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Tobacco Road Cake – Part 06

Kazuya cocked his head, then chuckled upon remembering something.

“Yeah, I’m determined to give it my all. But my companion flat-out refuses to work. They won’t be a laborer, just a lazy watchdog lounging at the doorstep of some rundown house.”

Troll’s eyes sparkled as he tugged at his proud beard. “Hahaha! Now that’s a rare kind of immigrant. Oddly enough, I like that. Well, anyway.” He cast his gaze down again. “I kinda understand Lady La Guardia’s relentless drive to claw her way to the top. Just picture being thrown into the vast ocean with no one to turn to and ending up in some undeveloped land. I can sympathize with a fellow ‘wretched refuse’.”

“Hmm, I see,” Mary interjected somberly. Coup de Grâce listened closely.

“I gotta say, though, I’m not exactly fond of Lady La Guardia either,” Troll continued. “It’s complicated. I get my satisfaction from my inventions and products bringing joy and happiness to customers. But don’t you think Lady La Guardia’s frightening success brings about misfortune for those around her? There’s just too many deaths to chalk it up to coincidence, and it feels eerie. Or maybe I’m just imagining things?”

Coup de Grâce nodded eagerly.

“I don’t really understand this fear of Lady La Guardia,” Mary said, her tone turning even darker, “but I think I get what you mean.”

“Oh, really? That’s great!”

“Yeah. The relentless work ethic. I understand that part. My old man was just like that. Unlike you, though, he struggled as a poor man all his life. As a first-generation immigrant, he lived with unwavering determination. I admired him deeply. Even when we were poor, even when he never succeeded in life,” she said gravely.

Wiping sweat from her chin with the back of her hand, she shot a sharp look at Troll, but when he stumbled, she instinctively reached out to steady him.

“No matter what my old man did, it never worked out for him,” she went on. “He did heavy labor for years to support our family, and wore himself out at a young age. But that’s just the reality for many first-generation immigrants. Successful individuals like Troll are exceptions. So, I grew up watching my old man’s struggles. That’s why I vowed to live prudently and play my cards right. I still have younger siblings to take care of.”

Mary lowered her head, and dropped her voice lower.

“I passed the New York City exams and joined the fire department. It’s a risky job, but it’s about being a public servant. Did you know, Linlin? Once you become a police officer or a firefighter, even impoverished immigrants earn respect. You become part of this great new nation. Plus, the pay is stable… So, yeah!”

“R-Right.”

“That’s why I don’t really get Lady La Guardia. I find myself empathizing more with Mayor Emigré’s sentiments. His mother’s scary, but he’s a gentle soul. Witnessing your parents’ struggles likely deters you from taking risks. I can relate to that.”

“B-But Mary…” Coup de Grâce abruptly looked over, blushing. “That’s not all, right? For a woman to become a firefighter, it suggests a strong sense of justice. Your desire to help those in need must be stronger than most. You know, like Wonder Girl.”

“S-Stop that!”

Mary paled, her anger flaring. She waved her fists around theatrically.

“Wait, that’s not it?” Troll said, perplexed. “I thought the same.”

Mary blushed, glaring fiercely at the two men with anger. “Why am I not surprised to hear that from one of the creators of Wonder Girl? And you too, Troll. You idiots. For the record, real cops and firefighters are not like comic book heroes. Don’t lump us together! We work hard for a living. This medal…”

She glanced down at the gleaming medal adorning her chest, shaking her head. Gloom marked her face. Kazuya observed her curiously.

“I-I don’t have that sense of justice or whatever. Oh, Troll, watch your step! It’s getting dark. Use a flashlight to ensure it’s safe.”

“It’ll be fine!”

“No! Like I said earlier, the fire department’s motto is ‘don’t rely on luck’. Make sure it’s safe first. See?”

The flashlight illuminated a pile of partially used lumber stacked against the wall. Some had fallen over, breaking the wall light.

“Oh, you’re right!”

“I see… You’re quite dependable!”

They moved past the obstacles and continued their climb.

“I’m really not,” Mary muttered, looking weirdly distressed.

Kazuya suddenly recalled Mary’s colleague attempting to stop her before their trip up the emergency stairs. He wondered why Mary insisted on coming with them.

A shadow passed over Mary’s sun-kissed profile.

“Sins must be atoned for,” she murmured cryptically.

She lapsed into silence, chewing her lips as if restraining herself. Troll looked like he was having fun.

Then, Mary turned to Coup de Grâce. “It’s your turn next.”

Lumbering along, Coup de Grâce looked over with a start. He cast his gaze down awkwardly.

“M-Me? Hmm. To sum it up, Linlin just arrived today, a new immigrant who doesn’t know anything, Troll is a first-generation immigrant who achieved success, and Mary is a second-generation who became a public servant.”

“That’s correct.”

“In that case, I guess I’m a wandering third-generation immigrant. I mean, I have a weird job.”

“Oh, really,” Mary said. “You’re a third-generation?”

Coup de Grâce scratched his chin bashfully. “Basically, I’m the same as my partner, Bon. Though unlike him, I’ve lived a poor life. It’s strange how we get along despite the big gap in wealth and status. I think it’s because of our common point as third-generation immigrants.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been wondering,” Mary said.

“Okay, you can interrupt, but others can’t?”

Mary shrugged. “You seem to be obsessed with justice.” Remembering something, she added, “In the Wonder Girl comics you create, there are lots of robberies in general stores and restaurants. Every time, the hero comes to the rescue.”

“Yup!”

“But in episode five, something weird happens. There’s a robbery at Uncle Toto’s store in Little Italy, and he’s shot in the chest, but somehow he didn’t die. And then you hear a boy crying from somewhere, but there’s no kid around.”

The flashlight illuminated Coup de Grâce’s profile. “I know who that crying boy is. He was actually inside the counter.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

The birthmark under Coup de Grâce’s left eye glinted. Kazuya looked up at his face.

“What I’m saying is, that’s a true story.”

All three of them stopped in surprise.

“M-My old man, Toto, was a second-generation immigrant and the owner of a general store,” he explained hesitantly. “He worked hard, saved money, and finally bought the store, living a steady life. It’s the little shop you see in the comics. Uncle Toto’s homemade ice cream was popular with the neighborhood kids. But one night… Toto was shot by a robber.”

“Oh! That’s terrible,” Mary said in a horrified tone.

Coup de Grâce glanced at her face, a little surprised.

“Sins must be atoned for!” Mary muttered, as if to herself. Her forehead creased. “Whether it’s someone as insignificant as me, or as famous as Lady La Guardia, it’s the same. A wrong against another person is still a wrong.”

“O-Okay?”

“So, did they catch the culprit?” Mary asked gravely.

Coup de Grâce shook his head. “They didn’t catch him. I think he was just a neighborhood thug. I was also at the store that night. I was five years old. I cried loudly for help when my dad was shot. To let you in on the secret, the crying kid in the comics is actually me that night.”

“Oh, what a reveal!”

“And, my dad’s last words were…” His voice took on a melancholic note. His tear-shaped birthmark glinted in the light. “Coup de Grâce, the finishing blow.'”

Kazuya gasped and looked up at Coup de Grâce’s face.

Mary’s lips trembled violently, her face dark. “That is unforgivable!”