“Albert, this is the home our parents insisted on? I was happy with the little cottage in the back garden of your house. We were comfortable there.”
Albert leaned forward and chuckled, quietly amused. Deep down in his heart, he felt satisfied and happy. “Well, I guess this is our parents’ version of a starter home.”
The baby had fallen asleep, and Louise joined in her husband’s aura of contentment. She snuggled Keller. All this is our vindication, she thought.
During the building of the house, Uncle Philip never stopped reminding Ernest and Allison that building Albert and Louise a house was rewarding bad behavior, rewarding the miscegenation that was ruining their family bloodline.
“The marriage must be annulled! It is illegal. Don’t you know that in California marriage between a white person on one side and Negroes, Mongolians, mulattoes or mongrels like Albert is considered illegal and void? Now you’ve allowed the situation to get worse with the birth of this child. He more than likely has a moron’s intelligence, like his father. They have committed a crime and could be charged. Haven’t we been embarrassed enough, Ernest? Allison, please listen to me!”
Uncle Philip’s declaration verged on hysteria but never was laughable. In other countries people’s lives were more than threatened by these beliefs propagated by groups like the Southern California Aryan Club.
THE WEDDING TOOK place in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert and Louise Rivers. The newly constructed and exquisitely decorated home was the focus of talk during the wedding ceremony performed by an Episcopal priest. The reception and dinner was catered by Adolph “Sad” Statter, proprietor/chef of the famous Marty’s Restaurant.
The wedding was a huge success. All the invitees were present. Only a few complained about what was interpreted as the gruffness of the hosts, Ernest and Oakley. The guests wanted to go on drinking late into the morning hours, but as the party slowed down about twelve-thirty in the morning, Ernest and Oakley began to say thank you and good-bye, and by one-thirty most of the guests were gone, bringing this second wedding to a fast but pleasant end. The next morning the social gossip centered on the rudeness of the hosts, and within a few days the gossip network had turned them into crude social misfits. Yet most of the attendees had a wonderful experience, such a great time that as time went on, the inappropriate behavior of Ernest and Oakley was eventually forgotten.
Unfortunately, Ernest and his son-in-law, Albert, had words on the morning after the party because of Uncle Philip’s undisguised disapproval of the marriage. Ernest sent a note of apology to Albert, Louise and Baby Keller, but Albert did not let go of the hurt and anger his father-in-law’s uncle had caused him and his family. After weeks of carrying a tight knot of anger in his throat and chest, Albert finally let go of his resentment. It was due to his love for Louise and Baby Keller that he could not separate himself or Louise from her loving family. It would be cruel to keep Keller away from his grandparents. Albert wanted to be a part of the many dreams that they all shared and wanted to pursue together. The family bonds and the love Louise and he nurtured were physically and spiritually powerful. He had to respect and protect that family unity.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS were drawn to Louise and Albert’s Boyle Heights house. The slightest pretense brought Dame Marie, Emily and Gloria. Agatha and Allison found it easy to drop by to help Louise and spend time with Baby Keller. Louise’s home was warm and comfortable, a place where every member of the family felt at home. At the center of the family was Baby Keller. The Rivers and the Kellers became closer and closer. They were one family, and at the center of the family was little Keller, who became the heart and the source of love, energy and power for every member of the family. Not only did family and friends want to visit the baby, but all the workers and their families from both companies came by to leave a gift and a prayer for little Keller at the door.
Sol started to work more at the Boyle Heights house than at Oakley and Agatha’s place in Hancock Park. Although the house was new, he insisted it still needed detailed finishing work inside and out. He was sure Louise and Albert would ask for changes. They did, and Sol made the changes carefully and slowly. He enjoyed being near the baby and making sure that Louise had what she needed. Sol brought friends Doña Luciana and the River Mother, who were both extremely excited to see the progress of the boy child. Doña Luciana and the River Mother took it upon themselves to examine the child while Louise looked on, grateful that both women cared about her and Baby Keller. Louise’s neighbors, some of whom were hard-working immigrant families, were friendly and ready to help her. They always asked about little Keller and offered to break bread with them.
At any time during the day someone was always walking in front of the house en route to the stores on First Street. The busy street also served as a meeting place for neighbors. There was a more direct route down to First, but neighbors preferred going by the Rivers’ home. People enjoyed looking at the house, taking in its panoramic views of Los Angeles and beyond to the mountains and the sea. The neighbors described the house and Albert, Louise and Baby Keller as “the lovely family in the pretty house with magnificent vistas.” Even people from the Westside often drove over the bridge to enjoy the views.
Knowing how special the view from the hill was, Oakley and Ernest together purchased the lots adjacent to their children’s home to conserve the value of the property. They put up a fence around most of their shared property but left open the farthest lot from the Rivers’ home, then had several of their workers build benches for the adults to enjoy the hilltop. They also installed swing sets for the children. They declared this privately owned space a public park and called it “Keller’s Green.”
