“That’s when this city began to go to hell,” Coleman growled. “If your father was with the cops, he probably told you that.”

“Meaning what, Judge?” I could feel my eyes glittering.

“Meaning men ordered to turn on their neighbors, on decent churchgoers, trying to protect their families.”

“Are you referring to Dr. King?” I asked. “If I remember correctly, he was a churchgoer—”

“That’s enough!” Jolenta Krumas turned to look at us. “This is Brian’s big night. I don’t want a lot of sniping and backbiting to interfere with it.”

“Jolenta’s the boss.” Harvey crossed his arms over his wife’s shoulders. “And she’s right as always. Vic, good to meet Tony’s girl. I can’t believe you’ve been stirring up the South Side all these years, and we never met. Don’t be a stranger from now on.”

The words were pleasant, but they were a definite dismissal. Coleman smirked as I retreated to Mr. Contreras’s side, while he got to stay next to power and glory. A moment later, though, the candidate appeared. Brian kissed his mother, embraced his father, and then was taken by Petra to meet Mr. Contreras. She was flanked by the campaign’s PR staff, and it was my side of the table, not Arnie’s, that Beth Blacksin’s Global Entertainment cameras began shooting.

14 - DREAMS OF OLDEN TIMES

14

DREAMS OF OLDEN TIMES

THERE WAS A BLIZZARD, A WHITE WALL OF SNOW. I WAS choking as I fought my way through it. I needed to find my father, I needed to make sure he was safe. Someone had blown up St. Czeslaw’s. Even though they were Christians they had blown up their own church. Father Gribac was standing in front of the burning building, waving his arms, shouting that the cardinal had it coming. “If he wants to give the church to the niggers, we’ll see there’s no church left to give them!”

Every time I tried to pass him, the priest shoved me backward. My father was a policeman, he was trying to protect the church, they might have blown him up, too. “Papà! ” I tried to shout, but, dream-like, I had no voice.

I sat up, sweating and weeping. I’m a grown woman, and there are still nights when I need my father so badly that the pain of losing him cuts through and takes my breath away.

I supposed the dream came from seeing my ex-husband the night before, that and meeting Harvey Krumas. Dick Yarborough had loved my father. Tony was what kept our brief marriage together as long as it lasted. Even though Dick left me almost as soon as the funeral was over, whenever I see him he brings my dad to mind.