JALEN HELPED HIS DAD AFTER school.
There were a lot of new faces at the Silver Liner, and the ones who’d been around carried themselves more upright and their faces seemed to glow with pride. The Silver Liner had gone from a dumpy diner-restaurant struggling for survival to a superstar restaurant with talk of its special stuffed calamari on everyone’s lips because it was a big part of a sports miracle. Jalen wondered how people would react if they thought the miracle was fading.
As he shelled shrimp, folded napkins, and set out knives and forks on the tables, Jalen checked his phone from time to time, following the tweets about JY’s performance the night before. People were definitely talking about the Silver Liner, urging JY to get back there ASAP and to consider taking some stuffed calamari on the road next time. Jalen smiled to himself, knowing that the real secret would be for JY to take him on the road.
When he took some garbage out and opened the Dumpster, the smell reminded him about the circus with Chris in the lunchroom. Jalen wondered if it would make things worse or better at tomorrow night’s practice. He’d get a hint in school. If Chris gave him dirty looks, he could probably plan on more beanballs. He wondered how long he could endure it, and that started him thinking for the hundredth time about escaping to Bronxville. There had to be a way to convince the coach to take Daniel, so they could both go. What would happen if Coach Allen knew Jalen was a baseball genius and could use his skills to help the Bandits win?
With all the preparation for the evening complete, Jalen’s dad insisted that the two of them share an early meal before Jalen went to Cat’s house. They sat on stools at the countertop where his father did most of his work. There was still hustle and bustle all around them, but the steaming plates of linguine and clams set out on two sides of the corner made it somehow seem like a private meal. His father looked weary, but he still had the twinkle in his eyes that told Jalen he was overjoyed.
“You’re not tired, Dad?”
“Maybe a little.” His dad sighed deeply but looked around and grinned. “But this is what I love. A busy restaurant, and the people complaining they can’t get a table until next month. I take the walk-ins at the end of the night, and they keep coming later and later.”
“How are you going to franchise? You can’t be at every restaurant at once.” Jalen shoveled in a mouthful of food.
“Once I get everybody doing what I need them to do, I can teach more people to do it again. Then the people I train, they train more people. You do it like this for a while and soon fifty Silver Liners!”
“But isn’t it your cooking that everyone wants?” Jalen asked.
His father shrugged. “Is my cooking, yes, but a lot of the people can cook like me. The secret is nonna’s recipes and making the sauce just like she make it. And also, the seafood’s gotta be fresh. Most people, they don’t want to take the time anymore. They hurry the sauce. They take the seafood even when it’s not perfect.”
“I like seeing you smile, Dad.”
“You’re happy too, right?” his dad asked.
“If you get rich and famous, can we find my mom?” Jalen felt uncomfortable asking, but it was too late to take it back. His father’s face went from shock to embarrassment, and Jalen couldn’t remember seeing his dad embarrassed before.
“Your mom?” His father’s embarrassment turned to pain.