Andrew Valencia - Lord of California

It was two days before Katie got back to me. When I called the county ag office, I managed to disguise my voice enough that they believed I was Mama checking in on the balance of our deposit, which, as it turned out, had remained untouched these past eighteen years. For one reason or another, Daddy had seen fit not to burden us with his debts. That bit of relief came on Monday morning, but it wasn’t until Tuesday evening that the rest of the situation was revealed.

I’m sorry for keeping you all on pins and needles down there, Katie said, but it took longer than I expected to get everything sorted out.

But everything is sorted, right?

As well as it can be. The bad news is, it looks like Dawn got singled out for the big screw job. None of the other farms have any record of Elliot borrowing against the deposit. In fact, right up to the day he died, he’d never so much as been late on the rent.

Well, I said. If that’s the bad news, then things certainly could’ve been much worse. What’s the good news?

We reached an agreement, Katie said. And as it stands, it looks like we’re okay to let Dawn have a stake in the co-op, no down payment required.

That’s great. But how much did you have to give up?

Give up?

I figured we’d have to make deals to get Jennifer and Claudia to go along with it.

Right. Actually, it didn’t take as much as you might think. Claudia surprised me with how understanding she was of Dawn’s plight. Think she felt partly responsible for Elliot’s shady dealings since she was married to him at the time. Jennifer was less gracious at first, but I got her to come around.

How’d you manage to accomplish that?

I heard Katie sigh and then laugh through the earpiece. That woman, she said. She tried dodging me at first, acting indecisive so I’d let up on pushing for Dawn to have an equal share. Finally I threatened to come up there and work it all out with her face to face. That’s when she let the cat out of the bag.

She’s been keeping secrets. I could’ve guessed as much.

I doubt you’d have guessed right. First off, she’s been hiding the true size of the farm in Madera from us this whole time. I always thought it was strange that Elliot never tried to grab more than twenty acres per parcel. Turns out he had her fixed up on a farm sixty acres square.

I backed away from the stove and leaned my hands on the kitchen counter. You’ve got to be kidding me, I said. He bought up all those extra acres just for her?

A moment’s silence on the line. Apparently, Katie said, sixty was what they started with when they got married.

I set the receiver down and took a deep breath. Jessie came running in with pouty lips and crocodile tears in her eyes. One look at my face sent her shuffling back into the living room. She tried to cheat us, I said. At the barbecue. She wanted us to go our separate ways so she could walk off with the biggest piece of the pie.

That’s more or less what I accused her of myself.

Tell you right now. If she thinks those sixty acres are going to win her a controlling interest in the co-op, she’s got another thing coming.

Hold on now, honey. I don’t think we should antagonize her anymore than we have to. She’s already backed into a corner.

Bullshit. She thinks she’s got leverage over the rest of us, and someone needs to set her straight. She can try to write off her blessings on the grace of God, but it’s the grace of Elliot Temple that’s left her feeling high and mighty. And that shouldn’t count for anything.

We’ve got our own leverage at play here, Katie said. That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.

What? Did Elliot give her ten children instead of the two we know about?

No, but she does have more dependants than we thought. Her parents are still alive. Both of em. They’ve been living with her on the Madera farm these past several years, and now she’s fixing to have them come and stay with us at the new place.

How old are they?

Not sure. In their seventies, I’d imagine.

That’s pretty old for this area.

They’re not from here originally. Jennifer grew up in Irvine.

Right. Coastal money, higher life expectancy. That makes sense.

Since her parents weren’t part of our plan, and they’re not even Temples, we agreed they cancel out whatever burden Dawn might pose by not being able to pay in to the deposit. It all evens out in the end.

Don’t see how that math works, I said. Dawn’s only one person, and she’s young and healthy enough to contribute. Can Jennifer say the same about her folks?

I’m not going to ask her that. Besides, it’s only two more than we expected. They won’t be any trouble.

We can hope. Personally, I’ve never cared for old timers. They smell bad. And some of them make racist comments.

Katie laughed heartily. God bless you, honey, she said. You’re all right.

I know I’m coming across as an icy bitch right now, and I don’t like it anymore than you do. But this is what my situation has led me to. You have no idea what it’s like to have to take care of everyone, manage the farm, and go through puberty all at once.

No laughter this time. You’re right, honey. It’s not fair, the lot you’ve been handed. That’s why I’m working so hard to lighten the load. For all of us.

I backed away from the counter. Through the window I watched Dawn lead the girls around the side of the house and out onto the grass in front of the packing shed. And I appreciate everything you’ve done, I said. Lord knows if you hadn’t taken the trouble to track Elliot down, we’d still be waiting around for him to call.

I know I’ll never be a real mama to you, honey, she said. You’ve already got a mama, and I wouldn’t try to step over that line. Same time, if you ever need anything, even if it’s just to talk, I’m always here for you.

Thank you, I said. I’ll be in touch.

Please do.

Goodbye.

Bye, honey.

I hit the end call button and secured the phone to the wall charger. Invoking my hormones felt like a desperate move—I was already kicking myself for stooping to it. I paced the kitchen floor with my hands on my lower back, trying to ride through the shame and anger like I did with the pain of a sore tooth. A rare summer cloud moved in front of the setting sun, and as I was looking outside I noticed Dawn sitting crosslegged on the grass with Jessie and Gracie playing beside her. I tried slipping my sneakers on without undoing the laces, but I couldn’t get one to fit over my heel. So instead I kicked them both behind the trash bin and left the house with my feet unencumbered.

Walking toward her, I could see that Dawn was fiddling with something in her lap. It wasn’t until I was standing over her, though, that I saw clearly what it was. She had picked several blooming dandelions from different spots around the lawn, and was in the process of weaving their stems together to make a braided bouquet of sorts. Noticing the shadow that had fallen over her work, she looked up at me and smiled.

Hey, she said. What’s up?

I plopped down on the grass and crossed my legs in the same style as hers. Katie called, I said. It all worked out. You’ll be coming with us to the new place.

Dawn’s face went suddenly blank. For real?

It’s true. You’re entitled to a stake in the co-op even if you can’t pay into the deposit. That’s what we all agreed on.

She sprang up onto her knees, spilling the flowers to the ground, and wrapped her arms tight around my back. Thank you, thank you, she whispered, and I could feel her tears trickling down my neck. This never would’ve happened if you hadn’t stood up for me.

You’re welcome, I said. There’s no way I would’ve let them cheat you out of your claim.