Chap 7 The Proposal

by Shin

 

 

 

 

Florence Quint drove up to Glendale in the northern part of town to visit her brother. As the chauffeur entered the large ornate gates, she spotted Liza on the lawn arranging the table in the gazebo.

“ I'll get off here, Charles,” she motioned to the chauffeur.

“ Very good madam,” Charles replied.

As she alighted from the car, Father Clemens drove through the gates and parked by the lawn. He got out quickly and met her by the lawn.

“Good morning,” she called.

“Good morning Florence,” he replied enthusiastically. “ A bit of god's work today,” he said with a smile.

“Its nice to get an opportunity to do so,” she said, smiling.

They met Liza by the gazebo.

“ Breakfast on the lawn today,” Liza announced as they stepped in. She always spoke as if somebody had commanded her as such.

Arthur hurried over across the lawn and greeted Florence with a kiss and shook hands with the pastor. He kissed Liza on the lips.

“I'm glad you could meet me at such short notice,” Father Clemens offered.

“Always happy to help out,” Arthur replied, “ though I prefer to leave the charity work to Florence. I understand its going to be something big.”

“Shall I serve now, madam?” the chef inquired of Liza.

Liza motioned with her palms at everybody and told the chef to go ahead.

Father Clemens handed a blue folder to Arthur. He turned to the financials and used his index finger to run through the numbers.

“You've seen this?” he asked Florence.

“Yeah, I think it'll be great for the city,” she replied.

They tucked in.

“ I think our father might have wanted something like this,” he said to Father Clemens. Then turning to Liza, he handed the folder over with, “ have you seen this honey?”

She took it from him and went over the publicist's drawings and then the financials.

“ It's a bit of the world's experience here in Willard,” the pastor added.

Arthur nodded between spoonfuls of egg and bacon but his gaze was elsewhere.

“ Have you spoken to Travis about it?” he asked Florence.

“Only to Helen. The Ladies' Club is ecstatic, but she might have spoken to him.”

Arthur put down the knife and fork and picked up the coffee.

“ Well....its the way we have always combined business and aesthetics here in Willard. If Rebecca was here, she'll say we're continuing in the great tradition. In fact this sounds like a proposal from Rebecca and her hippie days.” Rebecca was the oldest among the three.

“She did speak to me,” Florence suggested, but I didn't want to get between the two of you. So I suggested she speak to Father Clemens.”

“It's a great opportunity for the Catholic Church to cultivate some goodwill in Willard. The initiative today is to get involved with the community and a project to build a tropical greenhouse is an excellent way to make an impact,” said Father Clemens.

Arthur mused it over. It excited him to find things out for himself, especially when realizing that everything comes in a curve. He turned to look at Liza.

“I'm all for it....it's a bit of the passion of Miami further north. It's plants and flowers we have never seen. It ought to have an impact....” she looked tentatively at Arthur.

Arthur proceeded to explain again.

“Well, Liza wonders how I would negotiate with the city council.” He raised his shoulders. “ Like daddy always said, this is a product oriented country so I might be talking to Travis about the embarcadero project, down by the river. “

Liza smiled.

“ She looks after you well,” said Florence and flashed Liza a smile. Liza smiled back.

It was a rare exchange of affection between the two. When Arthur divorced his first wife and married Liza, she also took over from the sisters, what she perceived was in Arthur's best interests.

“The city will be grateful,” Father Clemens added, fishing for an indication from Arthur.

 

Arthur caught the Father's meaning and motioned to respond.

“ We are the architects of our own destiny Father,” he began and groped for the right words. “But this is one of Rebecca's women thing and while it's going to be great for the social experience, it will diminish personal initiative and the entrepreneurial spirit. Now I have great respect for women but Americans rely on the lone risk taker to keep the country going.”

He sipped on his coffee but felt obliged to add.

“The Catholic experience works better in the large cities. People want a greater social experience. Florence would like an opportunity to develop her feminine side but we are not yet encountering the wolf-girl syndrome in our society in Willard and she'll have to work with the idea of the overall good. But I don't want to seem indifferent so I think I might go for a garden, not tropical, but local.”

He turned to Liza.

“It takes a lot to fully develop the feminine side. Most of the time, you don't know what you are doing and it can be havoc on families....”

Florence cut her off.

“We have to be concerned about the children. We are getting school shoot-outs....that says there's something wrong.”

“I agree Flo,” Arthur responded, “ but there must be alternatives. Are mothers raising their kids better in the tropics? It still takes a lot of personal initiative.”

Then turning to the Father, he said,

“ Father, we are a small community here. It's a lot of self help on the part of everyone. We have to decide what's best for us.”

“I understand,” the father replied. “ I think the garden idea is still good.”

He looked at Florence.

“ I guess,” she replied.

Arthur finished his coffee. Knowing Florence, he knew she was not done yet.