Chapter 1
Tuesday April 28, 1970
“Hey, Chubby,” shouted the dispatcher, “got a run for you!”
“There ain’t no orderly.”
“Take the new guy.”
It was a bright, warm morning. Pierre stood in the backyard wearing a straw hat, a sleeveless undershirt, gloves, trousers and work boots; he was looking down the gentle slope to the alley at the back of the yard. The yard had been transformed into a vegetable garden. The first crop, peas, carrots, cabbage, leaf lettuce, radishes and onions, took up half the yard. It was well on its way, and would be ready for harvesting soon. The ground in the other half of the yard had been turned and hoed in preparation for the second planting, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, watermelons.
Chapter 8
Tuesday, October 18, 1921
Antoine sat in the pre-dawn darkness on the sofa where Marguerite had died. He used to feel uncomfortable even looking at it, but after two years he’d grown used to sitting there, almost fond of it. It even made him smile when he thought about the great pride she had taken in it, how she cleaned it regularly, and fussed at Jimmy when he walked on it. Antoine always sat up a little straighter when he sat on it.
Chapter 22
Wednesday March 13, 1929
Antoine was startled to see a man sitting in the booth with Lada; for a moment he thought it was Frankie Dragovic. But when Lada’s face lit up, the man turned, and Antoine was surprised to see it was Thomas.
It was a bright, warm morning. Pierre stood in the backyard wearing a straw hat, a sleeveless undershirt, gloves, trousers and work boots; he was looking down the gentle slope to the alley at the back of the yard. The yard had been transformed into a vegetable garden. The first crop, peas, carrots, cabbage, leaf lettuce, radishes and onions, took up half the yard. It was well on its way, and would be ready for harvesting soon. The ground in the other half of the yard had been turned and hoed in preparation for the second planting, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, watermelons.