Chapitre 269: Chapter 269: Thanksgiving
In Atlanta's Northville Community, a quaint courtyard played host to Martin, who wrestled with a barbecue grill. His foot slipped, nearly causing a tumble into the pit. He shouted toward the tool room, "Hall, you blockhead! Aside from destroying the earth, what else are you good for? You can't make any progress!"
Hall emerged from the tool room, about to blame it on Lily, but then he caught sight of the young lady standing at the room's entrance, her gaze icy.
Hall, who had been a younger brother subjected to years of torment by his two sisters, wisely chose to keep silent. His younger sister had been honing her carving skills, and her hands were deceptively strong. A punch from her hurt far more than one from his elder sister.
As Martin continued cleaning the barbecue, he shouted again, "Idiot, don't just stand there! Drag out the charcoal and let it dry in the sun."
Hall had a multitude of curses swirling within him, but he dared not utter them aloud. Instead, he dutifully hauled out a hefty bag of charcoal and positioned it under the direct sunlight.
Before he could even catch his breath, Lily's voice called out, "Hall, go to the kitchen and prepare the meat."
Hall, with his head hung low, re-washed his hands and headed to the kitchen, his Thanksgiving filled with toil.
While others celebrated Thanksgiving, he was observing Good Friday.
Martin, having successfully set up the barbecue, was approached by Lily. She asked, "I've carved many things from the materials you gave me. Would you like to see them in my room?"
Curious, Martin asked, "What are they?"
Lily playfully tugged at his rolled-up sleeves. "You'll understand when you see them."
Martin followed her into the house and proceeded up the stairs. In Lily's room, the worktable took center stage, its numerous shelves holding a collection of various carvings. The carvings featured horn, stone, and wood creations, as well as clowns, insects, and an array of craft shapes. Martin even noticed a miniature version of a kettle.
Lily retrieved a beautifully carved wooden box, treating it like a precious gift. Upon opening it, five small figures were revealed, set against the backdrop of a house.
Martin could easily identify them as representations of Elena, Harris, Lily, Hall, and himself.
Lily eagerly pushed the box toward Martin and exclaimed, "This is our family! Don't you think it looks like us?"
Downstairs, a black BMW 7 series was parked by the roadside at the entrance to the yard. Elena, having bought a roast turkey, stepped out of the car only to find the yard empty.
Upon entering the house, she discovered Hall, furiously chopping meat. Confused, she inquired, "Where are Lily and Martin?"
Hall, with the knife tip poised upward, indicated the direction upstairs and tauntingly responded, "They've gone up. Lily said they had something interesting to show Martin."
Upon hearing this, Elena set down the packaged turkey and hurried upstairs. Her boots made a brisk thumping sound on the wooden staircase.
"Fake! You two idiots!" she muttered under her breath, racing up to the second floor. She reached the corner and was met with the sight of Lily's door ajar, and her anxiety began to subside.
Elena stood at the door of the room and saw Martin, standing like a model in the center of the room. Lily, seated at a workbench with a carving knife, was busy molding clay into shapes.
Lily heard Elena's rapid approach and turned to face her sister, offering a sweet smile. "I'm helping Martin create a lifelike sculpture."
Elena, now in the doorway, leaned against the frame with her arms crossed. "You two, hurry up! I brought back the turkey."
Lily countered, "Harris hasn't returned yet, no need to rush."
Martin's voice echoed from downstairs, urging Hall to begin marinating the meat using the pot he'd prepared.
In the kitchen below, Hall lamented, "Am I the only one working in this family? It's not fair!"
Elena rebuked, "If you're given a task, perform it promptly. No need for complaints!"
In the kitchen, the sound of meat being chopped continued to resound.
Elena had no intention of leaving until Lily had finished carving the prototype. Once that was achieved, she called Martin to accompany her downstairs.
The two of them spent the evening preparing Thanksgiving dinner.
Lily remained in her room, patiently refining her carvings.
When the footsteps had completely vanished from the stairs, she set down her carving knife and retrieved a book introducing the California Institute of the Arts. She knew that, if she wished, that bumbling Martin could secure her a letter of recommendation, regardless of her grades.
She remembered how Harris had struggled to gain admission to college back when they lived in the Clayton community.
Lily glanced at her freshly decorated room and then looked out the window at the grassy courtyard. She sensed a difference and knew precisely where these changes had originated.
Outside, the car door slammed once more, and Harris returned home from college.
Upstairs, Lily continued to carve.
Downstairs, Elena unpacked and processed the turkey. Harris and Hall prepared the skewers, while Martin tended to the grill, brushing them with oil and seasonings.
As night fell, the dining table was filled with dishes including turkey, barbecue, fruit salad, and cold vegetables.
Martin, Elena, Harris, Lily, and Hall gathered around the dining table to savor a lavish Thanksgiving meal together.
As was their custom, Elena took up the knife and fork and expertly carved the turkey to serve everyone.
Lily fetched a box of Coke and placed a bottle in front of each person.
Harris, with a grin, cracked open the first bottle and addressed Martin, saying, "Tonight, let's pay our respects to the leader."
