Albany Park (60 page)

“I will give him whatever he wants but I want to avoid being interviewed or questioned by other news people, especially about anything other than what happened between my mom and your brother. I’m sure that Coop already knows about my mother and father, but we trust him to handle anything to do with their reputations honestly and to avoid fanning any flames in their direction.”

“I’m with you on that, David. I think Cooperstein has a reputation that we can trust and will do a thorough job of presenting the story. How should we approach him?” Frank asked.

“Well—“

Shirley interrupted. “Call him when you get back to Chicago. Someone from Florida will have contacted him already and he will be expecting to hear from Vic or you.”

Frank sighed. “Thank you. I know this is a difficult decision, but believe it is the only way Vic can win. For over three years he’s been talking about creating a hi-tech environment in northern Illinois and believes that as a congressman he can help make it happen. . It would be a shame if he doesn’t get the chance.”

Standing, he shook Shirley’s hand and then David’s. “You may want to get unlisted phone numbers before the next few days
are up
.”

David smiled. “My mother’s had an unlisted phone number for years. But I’ll be sure to get mine changed first thing tomorrow morning.”

Frank gave Shirley a hug. “We’re so grateful to you both. Are you sure you’ll be okay with this?”

Shirley shrugged and smiled. “Let the games begin.”

Chapter 49
 

Vic came into the campaign office on Friday afternoon, two weeks after Frank returned from Florida.

“Coop called, he’s breaking the story this Sunday,” Darlene told him. “You better plan on being in this office that day because I’m sure the phones will be ringing.”

“What do you think? Is it going to work?” he questioned, raising his eyebrows.

Pushing up her readers and messing her curly hair, she frowned. “All I know is, he sounded upbeat and said we’d like it. I hope he’s right. He wouldn’t tell me anything else.”

“I wonder what David told him?”

“I don’t know, but whatever it was, it can’t hurt you any more than Shay’s stories. You’re twelve points down last I looked.”

“Now that I know it’s coming, the suspense is killing me.”

“Me too!”

“Tell you what, have dinner with me tomorrow, just the two of us, at Genaro’s on Taylor street about seven; from there we can go to the Sun-Times building about eight thirty and pick-up a paper. We won’t tell anybody and can decide what to do after we read Coop’s column.”

“Hmm,” Darlene replied slowly fingering the readers. “Good idea, but I think we should include the boys. We haven’t told them what’s going on. I think it would be better to prepare them before they see the paper.”

Head down, and a hand covering his mouth, Vic glanced up. “Yeah, you’re right; I want to be the one to tell them about David Rabin. Call the restaurant and ask Blossom to get us a table in the back near the kitchen. It’ll be quieter there.”

“What about the boys?”

I’ll call them.”

As usual on a Saturday night, Taylor Street in the heart of the old Italian neighborhood was bustling with traffic. Shrugging a shoulder, Vic pulled up in the middle of the street, where the car hiker grabbed the keys and left the car double parked.

Dino, behind the bar hollered, as they entered “she’sa in back.”

Catching the inviting aroma of garlic, Vic wedged through the shoulder to shoulder barroom, weaving toward the rear; pausing only briefly at the Juke box to let a grizzly old man grab a class of wine off the bar.

“Scuza,” the man murmured eyeing Darlene, who looked like she was from the neighborhood wearing a black turtleneck with her red hair pulled back in a short pony tail. In a cap and short leather jacket, Vic looked local too as he smiled at the man.

Pausing at the arch leading to the dimly lit room, lined with booths and tables surrounded with photos of celebrities and regulars they spotted Blossom, waving a beefy arm and pointing to the end booth where Ben and Jeff were waiting with a bottle of wine under the multi-colored antique chandelier. Seeing the two of them, both boys stood and kissed their mother and pumped Vic’s hand.

“You made it,” giggled, the chunky blonde server. “You want anything other than Chianti?”

Vic looked at Darlene and she shook her head as she slid in with Vic next to her.

Blossom filled their glasses and handed them a hand written sheet enclosed in plastic. “These are tonight’s specials. Try the mushroom ravioli. It’s great, “she smiled retreating around noisy patrons and employees on her way to the kitchen.

