SPEAKING OF NOT KNOWING things, Frankie didn’t know much about Uncle Reinhart, Daddy’s older brother, who arrived by train from California the following week. He took a room at the Dagmar Hotel instead of staying with the Baums, even though Mother offered him a bed. Frankie was just as glad that he declined, figuring that the bed being offered to him would likely be hers and Joan’s. And to tell the truth, Mother seemed relieved not to have a houseguest.
Uncle Reinhart was quiet and serious and did not suffer well the whimsies of children or those whom he thought behaved like children. He was clean-shaven and wore round glasses perched at the end of his nose, which required him to tilt his head back in such a way that he looked down on everyone, even if they had the advantage of height. Although Reinhart was older than Hermann, he never married, and was no more interested in sharing his life than sharing a ribeye steak with a hungry dog.
He showed up at the Baums’ one afternoon while Mother and Elizabeth were at Grandma Engel’s and Joan was in the kitchen cleaning up after lunch. Joan brought him to Daddy’s bedroom, where Frankie was sitting on a chair outside his door, swinging Daddy’s pocket watch and attempting to put Bismarck, who was in front of her on the floor, into a mesmeric trance. “Hello,” said Frankie, laying the watch in a pile on her lap.
“Greetings, little girl,” said Uncle Reinhart. Stepping over Bismarck, he nodded at Frankie and went right past her into Daddy’s room without saying anything else. He closed the door behind him before Frankie had a chance to say that Daddy was taking a nap or tell him that visits were restricted to ten minutes.
Frankie checked the timepiece and leaned her ear against the door, watching as each minute ticked by. Things inside were fairly quiet and cordial at first, but after about five minutes, Reinhart began to talk about the restaurant. “Don’t be any more of a fool, Hermann,” he said. “Get rid of the place before it takes down everything you have. You are in over your head here, man. And you can’t even see it.”
“Reinhart, please.” Daddy’s voice was hoarse. “This is not your decision to make. You don’t understand me and I expect you may never.”
“I certainly don’t. That’s one thing we can agree on, brother. You know nothing about running a restaurant and you see no problem with hanging your family’s financial security on a childish whim. What’s more, you’ve never been cut out for business. How many times have I said that to you over the years? You take too many risks.”
“What do you want?” asked Daddy. “Why are you here?”
“I’m here to try to keep your family afloat. Let me handle your business affairs, why don’t you? I can sort this mess out so that Mildred and your girls won’t have to be burdened by your mistakes after you’re gone.”
Frankie gasped.
“Just like old times,” Daddy said with a deep sigh. “You’ve never been one to mince words.”
“Someone has to tell you the way things are,” he said. “And for Pete’s sake, it’s time you come to your senses. Frankly, it’s past time.”
It was exactly that, thought Frankie. She opened the door and held up the pocket watch. “Time’s up.”
“Thank you, Frankie,” said Daddy. “Your uncle here was just telling me that I should come to my senses. And you know, I think he may be right.”
Reinhart adjusted the glasses on the end of his nose and looked down on his brother. “Is that so?”
“Yes, indeed,” said Daddy. “I think I will have some lemon water with saltines instead of my usual afternoon iced tea and wafers, Frankie. That makes a good deal of sense to me, what do you think about it?”
Frankie grinned. “I think so, too. Lemon water is much better for a day like today. I’ll get that for you now.”
“Thank you, my dear,” said Daddy, sinking back into his pillow. “You can show my brother out on the way. Thank you for stopping by, Reinhart. I hope you have found your room at the Dagmar suitable? Nothing like those fancy California hotels, I’d wager, but we do all right here for a small town.”
Reinhart turned his back and followed Frankie into the hall. “Good day, Hermann.”
“It is indeed,” called Daddy, straining his voice to be heard.
Uncle Reinhart didn’t return the next day, or the day after that. But at the end of the week, he came back with Mr. Dawes from the bank. As usual, Frankie waited outside Daddy’s room with her ear to the door and counted down.
“What are you doing?” said Elizabeth, coming out of the bathroom, startling Frankie so that she nearly fell off her chair.
