She washed her hands at a pump outside and then headed back to her cabin. A foreman followed her part of the way, stopped to listen to a pair of men talking along the fence line. It was happening more and more lately, the growers sending spies to listen to what the workers said when they weren’t in the fields.
At her cabin door, she paused, collected herself, and managed a smile just as she opened the door. “Hello, explor—”
She stopped.
Jack sat on Elsa’s bed, hunched forward, as if telling a story to Ant, who sat on the concrete floor in front of him cross-legged, looking rapt.
“Ma!” Ant said, springin
g up. “Jack is tellin’ us about Hollywood. He’s met a bunch of movie stars. Ain’t that right, Jack?”
Elsa saw the stack of flyers on the chair beside her. Workers Unite for Change!
Jack stood. “I met Loreda in town today. She invited me here.”
Elsa looked at Loreda, who had the grace to blush. “Loreda was in town. On a school day. How interesting. And she invited you—a Communist—back to our tent, with your flyers. How very thoughtful of her.”
“I skipped school and went to the library,” Loreda said as Elsa put the milk away. “Mrs. Sharpe was teaching the girls in class how to make cosmetics, Mom. I mean … we can’t buy books and we’re hungry, and making eyeliner is important?”
“Loreda tells me you’ve been working hard lately,” Jack said, coming toward her. “It was sure hot today.”
“It’s still hot. And I’m lucky to have the work,” she said. When he was close enough to hear her whisper, she said, “You endanger us with your presence.”
“I promised the kids an adventure,” he whispered back. “Ant tells me you have an Explorers Club. May I join?”
“Please, Mom,” the kids said in unison.
“They have the hearing of jackals when they want to,” Elsa said.
“Pleeeeeease.”
“Okay, okay. But I should feed us—”
“No,” Jack said. “You are in my care now. I’ll meet you out at the road. My truck’s there. It’s best not to be seen with me.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s best not to be with you,” Elsa said.
Loreda jumped up and led Jack to the door, closing it behind him. Slowly, she turned, making a face. “About school—”
Honestly, Elsa was too hot and tired to care about skipped school right now. She washed and dried her face and brushed her hair. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” She made Ant turn around, then stripped out of her work clothes and into the pretty cotton dress from the Salvation Army.
They left the cabin and walked out to the main road, where Jack’s truck was parked.
All the way there, she worried that they were being watched, but she didn’t see any foremen skulking about.
They crammed into Jack’s old truck. Elsa held Ant on her lap.
“And we’re off!” Ant said as Jack steered their way out to the road.
Soon they turned onto the road where the abandoned hotel was. “Wait here.” He parked the truck and bounded out and went into a small Mexican restaurant that appeared to be standing-room-only busy inside. Moments later, he came out with a basket, which he put in the back of the truck.
Well out of town, they turned onto a road Elsa had never been on before. It twisted and turned as it rose into the foothills.
At last Jack pulled over and parked at the edge of a large, grassy area, alongside a dozen or so other parked cars. People walked among the newly planted trees; children and pets ran across the grass. Elsa could see three lakes; one was dotted with people in paddleboats. People swam along the shore, laughing and splashing. Off to the left, in a copse of trees, a band played a Jimmie Rodgers song. A string of concession booths had been set up along the shore. The air smelled of brown sugar and popcorn.
It was like going back in time. Elsa thought of Pioneer Days and how she and Rose had cooked all day to be ready, how Tony had played his fiddle, and everyone had danced.
“It’s like home,” Loreda said beside her.