Chicken Dreaming Corn

Rose Wine

Rose Wine he doctor gave Morris a pale brown pill to take when his heart hurt. Howcould this tiny orb, no bigger than abutton in Miriam's sewingtin, know where to go in his body? After a week in the hospital, he said he would do better to eat a good chicken liver sandwich chased by a glass of ginger ale. His heart, battered but in one piece, was like an old boot from the cast-off shoe box. It could still carry him where he wanted to go. Back at home in bed, sipping Miriam's matzo ball soup and eating her pickled watermelon rind—the doctor had told him to swear off the chicken liver for a while—Morris discovered what was truly the best medicine of all.When Abebrought the ledger books upstairs and showed his father how effectively he had been managing the store, Morris felt renewed. He propped himself up against the pillows and praised, "It isgood, verygood, that you are selling." "You can push some of 'em," Abe said, "who're sitting on the fence." "But do not oversell," Morris warned. "Repossession, this is the saddest thing of all." To Abe,though, taking back what a customer refused to pay for just made good sense."There's nothing wrong in taking back what belongs to you," he instructed Chemenko the next day. "To break the door," Chemenko agreed,"is good." 183 T 184 CHICKEN DREAMING CORN Abe's strategy was to stand politely at the threshold of a customer 's home, explaining, "We're just here to have a friendly chat." When the door eased open, he wedged his foot under it, saying, "Now, we'll turn right on around and go home if you make some kind of payment in good faith."Often that would be enough to have a housewifescrabble through the drawers for a stray dollar or pull out a hammer to crack open the piggy bank, change cascading to thefloor. If the customer just stood there, silently blinking, Abe nodded to Chemenko, who stepped closer,leeringhis crooked grin until the door swungopen and the customer pointed remorsefully to the bed or chaise lounge. "Do I get back what I done paid?" one crochety grandpa asked, when Chemenko hoisted his sofa. "It makes near 'bout sixteen dollars!" Abe shook his head. "How come none of you people ever listen to the agreement before it's signed? There's nothing in there about paying on the furniture 'til you don't want it anymore." Abe mimicked : "c Come to think about it, Mr. Kleinman, think I'd like my money back.'" "I sure in hell's name would! Allsixteen dollars' worth!" "We've given you all the slack we can, but time comes, sooner or later, to pull on the rope." "Well, you shore done choked me good if that's what you were after." "What I'm after, alter kocker> is what's fair and just." "Don't call me no filthy names!" "Good day,"Abe said, seeing that Chemenko got safely out the door without a stick cracking his head. That next night Daddy summoned him to his room. "How did you mean the words you said to Mr. Robert Douglas?" "You mean that old man trying to rob us of our couch?" "Such agrosse macher you are now,a big shot, running the store. First you take a man's sofa, then you call him a bad name." Rose Wine 185 "I said, 'alter kocker' I wasn't using it bad. Allit means iswhat he is, an old man. I'm tired of everybodytaking advantage of us!" "This year we are making a profit! This is your 'taking advantage '?" "And you know how much bigger profit we'd have,Daddy,ifwe were paid all we'reowed?" "If you shear a sheep you cut all his wool and what is left? But if you clip a little today, next weekyou still have ..." "Why are you talking to me about sheep?" "Do you want a customer back again? Do you want his brother, his cousin?" "So the whole family can make us fools?" "So we can make good business!" "Aren't I doing a good job? Don't you ever give me anycredit?" "Do you know how my Papa's distillery was locked up by the Romanian guard? How I was sent to sleep on sacks?" "You know how...