Elena, leading by example, raised her glass and clinked it with Martin.
Martin proceeded to clink glasses with each of the four people seated at the table and proposed a toast, "Here's to all of us, growing better with each passing day."
Elena echoed, "Better and better!"
The five of them sipped on their Cokes, shared laughter, and had conversations while enjoying their meal. They had an unspoken agreement not to discuss Hollywood or work but reminisced about the happy times they'd shared in the Clayton community.
Martin, concerned about the youngest member of the family, inquired, "How are Hall's grades?"
Elena, troubled, replied, "They're just average, making it challenging for him to get into a good university."
After some contemplation, Martin suggested, "Let's find him a more rigorous tutor."
Hall, his spirits low, put down his utensils and gulped down half a can of Coke before saying, "Today is Thanksgiving. Can't you be a bit nicer to me?"
Lily, clenching her fists, defended their concern, "This is the love we, your siblings, have for you. Can't you feel it?"
Martin teased, "Don't worry, I'll find you a tutor, and she'll be both beautiful and talented."
Hall, with an enthusiastic nod, said, "That's the spirit! A beautiful and sexy tutor!"
Elena gave Martin and Hall a sidelong glance and commented, "Do you want someone to go to jail?"
Her phone rang, and after wiping her hands with a napkin, Elena answered, "Scott, what's up? It's Thanksgiving today. If you want to drop by, you're welcome."
On the other end of the line, Scott replied, "You're having dinner? I can see you're having a great time. I won't intrude."
Elena chimed in, "May God bless you with everlasting riches."
Scott chuckled and said, "I'm living a rich life already."
The conversation was brief, and both parties hung up their phones.
Lily inquired, "Was it him?"
Elena nodded slightly and assured her, "Don't worry; he's in a much better state now and won't trouble us."
Harris chimed in, "He's become more reliable than Emma."
Martin, familiar with the context, had heard from Hart and others that Scott had conquered his alcohol addiction and nearly quit taking drugs.
Lily pondered, "Is it some strange power of love?"
Thinking of their mother, she added, "I wonder how Emma's doing."
Elena, resolute, cautioned, "I've told you not to bring her up. For one, we don't want to know how she's doing. For another, we don't want her to know how we're doing."
Lily complied, and Elena, with a solemn expression, warned, "If you don't want our lives to be turned upside down, pretend not to recognize her, even if you see her. It's not that she's heartless, but last time she got wind of Emma's situation, she became entangled with some of the old underworld figures from South City. Those old gangsters are synonymous with never-ending trouble. The Northville community Martin chose is equipped with a responsible community committee, a well-structured neighborhood defense alliance, and frequent patrols by the Atlanta Police Department. The house and guardianship of her younger siblings are all in Elena's name, thus safeguarding them from potential threats.
Assured that, if anyone unfamiliar with the community's streets appears, the patrolling police will promptly interrogate them. If they dare to make any trouble, it's not uncommon for the authorities to empty their magazines.
After their meal, Martin and Elena made plans to meet up with Robert and went to a nearby bar within the community for a drink.
Perhaps owing to Thanksgiving, the bar was relatively quiet that night.
The three of them found a table, ordered beers, and sipped them leisurely.
Robert had gained a bit of weight since their last meeting, and his hair was neatly combed back, giving his head a larger appearance.
He clinked glasses with Martin and Elena and remarked, "More and more Hollywood crews are coming to Atlanta for filming. Our company's business has expanded significantly, making us the largest entertainment agency in Atlanta."
Casually, Martin inquired, "Is Jerome considering international expansion?"
"For now, neither he nor I have thoughts of going international," Robert admitted. "As our team leader puts it, we're local fixtures in Atlanta. Even if CAA and WMA come to town, they'll still have to show us respect. We've had our share of politeness from the major studio crews, but that all vanishes once we leave Atlanta."
Elena shared, "I feel much the same way. We're living a carefree life here in Atlanta. Once we leave, we'll be mingling with far too many people, and that can be quite challenging."
Robert nodded in agreement, and then he praised Martin, "Not everyone is as willing as you are to leave their familiar hometown and travel so far."
Perhaps due to the many memories rooted in Atlanta, Martin took a sip of his beer and said, "When I grow old and lose the drive to keep pushing forward, I'll come back to Atlanta and settle down. It's a great place."
Elena observed Martin and found herself unable to decipher his thoughts, nor did she have the inclination to do so.
The carefree upbringing she'd experienced had instilled in Elena a satisfaction with her present life and a reluctance to look too far ahead.
Robert added, "I have a vast collection of the earliest Coca-Cola memorabilia associated with the cult. If you ever need it, just give me a call. I can have it sent to Los Angeles at any time."
Martin playfully gestured toward the old cloth at the bar's entrance and quipped to Elena and Robert, "We have a leader, a protector, a saint, and a high priest gathered here today. It's a grand assembly of the Coke Cult's senior leaders."
Robert, however, was earnest, saying, "We've become quite a loosely structured organization."
Elena chimed in, "The leader's charisma is particularly potent."
Such charisma had also seeped into the film industry from external forces.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone