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Harley had to come back up to callfor you"

"Okay okay," I cried and hurried as fast as I could The pain was thu and I wondered if I should at least take one ofany unhappiness to the table, not for this first and important dinner with Harley's father

"I guess I'll just take one of the pills" I reluctantly decided

I did so and then Harley helpedroom He looked a lot happier

"Guess what he wants

"What?"

"He wants reat help since he lost his assistant this week"

"How?"

"He said he was a big drinker and got arrested for his fourth or fifth DWI He's in jail"

"Oh"

"Best way to get to know someone is to ith him," Harley said "especially if he's the father you've never known,"

The dining room table was a hard cherry wood that once ht Noas stained and badly scratched The chair legs were so loose, I was afraid that ht just fall apart I never sat so still Suze hadn't put a tablecloth on the table, but she had a thick candle burning at the center

Whether we liked it or not, ere in for a Haitian dinner, Harley's father explained each dish Suze brought out froht it was quite spicy, and so did Harley froliots, which I gathered frolish explanation was pork first boiled and then fried She served it hat she referred to as riz pois cones, which looked to be nothing more than rice cooked in with red kidney beans

For dessert, we had pain potate, which was a cake she had made with sweet potatoes, coconut and raisins It was delicious Most of the flavors were true discoveries for both of us Harley scraped his plate clean

"I guess I was really hungry and this was all so good," he explained