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Andrew Valencia: Lord of California

Здесь есть возможность читать онлайн «Andrew Valencia: Lord of California» весь текст электронной книги совершенно бесплатно (целиком полную версию). В некоторых случаях присутствует краткое содержание. Город: New York, год выпуска: 2018, ISBN: 978-1-63246-060-8, издательство: Ig Publishing, категория: Социально-психологическая фантастика / на английском языке. Описание произведения, (предисловие) а так же отзывы посетителей доступны на портале. Библиотека «Либ Кат» — LibCat.ru создана для любителей полистать хорошую книжку и предлагает широкий выбор жанров:

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Andrew Valencia Lord of California

Lord of California: краткое содержание, описание и аннотация

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“A remarkable debut. Valencia writes with a sinuous maturity, a boldness of vision far beyond his years. In Lord of California, this beyond-seeing is literal: wild, impressive, at times menacing invention about what a separatist California might look like begins to look downright prescient, and Valencia’s portraitist skill with his characters lifts them off the page, too.”

Andrew Valencia: другие книги автора


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Did you just get in this morning?

Last night. I didn’t want to barge in after dark, so I slept in the car.

You didn’t have to. It could’ve been three in the morning and we’d have still let you in.

That’s kind of you to say, but you can’t speak for your mama. And you can’t speak for the others. When they find out I’m broke, they’ll vote to cut me out of the co-op plan. Katie might show me some charity, but Jennifer won’t stand to see me involved without cash on hand. You remember how she was at the meeting. The rest of us only matter to her as long as we’re able to chip in.

Maybe there’s another way for you to get the money together. What about all the stuff Daddy bought you? That’s got to be worth something.

It was, but I had to sell most of it to pay down the interest on what he borrowed. All that’s left is that old car out front and a suitcase full of fancy clothes and makeup.

What about the bank? Didn’t he leave anything in the farm account?

A few thousand dollars. Just enough to pay off the foremen. Severance was written into their contracts. Nothing I could do.

I shook my head. Daddy always made sure his foremen were taken care of. Funny that’s where he chose to put his loyalty.

Well, of course. They ran the farms in his absence. No way we could compete with that.

I picked up the wine bottle and refilled her glass. It was good that she was feeling resentful. Rather have that than tears. No one’s going to squeeze you out if I can help it, I said. You’ve got as much right to a share as any of them.

I know. But how do I get the others to agree?

You don’t need to worry about it right this second. You’ve been through an ordeal you didn’t deserve. Right now you need to rest up and get your strength back. You have another glass of wine and get yourself a hot bath. There’s a lock on the bathroom door, so no one’ll disturb you. I’ll bring your suitcase in from the car so you have something clean to change into. Tonight you’ll sleep in my bed and I’ll bunk with the girls.

Dawn drew her lips into a straight line and wiped the corners of her eyes. How old are you again, Ellie?

Thirteen. Fourteen in September.

She shook her head. Thirteen. Lord. If I was already as grown-up as you when I was your age, I don’t think I would’ve ended up in this mess. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, and don’t let anyone tell you different.

I don’t intend to.

Dawn took the wine bottle with her into the bathroom. I waited until I could hear the water running in the tub before making my move for the telephone. It was an old landline model with a cordless receiver—the last of the cell phone towers in the valley had shut down around the time I was eight. I took Mama’s address book out onto the porch and dialed Katie’s number. It rang three times before one of her sons answered.

This is Ellie, Sandra’s girl. Is this Logan?

It’s Will. How you doing, sis?

Fine. Is your mom at home?

Sure. Just a sec.

I heard Will call for his mother, and then a muffled exchange of words leading up to Katie’s voice coming through on the line.

Morning, Ellie. How’s it going, babe?

Hi, Katie. Sorry to bother you, but this couldn’t wait.

It’s no trouble. What happened? Is your mama all right?

She’s fine, but Dawn is here trying her damnedest not to break down crying.

I explained everything to her the same way it had been laid out to me, about Daddy and the loans, the squandered deposit, the severance pay, and Dawn’s painful trip down the valley. Katie didn’t say a word, just listened with her slow breathing rustling in my ear. She even waited a few seconds after I was done talking before jumping in.

That poor girl, she said. I wish she’d come to me with this. Tried my hardest to prove to you all that you could trust me.

She trusts you, I said. She’s just afraid of what’ll happen when the others find out.

So am I to be honest. Jennifer and Claudia are already on the fence about going in on the co-op. This is only going to discourage them even more.

We might have bigger problems on our hands than what to do about Dawn.

If you know something else, honey, then spill it.

I glanced through the kitchen window and carried the phone down the steps to the drive. Way I see it, if Daddy could take out loans on the Merced farm without Dawn finding out, he could’ve done the same to all of us. We could be sitting on a pile of debt and not even know it.

Lord, Katie said. That’d put a wrench in everything.

I know it. That’s why we’ve all got to check to see how much of our deposits are left intact. I’ll find a way to do it without Mama knowing, you work on Claudia and Jennifer.

You mean to say you haven’t told your mama any of this?

No, and I don’t plan to until we know for sure what there is to tell. I’ve already got one worry-sick widow to deal with, I don’t need two.

Right. I guess you should do what you think is best.

I will. And you should get on the others right away. Sooner we know how much we have to work with, sooner we can plan our next steps.

The ag bureau opens tomorrow at nine a.m. Should be able to check the balance before noon. I’ll make the calls to Jen and Claudia tonight.

Good. And there’s something else I’d like you to keep in mind.

What’s that, hon?

I was walking down the drive to the Mitsubishi, the sun already stinging my face as early as it was. It was going to be one of those dry, miserable summer days in the valley, with a cloudless blue sky faded partly white, where even the breeze on your skin felt hot. I opened up the backseat and heaved Dawn’s suitcase onto the ground. There were so many stones leading up to the house, I knew the pullout handle and wheels wouldn’t count for much.

Do you take my word seriously?

Sorry?

I know I’m young. But do you care about what I have to say?

Another long pause on the line. Of course I do, Katie said. As much as I care about what anyone has to say.

All right. Then you should know that, whatever happens, I won’t stand by and see Dawn cut out of the deal. You may think it’s not my place to decide, but I’ve been hurt by Daddy as much as any of the women he was married to, and I say Dawn deserves a piece of whatever we manage to get. It’s not her fault that Daddy left her without a leg to stand on. Nor is it to our credit if it turns out he left us flush. This co-op idea wasn’t supposed to be about money and company shares. It’s supposed to be about raising ourselves up alongside the only other people in the world who know where we’re coming from. If I’ve got the wrong idea about that, then I’m not sure I want Mama getting us involved with it. And you know I could probably persuade her either way.

Yeah, honey, she said. I know you could.

All right. Just so we’re clear.

We’re clear. You look after your mama and Dawn, let me worry about Claudia and Jennifer. I’ll be in touch when I have their answers.

Sounds good. Talk to you soon.

Bye, honey.

Goodbye.

I pulled the suitcase up to the porch one step at a time. The house was dead quiet when I came in, which likely meant Jessie and Gracie had been making too much noise right up to the moment they heard me open the door. I left Dawn’s luggage outside the bathroom and went to check on Mama. Even with the ceiling fan on at full blast, the air in her bedroom was muggy and stagnant. I was opening the window when Mama poked her head out from under the comforter.

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