A Merry Little Christmas (30 page)

“What’s all over your hands?”

“Around here, you never know.” Charlie chuckled.

“And what’s that smell in the air?”

“The smell of money. Actually, it’s the ripe and aromatic scent of manure. Everything has an odor here. You get used to it. Listen, I need to check on the cattle. Want to go with me?”

“Sure.” Willie straddled an old bicycle that had been leaning against an elm tree and rode it in circles around him like he had when they were kids. “One last thing.”

“Yeah?”

“As you know, these threats from our father…they’re not new. They’ve just never been this dramatic. Remember when we were kids, when he told us one day he would give that infernal spyglass to the son who pleased him the most?” Willie stopped riding. “I mean, what kind of a father would
do
that? Pit us against each other to compete for his love. Thank God we were both smart enough to love each other more than a trinket or play his heartless game. In the end he never did give either one of us the stupid thing, which is the only blessing in all this. The spyglass is still sitting on his desk, covered in dust. Just where it belongs.”

Charlie looked at his brother. “Yeah, I remember. I tried to forget about it but never did, totally. And he wanted it that way. Always haunting us. He must have thought that if he could drive a wedge between us, then he would gain even more control. Thank God that part of his plan didn’t work.”

“We should have talked more over the years. Too much was left unsaid. Things
I
should have said. It was my responsibility as the oldest to protect you. To make sure Father didn’t get the upper—”

“No reason for any guilt, man. Father gave us enough to last a lifetime. Hey, why don’t we go inside and eat? Is Franny going to offer us some of those biscuits I saw on the counter? They’d be pretty groovy with some homemade jam. Right?”

Charlie laughed. “Maybe. If you wipe your feet. But we still have to check on the cattle.”

“Man, this farm thing is relentless, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, pretty relentless.”

“Surely you’ll get Christmas day off, right?” Willie asked.

“Not the whole day. Unfortunately, animals aren’t like a product you can store on a shelf…they like to eat every day, just like we do.”

Willie grinned, but his attention seemed to be pulled elsewhere.

“What’s the matter?”

“Look over there.” Willie pointed to one of the hog pens. “My guess is that those pigs over there aren’t supposed to be having a party
outside
the fence.”

The next morning, after a strenuous evening of convincing a herd of pigs that they would be happier
inside
the pen, Franny felt bleary-eyed and spent. She put the last of the breakfast dishes away while Noma hung the clothes out on the line.

Franny knew the real reason she felt drained—it was knowing that Charlie and Willie were minutes away from leaving the farm to meet with their father, a meeting that could end in great joy or great sorrow. She’d given Charlie her full support when he told her about the decision they’d made to confront Mr. Landau, and yet there was an equal amount of fear for what might happen to Charlie’s brother after such a verbal skirmish. The whole affair might end badly. The two young men might sever their ties with their father. To lose one’s family was always a distressing thing, even if the family member wasn’t acting like family.

Franny closed the cabinets and hung the tea towel over the sink. Amid the doubts of the day, though, was the prospect that Charlie might finally be free from his father’s tyrannical controls, which also meant he would be free to marry.

Charlie stepped into the kitchen all dressed up and ready to drive to the city. “It’s time, Franny. We’re leaving now. Willie is already in the car waiting. He’s anxious to see this through. By the way, if it doesn’t go well, Willie might need to stay here for a while. He can continue to sleep in the extra rollaway in the apartment, but I wanted to ask you first.”

“Willie is always welcome here. It’s
your
farm.”

Charlie walked over to her and took her hands in his. “It is for now, but I’m hoping everything will change today.”

“I hope your father will see the error of his ways, but I also hope God will somehow keep your family from breaking into pieces.”

He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you? I could be your silent cheerleader.”

Charlie grinned.

“You’re right.” Franny nodded and smiled. “There’s no way I can be a
silent
cheerleader.”

“I don’t want you to change a thing about yourself, Franny, but this is one battle I have to fight alone. Or at least by my brother’s side. I’m sure you understand.”

“I do.”

“But I’m glad you’ll be waiting for me when I get back tonight.” Charlie gave her a lingering kiss.

When they came up for air, she smiled, wishing they were already married. “I’ll walk you to the car.” She took off her apron, slipped on a jacket, and followed him outside.

They said their good-byes, which included a brief but promising kiss.

Willie was hunkered down in the passenger seat of Charlie’s Rolls, looking more serious than she’d seen him since he arrived. Franny’s heart went out to him, to them both. How could a father do this, force such a dreadful day on his own flesh and blood?

Noma came over from the clothesline and waved. “You two be careful. We’ll be praying.”

“Thanks, Noma.”

Just as Charlie eased into the driver’s seat, Franny’s attention got redirected. A car motored up the road, and the vehicle looked a lot like Mr. Landau’s Bentley.

Franny’s stomach took a dive as if she were on one of the roller-coaster rides at the state fair. “Charlie, I think your father’s coming up the road.”
Oh dear.
She would get tangled in the conflict after all, but perhaps he still wanted to fight this one alone. She stood there in a fit of indecision, not knowing whether to stay or to go.

Charlie got out of the car. “It
is
Father. I wonder why he came back. Must have noticed that Willie was gone.”

“Surely he’s not here.” Willie stumbled out of the car and then looked toward the lane. His hands twisted as if he were in physical pain. “Guess he came to check up on me. What do you bet he’s not in a good mood?” He tried to laugh, but it came out as a cough.

