章節 34: Peach Season (August) Part 2
"Good question," Fabian answered, puzzled. He and Dave went to Dante's table. There were quite a few empty bottles in front of him and the ashtray was getting full. "Dante, what's wrong?" Fabian and Dave slid into the booth, joining him. Dante slid an envelope across the table. Fabian looked at the papers inside and passed them to Dave. He looked at Dante.
"Divorce papers?"
"You too, huh?" Dave asked glumly, sliding his own envelope across to Dante.
"What?!" Dante exploded. "Robbin left you?" Dave nodded, miserable. Fabian signaled the bartender with two fingers. Dave reached over and took a cigarette from Dante's pack. Dante pushed the lighter across the table.
"Why?" Dante wanted to know.
"Why did Marlene leave you?" Dave challenged.
"I have no clue," replied Dante, and took a swig of beer.
"I don't have one either." Dave lit the cigarette.
The bartender arrived with two beers. Fabian pulled out some money and paid the man, ordering a cola for himself. The bartender gave him a look, and Fabian explained, "Driving." The bartender nodded and went back to the bar.
Dave picked up his beer bottle and took several long pulls. He put it down on the table, wiped his mouth, and admitted, "Actually, I might have a small clue."
"Do tell," Dante said.
"There was a short note. It said that she's been having an affair and that she's sorry."
Fabian recoiled.
"What are you both looking at me for?" he demanded.
"You're the one with the reputation," Dante replied.
"And strange how Robbin leaves after you find a serious girlfriend." Dave's eyes narrowed.
"You're way off base here," Fabian waved his hand and shook his head. "First, don't you think that if she was having an affair and left, she would be leaving to be with her new boyfriend? Second, Robbin can't stand me."
"Right. Exactly the way you'd act if you were trying to hide an affair," Dave said. The bartender arrived with Fabian's cola and he popped open the can.
"The reason she doesn't like me is that she's always been closer to Franco," Fabian said. "And god only knows what he's been telling her. So put down the pitchforks and torches, guys. Robbin actually told me once that Franco was a much better person than I could ever be."
"That's my soon-to-be-ex-wife you're calling delusional there," Dave replied, taking another swallow of beer.
"And since Franco is also AWOL," Dante added, "very convenient."
"You guys want to walk home or what?" Fabian asked, annoyed. "I admit that I had an affair with Marlene which ended a year ago. I was not, and never have been, having an affair with Robbin."
"Actually," Dave said, stubbing out his cigarette, "you're right. Robbin doesn't like you. I usually just ignored it, but looking back, she could never understand how I could hang around with you."
"Truthfully? I never really understood what you saw in her, either," Fabian said. "Sorry -- I'm not putting her down because she left you. She just always rubbed me the wrong way." He glared at Dante. "Do not touch that line. I mean it."
Dante laughed briefly, then lit another cigarette.
"Any news on Franco?" he asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke upward. Fabian shook his head.
"All we know is that he didn't fall into the mill races," he said. "We don't understand it. You'd think he would at least have called our parents to hit them up for money by now."
"Do they really pay his way all the time?" Dante asked, disgusted. Fabian shrugged.
"What else are they going to do? He insists he can't work. He does some bookkeeping here and there. He almost had his CPA, but dropped out before he took his internship."
"Has anyone reported him missing officially?" Dave wanted to know.
"Mom won't let us. She doesn't want to involve the police and we're not sure why. The rest of the family wants to, but she won't hear of it."
Dante shook his head, then drank some more beer.
"I know your mom can be scary with knowing stuff," he said, "but there are more of you than there are of her. Overrule her. Just go report him."
"Dante, you should know better than that," Dave said. "You do not cross Madame."
"Mom is a little bit angry that he hasn't called or anything," Fabian said, "but she is convinced that he will be all right and that he'll be back eventually. We don't agree, but like Dave said -- it can be really unpleasant to cross Mom."
"You don't think .... No." Dave signaled for another beer.
"Franco and Robbin? No way." Dante shook his head. "A sympathetic ear does not equal romance." Fabian shrugged.
"Stranger things have happened," he said. What about Franco and Marlene?"
"Nope. I figure she ran off with one of her boy toys. She had a few on the string this summer that I know of." Dante shrugged and took another drag of his cigarette.
All four farms are absolutely beautiful. Very well-kept. Since they all support each other in a variety of ways, upkeep costs really aren't much of a problem.
Fabian knew Lisa was still working when he set out. Still, it felt odd to pass the Hornberger place without stopping in. He hadn't explored this area yet, and was a little sorry Bruiser wasn't with him. He admired the large orchard, noticing a group of kids up in some of the trees. He wondered if Lisa's grandmother knew about them, then noticed some adults here and there on the ground, supervising the kids and working at something. He moved along. The road led through a space where corn was planted on each side, creating a whispery green tunnel. Something was coming towards him in the road ahead, and he paused, wishing again for Bruiser. It was a goose.
"Mister? Please chase him down here," asked a little girl's voice. Fabian noticed there was an entire gaggle of geese in the road; this one must have wandered. Fabian did the only thing he could think of to intimidate the goose -- he raised his arms to look as large as possible, then ran at it, barking like a dog. The goose looked at him, hissed, and turned around to waddle towards the flock. The little girl laughed. As the geese moved across the road; their webbed feet made a slapping sound like tiny applause.
"Thanks, Mister." Fabian estimated that she was around seven or eight. She had a lot of wild red hair, bright green eyes, and several baby teeth missing from her friendly smile. She was carrying a burlap bag from which a few feathers protruded. "I'm Autumn Mowery," she informed him as she shooed the last of the geese through a gate on the left side of the road and closed it behind them. "I live over there." She pointed to what looked like it had been a one-room schoolhouse. He stared at it -- he remembered that schoolhouse. He'd known someone who had gone to school there and attended the last few days of school with them. He'd played on that playground. The swings and sliding board were still there and the schoolhouse was well-kept. Instead of a baseball diamond a prospering vegetable garden grew. Peas and beans were planted at what had been the backstop. There were also a few assorted outbuildings. A Volkswagen Bus that had seen better days was parked in the driveway.
"Mister?" Fabian shook himself and smiled at Autumn warmly.
"I'm Fabian DiSanti," he said. "I live in a Gypsy wagon down at the carnival." She smiled back.
"That's cool!" she said, obviously impressed.
"Are these your geese?" he asked.
"Yes. We have all kinds of geese and ducks. My sisters and brothers and I collect the down and feathers so my mom and dad can make pillows and things." She bent down and picked up a few feathers and poofs of down from the road.
"That's neat," Fabian smiled.
"Would you like to buy a pillow?" Fabian laughed.
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