“So, what’s up and what’s with the outfits on a Saturday night.” asked Ben.

Seeing Vic hesitate, Jeff spoke up, “Everything okay, you two haven’t been going to dinner much these days.”

“Jeffrey, as you know the campaign is not going too well,” started Darlene when Vic interrupted.

“Let me take over Sweetie, it’s about me.”

Both boys looked at one another and then at their father.

“Look guys, there’s some important news concerning all of us that is going to be announced in Coop’s column tonight that we want you to know before it hits the street.”

Jeff glanced at Darlene and knocked over his almost empty wine glass, bringing Blossom, while Ben staring at Vic, sat upright with his hands spread on the red and white table cloth.

Grabbing napkins, Darlene blotted the wine. “Get us another bottle and a few napkins please Blossom. And we’ll have an order of the mushroom ravioli and some gnocci with marinara. Anything else, boys?”

“I like the ravioli and how ‘bout a veal parmesan,” answered Jeff.

“Better make it another ravioli and some extra plates too,” Darlene smiled.

That done, the three of them turned to Vic. He looked from Ben and then to Jeff with a quick glance at Darlene.

Slowly he took a drink of wine, exhaled and carefully set the glass down.

“This campaign has been grueling and I don’t have to tell you about all the accusations that have been thrown my way. So before you hear anything more I want to tell the two of you the whole story.”

As he spoke deliberately, halting at times, the boys listened, with their brows wrinkling and making slight movements with their lips and chins. Vic holding up his hand when they attempted to speak; saying, “let me finish.”

Darlene said nothing but did reach out and touched Jeff’s hand and then Ben’s.

Stopping only when the food was served, Ben muttered “Wow, I don’t know what to say. Jeff grunted, “You’re right, what can
we say
?”

They continued talking with Darlene joining in, hardly touching the food and occasionally drinking some wine or nibbling on the famous garlic bread as the boys asked questions trying to grasp the sequence of events and the bombshell that David Rabin was their half brother.

After several minutes, Vic, his fists clinched, let out a long breath and they all turned to him. “I’m sorry, but no one, not even your mother knew about David Rabin, until about four weeks ago. We decided then that until we knew what was happening with the election, we couldn’t discuss what was going on with anyone except Frank who was the one who met with David Rabin in Atlanta. I personally never knew or suspected that he was my son until last year and I haven’t ever seen or talked to him.”

At a short lull just before eight Darlene said, “okay, enough. Now here is what I want to do. After we finish here, I want to get an early edition at the Sun Times building and read the column. Then we can decide what to do.”

“I can’t stand it, this waiting is driving me crazy,” Ben whispered as waitresses swung through the door to the kitchen on his right, flashing bright lights on the dingy walls displaying pictures of celebrities and regulars, who dined at the famous family restaurant. .

“It’s only eight, but I feel the same way,” Vic said. “C’mon let’s go. If we have to wait at the truck dock to get the paper, we will. You guys can meet us on Grand in front of Al’s Shrimp House.”

Sliding his chair back on the bleached wooden floor Vic dropped five twenties on the table and waved to Blossom, while Darlene was out the door getting the car hiker to bring the little Mercedes. They had decided her car, would be less likely recognized than his black Caddy with Wayne vanity plates. The boys followed in Jeff’s Wrangler.

At the dock under Wacker, bright lights lit up the staging area as men scurried back and forth loading papers in trucks as they came sliding down long chutes.

Vic stopped the convertible in the middle of the street and trotted to the dock. He yelled, holding up a ten dollar bill, “four Sunday papers.” A thin loader in a cap, fashioned from newspapers looked up. Taking a drag on a cigarette, the surprised man ran over with the papers. Back at the car, Vic threw the papers to Darlene and jumped in. The boys were waiting at Al’s, parked under the bright lights in front. Ben was in the street waiting for the papers.

Shuffling through, Darlene found the column, saying,” page fifty four.”

Vic tore into his copy. There it was, in the second paragraph on the right hand side of the page under Coop’s familiar photo.

“Hats off to Victor Wayne, the Democrat’s beleaguered candidate for the north shore Congressional seat. After being smeared for months with stories about his shady association with big time Florida madam Sally Ray, it turns out that unknown to him, he was the father of her son. And while that’s a scandal that on the surface could cost him the race, there’s a twist—even though Wayne was running for Congress when he got the news, he risked it all to donate bone marrow to help his newfound son’s fight against leukemia. Methinks that race for Congress has taken a new turn.”

Looking up from the page spread on the steering wheel, Vic let out a deep breath. “Whatta you think? “

“I think we did it,” she giggled softly.

“Thank you,” he said, “I owe this to you. I, uh…”

She held a hand to his lips. “Please hand me a tissue from the pocket in the door.”

Hovering over her, he waited.

Letting the paper slip to the floor, her head sunk to her chest as she sobbed.

Patting her shoulder, he lowered his head trying to get her to look
at him
.

“Darlene, I’m so sorry,” he began but stopped when she shook her head.

“Go ahead, say it.” Whatever it is, I think I can take it.”

She looked up. “Oh Victor,’ I think we did it,” she said softly, looking down again.

“I know,” he said with a relieved sigh. “I could never have done this without you. I know it may have sounded foolish when we were younger, but I’ve always had this dream about doing something important to help people and now I think I’ll have that chance. My plan to bring new types of industries and educational opportunities to Illinois will make a huge difference in the future. I’ve talked to loads of people in the last year and almost all of them encouraged me to pursue the idea. It’s a real chance to do something.”

Running her tongue over her top lip a soft whimper escaped, as she turned to him. “Victor these last few months have made a difference.”

He nodded, starting to answer, but she went on. “I realize it will never be over for us. I love you too much and what you did for David just proves that you’re the kind of man I always knew you were. You may have lost your way a few times, but you can tell what kind of man someone is by what they do when they think no one’s looking. And when your back was against the wall, you did the right thing. Not the easy thing, but the right thing.”

“How do you feel about Shirley?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“As far as Shirley, well,” she paused, “I understand. At least I think I do. None of this could have been easy for her either, but she did come through and do the right thing when the chips were down for you.”

He tried to answer, but she took his hand and put a finger to her lips signaling him to just be quiet.

Putting down the paper, she called to Ben and Jeff standing in the street. “I’m going inside to call Jim Vogel to meet with the four of us at the Campaign office in the morning. So go home and be there no later than ten, we’re going to have a busy day ahead of us.”

The boys shook Vic’s hand and walked around to help their mother out of the car and kiss her before leaving.

Darlene took off for the phone inside. Vic joined the boys on the sidewalk.

“I wanta wait to hear what she said to Jim,” laughed Ben. “Me too, answered Jeff.

Watching through the large plate glass window, ten minutes later, they saw her emerge from the booth with a grin from ear to ear.

“He was screaming like a wild man, I never heard him so excited,” she laughed. “He said he knew something was going on with Shirley, but couldn’t imagine what it was,” she said, taking Vic’s arm as they animatedly howled and laughed in the middle of the almost deserted street.

“C’mon let’s go home and get ready for tomorrow. Good night boys,” she finally said pecking each on the cheek and getting in
the car
.

Vic waited as the Jeep pulled away. Darlene leaned back, saying, “take me home please, and don’t say anything. I’m too wound up; tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”

They rode in silence, listening to the wind and the whir of wheels on the highway. His few attempts to say something, quickly discouraged by a sharp shake of her head.

Pulling into the driveway, he got out and went to help her. Slowly, she let him take her arm as they walked to the entrance. Opening the door, she took his hand, “come in, I’ve missed you,” she murmured.

The loud ring of the telephone shattered the silence of the quiet house. She ran to answer, picking it up and immediately putting it down and disconnecting the jack. “Get the others,” she said, “this is going to go on all night.”

With a laugh they took off, going from room to room, until the loud ringing ceased.

Still laughing and slightly out of breath, they stood in the front hall. The door was still open and he turned to leave when Darlene reached from behind and closed it. At the same time she moved around to face him. He stood motionless as she lightly put her lips on his, holding him tighter, she opened her mouth to his.