Franny joined Noma and circled her arm through hers. When Charlie glanced back at her, he nodded, which seemed to welcome their presence. They would both stay, then. Franny just wished she’d worn better clothes, instead of a faded housedress.

The Bentley pulled up in front of them and stopped. Mr. Landau seemed surprised as he stared at the crowd, who must have looked as though they’d gathered to welcome him. Little did he know.

Charlie opened the car door. “Father?”

“Charles.” Mr. Landau got out, made a frowning nod toward Franny and Noma, and then turned his attention to his other son. “William, what are you doing here?”

“I’m a guest here…a
welcomed
one.” Willie shifted back and forth on his feet. “How did you know I was here?”

“The maid told me.”

“Matilda never could keep a secret,” Willie murmured.

“Never mind about Matilda. She was just helping me since I got worried about you.”

“Worried, Father?”

“Yes, of course I was worried.”

“It’s good that you’ve come, actually,” Charlie said. “We were about to drive into the city to talk to you. We have something important we need to discuss.”

“Perhaps we should talk in private.” Mr. Landau pointed to the house.

“No.” Charlie crossed his arms. “Right here. Now.” He glanced around him. “Everybody, please stay.”

Franny could feel her heartbeat wanting to pound itself right out of her chest. Noma bowed her head.

“Let’s get right to it,” Charlie said. “Willie knows about your ultimatum.”

“What? You told him?” Mr. Landau asked.

“No,” Charlie said. “He accidentally overheard me talking to Franny.”

“You fool.” His father shook his head as if in disgust.

“How can that be, Father? I’m not the one who’s making coldhearted threats against one of his own sons. Dogs treat their offspring better than you do.”

Willie coughed and held his stomach as if he might be ill.

Even from a distance Franny could see the red mark on Mr. Landau’s face deepen into bright scarlet.

“Charles, I will not be spoken to in such a manner. Do you hear me?”

“I don’t want to speak to you this way. I’ve never wanted to. It feels disrespectful.” He glanced at Willie. “You’ve left us no choice. All we’ve ever wanted to do was please you. And it’s nearly destroyed us. Instead of raising self-sufficient men, you’ve kept us as schoolboys who cower in your presence. We’ve been reduced to begging for crumbs at your table, waiting for you to toss us a kind word. Not love, of course; we gave up on that long ago when Mom died. But I know—”

“Do
not
bring your mother into this discussion!”

Franny startled at Mr. Landau’s sharp tone.

“Why not?” Charlie asked his father. “We loved her, and she loved us. When she was alive, there was kindness and affection in our house. She made it a real home. And there was understanding and enthusiasm for our dreams. That is, what God called us to do. What He created us to do. Don’t you remember how things were? Even a little?”

“Not anymore.” Mr. Landau pulled on the ends of his vest. “Her memory is gone from me, and no amount of pining is going to bring her back. So, like any smart businessman, I cut my losses and moved on.”

Charlie’s hands shot upward. “She was your wife, not an investment!”

Franny moved her fingers over her lips as a reminder to remain silent.
Oh, God, please keep everyone safe, and help me to stay in the shadows of this quarrel.

Mr. Landau pointed his finger in the air. “How dare you—”

“All these years I’ve said very little,” Charlie said, “but I know the truth about what happened to Mom.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I knew why she died. She got trampled by the verbal beatings and the petty demands. She could no longer take the abuse. She died of a broken heart, because she could no longer withstand living in such oppression.”

“That’s a lie! You’re accusing me of scandalous things. Your mother had a weak heart, and you know it.”

“Yes, she had that too,” Charlie said. “But she also had a big heart. And a lot of love for her whole family…including you.”

“Love is a precarious word.” Mr. Landau glanced at Franny and then back at Charlie. “I refuse to toss out that word like the younger generation does. People say it, but most of the time I don’t think they really mean it. One minute they’ll smother you with their maudlin affections, and the next minute they’ll be cackling behind your back. You can’t—”

“Better to try and fail at love than to spend your life forever holding back. And that’s what you’ve done.” Charlie took in a deep breath as if to calm himself.

“Charlie and I must mean nothing to you,” Willie said quietly, as if to himself.

“Another lie. I just don’t express my feelings as your mother did. But my ways of caring are shown best in things that are tangible, quantifiable…concrete. That’s what I’ve created for you both. And what you both have thrown back in my face.”

Charlie looked toward the heavens and then at his father. “We do appreciate your hard work. We’ve always admired it, in fact. To the point that we’ve come close to sacrificing our ambitions for it. But we can’t live your life. God didn’t set it up that way. We love you, Dad, but you have to let us go.”

Mr. Landau stepped backward as if he’d lost his balance. “You’ve never once called me by that name. Why would you use the term now?”

“I don’t know.” Charlie wasn’t sure why he’d called his father by such an intimate word. It felt out of place during such a heated discussion. He’d never even called his father by that affectionate name when they were being civil…but somewhere in his father’s wild-eyed declarations he was reminded of Dunlap, and he couldn’t endure watching his own father’s spitefulness spiral into evil. “I’m not sure why I called you
Dad
. Maybe I thought you needed to hear it today.” He glanced over at Franny, who was still standing with Noma and still lifting him up in love.