IT WAS THE concept of Keller’s Green that Albert presented to his “Design of Public Spaces” engineering class at the University of Southern California. After his presentation he answered several questions and headed to the parking lot. Albert walked lightly and freely, thinking about how well organized and well-articulated his presentation had been. That was the last major project he had to do for the semester. All that remained was an interview with the professor and the final exam. He noticed two students walking behind him. One was in the engineering program. Albert waved.
From the direction of Albert’s truck, three men approached his destination. As they came closer to his truck he recognized Uncle Philip leaning against the truck, waving awkwardly. “Family” was the first identity that came to mind, but to Albert this was not the good side of the family. He felt a little tense being literally surrounded by Uncle Philip and two other men. He knew very well that Uncle Philip held an ugly opinion of him. Albert stopped and studied the men whom he had seen before and tried to recall if it was at the Kellers’ house. He knew that the Southern California Aryan Club met on campus, so Uncle Philip and his friends probably had attended or were going to their meeting. As Albert got closer, he noticed that Uncle Philip was drunk. Albert took a deep breath, pulled his keys from his pocket and reached for the door handle of the pickup truck.
“Hey! Don’t you even have the common courtesy to say hello to your uncle?”
“Hello, Uncle Philip.”
Five men, including the engineering students who moments ago had trailed him, tightly closed in on Albert.
“I think you have disgraced my family! You have ruined Louise’s life! You are a mongrel and a moron.”
Philip’s words started as a whisper, but as he proceeded, the sound of his voice raised to frenzy.
“You will not bring more half-breeds into the family!”
A heavy thud deadened the sensation of pain in his left ear. The swish of an object moving rapidly through the air came into his right side as he fell to the gravel. Albert lay there trying to make out the words that Uncle Philip screamed. The tip of a boot crashed into his face. His hands covered his nose and mouth while another boot smashed into his side. Albert turned away, hoping that the white gravel would turn into snow to freeze away the pain. He wanted to sink i
nto the earth, wanted to make the pain disappear. Blood from his eyes, nose and mouth covered his hands and neck. He tried to get up and felt a trickle start to run down the middle of his back. A boot to the chest pushed him down. Facing up, he listened to more words smashing his eardrums.
“Let this be a warning! Leave town. Stay away from our family. Don’t force more of your mixed-blood babies on us.”
Albert heard Philip’s footsteps grind into the gravel. He didn’t know who had hit him. There were five, but he could not tell who had struck him, who had kicked him. The words came from Uncle Philip, but the blows were delivered by Uncle Philip’s Southern California Aryan Club brothers.
Somehow he found his keys, dragged himself into the truck and painfully drove home. That night when he arrived, Louise and Sol were waiting on the porch. They helped him into the kitchen. Sol gave him a tablespoon of sugar. Louise washed his face. The bleeding had stopped from his nose and mouth. His left eye was swollen shut. His ribs and chest were badly bruised and painful to the touch.
“Let’s get to the doctor,” Sol advised.
“No, let’s see how I feel tomorrow morning.”
“I will te-ell father tomorrow!” Louise could barely speak. “Look what he-e did to you! He could have ki-ll-ed you! He’s crazy! I wi-ll stop him!”
“Please, Louise, don’t say anything. It’ll make things … worse.”
Albert drank water and sat back on the chair. “Maybe he has impressed his Aryan Club friends enough and will leave us alone now.” He took a deep breath and winced with pain.
“You probably have broken ribs. Te tenemos que amarrar, let’s wrap your chest and back.” Sol went to the laundry room.
For a long time they remained silent. The baby slept. They could hear water running. Maybe there had been thunderstorms up in the mountains with flash floods noisily filling the river with fast-rushing water. Thinking of the waters moving fast to the ocean soothed Albert’s pain. Louise and Sol wrapped Albert’s ribs with bandages they had cut from bed linens.
Albert and Louise talked late into the night. She had wanted to tell him the good news as soon as he returned, but she had to attend to what Uncle Philip had done to him. Only when she was sure that he was comfortable enough to smile did she tell him that she was pregnant again. The joy of knowing that they were to have their second child eased the pain. With this good news Albert was convinced that in no time he would heal. As Albert, Louise and Baby Keller slept, Sol sat on the porch with eyes fixed on the upcoming day.
THE TRIP HAD been planned for several weeks. Surprisingly, it did not take too much convincing for Ernest’s parents to come for their first visit to the Los Angeles area to see their new great-grandchild. In addition to getting acquainted with Baby Keller, they considered the trip a business expedition for future investments. Ernest’s father was particularly interested in land near the old central plaza, where recently the city had declared eminent domain on buildings and properties in old Chinatown. The city intended to clear out about three thousand Chinese to prepare land for the new Union Station. Many Chinese families resisted as city officials compensated them with a pittance for their properties and showed no mercy. Police posted orders of eviction and announced that those families and persons who continued to occupy the buildings would be arrested and fined.
