The Stranger Across the Table

The server arrives with their Mexican dinner and places the entrees in front of them.  Frank has the Mexican pizza and Rose has the steak fajita.  Rose is in Milwaukee for a conference and is meeting her Frank, her father, for dinner.  It’s the second time in one year they’ve seen each other.  Rose can’t remember the last time they saw each other that often.

“So what’s going on with you?” he asks.

“Work,  just work.  Lots of work.”  She thanks the server, who refilled her tea.

“I don’t understand what you for work do but it must be important.  How are you really?  You seem frazzled.”
This question annoyed her. 

“Well, I’m glad I understand. Dad, I’m fine.  I work all the time.  So what’s going on with your house? 
Yesterday you said that you thought you had a buyer for your house.”

He nods.  “The question is, where do I go?”

“So… do you want to leave Milwaukee?”

He moves his head like he means no, but she’s not really sure.  He says nothing.

“So do you want to buy another place in the city?” 

“Why would I want to do that?” he snapped. “I’d just stay in my house.”

“Just trying to understand what you’re thinking is all.”

Frank reveals that he put a bid on a house in another town, about 60 miles away.  He describes the town as nice; it reminds him “of that town Geneva or whatever the hell that was you used to live in, with the river going through it.”

“Why move now?” Rose is incredulous.  “You’ve lived here your whole life. What changed?”
“Bay View isn’t good anymore.  It used to be.  But those East Enders, those yup-“ he stops himself before he says “yuppies”.  “It’s for young people now.  I’m old.”

She looks at her fajita, and stabs a slice of greasy beef.  Her stomach still suffers from yesterday’s hangover.  She tries to keep the conversation going.

“You said that you hoped if you moved, Jamie would move too.”  If Frank had ever married Carrie, Jamie would have been her stepsister.

He nods.  “Yeah, I hoped she’d take the kids out of the city.  Schools aren’t good.”
“Has she ever expressed an interest in leaving Milwaukee?”

He shakes his head no.

“So your week up north was good?  Did the boys have fun?” 

“Oh yeah, they love it up there.  They’re a pain in my ass but I miss them when they’re not around.  I don’t know why.”

It’s ok to admit you care about those kids Dad; they’re essentially your grandkids anyway.  It won’t make you responsible for paying for college.  She didn’t say this.

“I’m glad you can do that for them, Dad.  Really.”  She scoops rice into her mouth. “What does Jamie do?  Does she stay home, work, what?”  Jamie was 10 the last time Rose saw her.

He chuckles. “Oh, she goes from one Mickey Mouse Wal-Mart job to another.”

“Oh.  Her husband?”

“Well…” He doesn’t elaborate further

“Boy…no wonder you’re concerned about the kids.” Rose says, raising her eyebrows.

“If she had really been my daughter, I would have gotten down on my knees and begged her not to marry him.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Not my place.”

“You raised her.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Fine.  You were a large part of her life.”  He walked her down the aisle at her wedding for fuck’s sake.  She knows because he told her this; she wasn’t invited to the wedding.

“You can’t live other people’s lives,” he says. 

So that’s his code for not wanting to take responsibility.  She remembers how he wouldn’t pay child support.  The heat didn’t get above 58 degrees.  Her mother remarried just though they could get off welfare.  Frank didn’t believe Rose when she finally told him her stepfather was abusive all those years.
They finish eating and she picks up the check.  He walks her to her rental car parked on the street.

“Well Dad, I’m going to be tied up in meetings tomorrow and will have a reception tomorrow night.” 

“You sure you aren’t free tomorrow?”

“Dad, I’m sorry.  I know it’s not optimal, but it’s better than nothing.  I knew this wasn’t going to be some big social trip.”

She got in her car, started the engine and pulled out into the street.  She tries not to watch her father while he slowly walked away.