“All that running you did last night.” John chuckled. “With your shirt off.”
“I looked good, didn’t I?”
“Seriously, Pop. Your father died of a heart condition. You need to take care of yourself.”
“Ahh.” Alex waved his hand dismissively. “My father smoked and had a poor diet. I stay in shape.”
“I know it.”
“But I’m not gonna be around forever. We do need to talk. About the future, I mean. I want to get things in order with you, in case I happen to kick.”
“Dad, don’t be so Greek.”
“I’m just sayin. I want you to know my intentions.”
“Okay.”
“You see that front window there?”
“Yeah?”
“If you count the early days when I came to work for my father, I’ve been looking through that window, at this street, for forty years. It’s like I’ve been watching the same movie over and over again. It’s time for me to look at something else.”
“You’re selling the business?”
“ No. But we’re gonna try something new, starting next week. It’s not doing either of us any good, the two of us working together. You’re not gonna learn much more with me around, and the way you’re catching on, I’m becoming as useless as tits on a mule.”
“I don’t get it.”
“A mule is sterile. It can’t have little mules, so its teats are there for no purpose. There’s no offspring to suck on’em.”
“I’m asking you, what are you trying to say?”
“Why don’t we do this? Starting Monday, I’m gonna open the shop the way I always do. I like that time of day, and you’re a young man who still needs a social life. I remember when I was young, working down here, and I had to get up at five in the a.m. It made an impact on my love life because I couldn’t have any late nights out.” Alex casually pointed to his bad eye. “Plus, I had this.”
“None of that stopped you from hooking up with Mom.”
“That was just one of those chemical things.” Alex grinned lasciviously. “The first time she came into the magazi, she couldn’t take her eyes off me.”
“Stop bragging.”
“Anyway, like I said, I’ll open, and you can plan on coming in around eight, to work breakfast. I’ll stick around for the first hour of lunch and shove off by one o’clock. Little by little, I’ll pull back on my hours and grow yours. We’ll play it by ear, but I don’t think it’ll be too long before you’re able to run the whole thing by yourself.”
“Dad, I…” John looked down at his feet.
“You’re speechless, for once.”
“I can’t say I don’t want this. I do want it. But I didn’t expect you to hand it to me. I never felt like I was entitled to it.”
“You’ll do a fine job. I have no doubt. But you have to understand the magnitude of this commitment. We don’t own the real estate. Our equity is the business itself. Every day you’re starting all over again. Every day you’ve got to turn that key. The help gets sick, but you can’t. They take vacations, but you can’t. If you lock the front door and go on vacation -”
“- ‘the customers are gonna try someplace new.’ ”
“Make fun if you want.”
“I’m not.”
“I’m telling you, you’ve got challenges up ahead. The chains, you know about. You said yourself you can’t go head-to-head with them. The big unknown is the new landlord and the property management company. They’re tryin to raise the rent. Let Mr. Mallios negotiate with those malakas. Dimitri will put them on their knees.”
John turned his head. Rafael was coming down N Street, walking and talking with a woman five to ten years his senior. She was a professional, dressed in a business suit, and seemed to be enjoying his company.
“Kid’s girl crazy,” said Alex, trying for cynical but conveying admiration.
Rafael said good-bye to the woman, broke away from her, and headed for the store.
“You’re late,” said Alex as he neared.
“I was just -”
“I got eyes. You have dishes to take care of. Go on, Rafael, move it. Get on your horse.”
Rafael nodded and motored in through the front door.
“He’s a good worker,” said John.
“They all are,” said Alex. “The best crew I’ve ever had. Look, you don’t make this possible and neither do I. The help does. You gotta take care of’em, John. There’s gonna be the occasional slow week; bills are going to come due. There are times when you might not be able to pay yourself. But even if it comes out of your own pocket, you’ve always got to take care of the help. Make sure they’re compensated in full on payday. Give them loans when they need it. On holidays, put extra in their envelopes so their kids and grandkids can have nice presents.”
“Yessir.”
“I’m giving Darlene a bump in pay.”
“Absolutely. She deserves it.”
“One more thing: I expect you to keep making the run to Walter Reed. The contact woman is Peggy, out at the Fisher House.”
“I’ll leave some nice desserts with her after I get off work. I’ll do it every night if you think I should.”
“The soldiers like sweet stuff. Peach pie, cherry cheesecake, things like that. Don’t get too fancy.”
“Got it.” John looked at Alex sheepishly. “Dad?”
“Yes.”
“If you’re turning it over to me, I’m going to want to, you know, modernize the look a little bit. Make some alterations in the decor.”
“I expected that.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Two things I’m gonna ask you not to change,” said Alex. “First one is the lights over the counter. I know you don’t like them. But your grandfather and I hung those lights together, many summers ago. Those lights mean something to me.”
“All right.”
“And the sign. The sign stays.”
“I wouldn’t touch it, Dad. I’m proud of it.”
“I am, too.”
John Pappas’s eyes were heavy with emotion. Alex slid off the ledge and stood before his son.
“What is it?” said Alex.
“I’m going to get my own place to stay,” said John. “An apartment or a condo. I think it’s time.”
“If you’d like.”
“I’m twenty-five years old. It’s not cool that you’re still waiting up for me at night. I see the lights going out in your room when I pull up in front of the house.”
“I can’t help it, Johnny. But listen, if you want to move out, I think you should.”
“I’ve been considering it for a while. I didn’t do it before because I thought it was best to stay with you and Mom. That you would want me to stick around, after Gus died.”
“I know.”
“You were so crushed. Because Gus was… well, I know that Gus was the most important person in your life.”
“John, don’t.”
“It’s all right for us to admit it. He was special. It’s okay to say that he was.”
“John -”
“So I thought it was important that I stay with you and Mom. The truth is, I needed you guys as well. I was pretty sick inside. I loved Gus, too, Dad. Gus was my kid brother.”
