A Thousand Acres_ A Novel - Jane Smiley [94]
Marv said, “This is a big loan, Ginny. One of the biggest in our portfolio now, though I shouldn’t be telling you that. And frankly, there isn’t as much money in the till as you might think. Rural banks are having a hard time this spring finding cash. When the officers considered the loan, there were plenty of other applications on the table, let me tell you.”
I was smiling. I had been smiling ceaselessly since he came through the door. I said, “Everything about the farm is the same as it was, except that Ty and Pete and Rose and I have more control than we did. That can only be good, right? Isn’t Ty—” I gestured out the window. “Look at him. He’s healthy as a mule. Isn’t he one of the best in the township? Doesn’t everybody say that?”
“Nobody’s not saying it now, Ginny—” Marv developed and produced an enormous belch, then said, “Ah. I like to keep ahead of things. On the leading edge. I don’t like what I hear about your dad.”
“He’s in a snit about something right now, but he’ll get over it. It doesn’t affect the farm operation. Ty and Pete were way ahead on the farm work all through June. Ask Loren Clark.”
“That did appear to be the case.”
He opened two more little green bottles, and drank his quickly. I was watching him, so he said, “Just flushing the system. You should, too. Everybody should. If you did that regularly, your hair would shine more.”
I said, “Don’t worry, Marv. Promise me you won’t worry. Everything is fine, really.”
“You got a teaspoon of sugar I can have?”
I got him a spoon and handed him the sugar bowl. He looked at his watch, and at exactly twelve-thirty, he dosed himself with a teaspoon of sugar. Our conversation paused while he timed himself. He checked his watch again. He said, “Everybody in this town is friends, Ginny. Even all the feuding parties have been feuding for so long that they’re practically friends. These times we’re in are so unsettled that it makes me nervous. Interest rates flying everywhere. All the old rules disappearing. It’s like Depression times. People can make lots of new enemies in times like these.”
“We’re not going to be your enemy, Marv.” I smoothed my voice, made it soothing. “Just ignore Daddy. He’ll settle down.”
“I’ve got to listen to you, Ginny.” He stood up. “I’m going back to my own office, now. I’ve got some things to do at one, and I forgot the Tabasco. I’ll be by again.”
I was right behind him, smiling and guiding him toward the door.
An hour later I received Harold, though the sight of him hopping, almost dancing, from his truck to my back door, the sight of his glee, incensed me.
“You got a problem, girlie,” he exclaimed as soon as he saw me.
I held the screen door open for him. “You think so, Harold?”
“I know it.” He saw the coffeepot. “I’ll take some of that.”
“I’ll make fresh.”
He sat down at the table. “Your dad don’t want to come home here, don’t want to lay eyes on any of the whole pack of you.”
“I’m sure he’s been ripping us up one side and down the other.”
“The thing about girls is, they always got minds of their own.”
“Don’t you think Jess and Loren have minds of their own?”
“Jess come around, didn’t he?” Harold grinned. “He called me, I didn’t call him.”
“Did you know where to call him?”
“The thing was, I wasn’t going to call him and he knew it.”
“Harold, we’ve treated Daddy perfectly well for years, and you know that as well as anybody.”
“I know it.”
“Then tell him to come home, and don’t encourage him. I know you like to stir him up.” The coffee started boiling, and I poured Harold a cup.
“He’s a stubborn man. It don’t matter what I do or I think. He don’t like being told he’s wrong, especially when it ain’t clear how wrong he is.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “So what do you tell him?”
“I tell him to wait and see what happens. I tell him that you girls ought to come to him. I told him that.”
“I’m sure Rose doesn’t agree with you, Harold. He stole Pete’s truck! He threatened us and cursed us! One of these days, right in the middle of this, some state trooper’s going to come around and arrest him. That hospital