Frankie showed her the watch. “Keeping time like Mother asked.”
“You were eavesdropping,” said Elizabeth, “and don’t say you weren’t. Did Mother ask you to do that as well? Who’s in there?”
“Uncle Reinhart and Mr. Dawes from the bank,” said Frankie, leaning her ear against the door.
“Mr. Dawes from the bank?” said Elizabeth, scooting close to the door. “What does he want with Daddy?”
“I don’t know,” whispered Frankie. “I haven’t been able to hear anything from all your talking.”
Elizabeth elbowed her in the arm.
“What are you two doing?” said Joan from the other end of the hallway.
“Hush!” said Frankie and Elizabeth at the same time.
Joan tiptoed to them. “What’s going on in there?”
“Uncle Reinhart and a man from the bank are meeting with Daddy,” said Elizabeth, as if she were the proprietor of this information and hadn’t just heard it secondhand from Frankie.
Frankie rolled her eyes. “Mr. Dawes is his name.”
Joan wriggled herself between Elizabeth and Frankie at the door.
“Ow, you just stepped on my toe,” Elizabeth said to Joan.
“Sorry,” said Joan, giggling. “There’s not much room.” Then after a few moments, “I don’t hear anything. Do you hear anything?”
Frankie shook her head. She checked the pocket watch and waited until the second hand got to the twelve. “Ten minutes on the dot.” Then she opened the door.
Mr. Dawes was sitting in a chair beside Daddy with a folder of papers in his lap. Reinhart stood next to him with his hands clasped behind his back. “You’re paying your employees even though the restaurant isn’t open, Hermann. You can’t continue to do that,” Reinhart said. “It isn’t wise, and you can’t afford it.”
Daddy ignored Reinhart and addressed Mr. Dawes. “They are depending on me, Jack.”
“I understand, but you have no business right now,” said Mr. Dawes. “And unless you open your doors, your next payment will be late as well. If you’re not going to open, you’ll have to try to sell, or default on your loan. I’m sorry.”
“Exactly what I have been trying to tell him,” said Reinhart. “Though you shouldn’t even consider opening. Selling, that’s the ticket.”
Frankie cleared her throat.
Mr. Dawes, Reinhart, and Daddy looked at Frankie, Joan, and Elizabeth as they stood in the doorway. “My timekeeper,” said Daddy, smiling. “That’s Frankie, and my other two daughters, Joan and Elizabeth.”
Mr. Dawes bowed his head. “A pleasure to meet you, young ladies.”
Daddy nodded. “Thank you for coming by, Jack. I’ll be in touch.” He glanced at his brother. “Reinhart, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again so soon.”
Reinhart pursed his lips. “Good-bye.”
Mr. Dawes laid a piece of paper on the bedside table. “Take care, Hermann.”
Elizabeth showed Mr. Dawes and Reinhart to the door. “Joan,” said Daddy, “I think it’s just about time for my medicine. Could you get me a glass of water?”
“Sure, Daddy,” said Joan. She took the empty glass from his bedside table and headed for the kitchen.
Daddy kept his eye on Frankie, studying her. “Are you in trouble?” asked Frankie.
He considered that question and answered with one of his own. “What does your mother say?”
Frankie shrugged. “That she wishes there was no restaurant. And that even if you did open the restaurant, nobody would come.”
“You’ll find a way,” he said.
“How?”
Joan returned then with a glass of water, and both girls helped lift him forward so he could swallow his medicine. Afterward, he took a shallow breath and coughed.
“Daddy?” said Frankie.
“I’m just going to rest now,” he said. “I’m tired.” He closed his eyes and, after a few minutes, drifted off to sleep.
Joan left to tend to chores, but Frankie stayed close. She watched the rise and fall of Daddy’s chest and listened at the wheeze of his breath, waiting for the next one to come. Finally she’d been given a responsibility worthy of a Number One, a chance to prove herself, and yet she didn’t know how.
She picked up the paper that Mr. Dawes had left for Daddy. It was full of numbers and columns, and none of it made sense. Underneath that was a stack of envelopes, unopened and addressed to Daddy.
She read them all.