time you got some schooling.’

‘From where?’

‘Does it matter where? As long as it is from a woman.’

‘What are you suggesting, a mail order bride?’

‘No, that would be foolish. It is only with proper courting that your head will finally speak louder than your heart.’

‘What is proper courting?’

‘Where you really get to know someone and decide if you can trust them, especially with money.’

Frank was feeling a little uneasy with the conversation. Marriage was not for him.

‘I know one thing,’ he said. ‘I need you to teach me how you cook.’

‘Now why would you want me to teach you to cook?’

‘So that I can learn how you think.

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