City officials justified the destruction of Chinese homes and properties by condemning them as health hazards unfit for human habitation. While driving through town with Ernest and Allison, Ernest’s parents witnessed forced removals of Chinese families who had lived there since the late 1800s.
“It is sad to see, but I understand why these extrications have to happen if the city and its people are going to progress,” Ernest’s father said as he sat comfortably smoking a Cuban cigar in the new limousine he had rented. They were on their way to Philip’s house. Ernest’s father had not seen his brother Philip in many years, not since his brother had come to California. From what Ernest reported, Philip had done well financially. Although he had a rough time after the Crash—who had not?—he had survived.
“It’s because of you, Ernest, that Philip can live the way he does. Wise move buying the house, son.”
Ernest and Allison had discussed Uncle Philip’s obnoxious alcoholic relapse, his exaggerated approval of Germany and its new leaders, his overbearing, frenzied rants. Ernest reported that when Philip visited his home he talked incessantly and most of the time incoherently about the superior Aryan race and accused Ernest and Allison of failing to raise their daughters in a proper Aryan way. Worst of all was his overbearing insistence that Louise’s marriage to Albert Rivers was illegal and should be annulled immediately.
After the brothers’ reunion in Philip’s house, Philip’s diatribe confirmed everything that Ernest and Allison had said about him. Philip introduced his new house guest, Hans Klimmer, as an associate from Germany who was very close to the regime that was renewing German culture. As Uncle Philip spoke about the Southern California Aryan Club and its philosophy, Hans kept pouring whisky into both their glasses. Ernest’s parents asked for water. Intrigued by how California had transformed Philip Keller, they sat back and just listened.
Philip could not restrain himself and blurted out, “He’s unfit to raise a child, a mongrel fathering a moron.”
“Enough of this ugly talk, I will not have you insult my daughter and her husband,” protested Allison. “Ernest, how can you tolerate this?” She got up and walked to the kitchen.
“Come on, Philip, the boy’s smart and has always been a hard worker.”
“You don’t understand, nephew. He has already and will continue to contaminate our blood. Our bloodline should remain pure. Our women should not be taken by members of inferior races. They should give birth only to Ayran children. We, the Aryan race, are destined to rule the world, and all the rest will follow or perish. This, I am sure, will happen. You should start preparing. It is unavoidable.”
“It’s happening in Germany now, sir,” Hans added.
The evening progressed from bad to worse. Allison, refusing to come back to the living room to hear Uncle Philip’s tirade, remained in the kitchen helping the two Mexican women, wives of two company employees whom she had hired to prepare and serve dinner.
With every glass of whisky Uncle Philip swallowed, his voice grew stronger and louder, his expressions and gestures became more wild and violent. Hans kept serving more drinks for the both of them. Ernest’s parents seemed afraid to move. Finally, Ernest took the bottles of whisky away and handed them to the Mexican women. The parents sat stupefied. Uncle Philip attempted to speak but only slurred his words. Soon only guttural sounds emitted from his mouth. Hans disappeared into the master bedroom. Philip tried to follow but only crumpled at his brother’s feet. Ernest’s parents, Allison and the two Mexican women stared down at Uncle Philip on the rug, misshapen like a gnarled branch of an old diseased tree. For a long while he did not move.
“I can’t eat. Take us back to your house, son,” Ernest’s mother pleaded.
“Ernest, let’s take him to the bedroom, first. He can sleep it off. I didn’t understand how bad off my brother was. Come on, son, let’s move him.”
Suddenly, on the rug, Uncle Philip grabbed his stomach and evacuated liquid from his mouth and colon. The smell quickly consumed the house.
Ernest’s mother ran out to the car. Allison went to the kitchen and ordered the women to bring towels, washcloths, linens, whatever they could find to clean up Uncle Philip. They dragged him to the bath, removed his clothes, and all five working together placed him in the tub, where he vomited again and again. Hans had passed out on the bed, oblivious to what was happening around him.
“We can’t leave him like this.” Ernest wiped his uncle’s face with an ice-cold towel.
“Allison, you take Mom and Dad home. I’m taking Uncle Philip to the hospital.”
“I’ll go with you, son.”
“No, I’ll be there for a long time. You
need your rest. I’ve done this before. I know exactly what to do. It’ll be faster, better for Uncle Philip if I take him. Manuela and Trini can help me get him ready. Here, hand me another cold towel. Soon he’ll be able to get up and help.”
The women kept the water running in the tub and placed ice-cold towels on Uncle Philip’s head. Soon he gathered his strength and equilibrium. He stood up. Ernest and the women showered him down as best they could and helped him out of the tub. They sat him down naked on a chair.
“I’m fine now! Leave me be!” Uncle Philip raised his voice.
Throughout the ordeal Ernest’s father handed towels to the women, who dried and dressed Uncle Philip as he kept coughing and gagging.
“Do you see now how bad they treat me, brother?”
For a while Ernest’s father watched and listened to his brother’s complaints.
“I’ll be fine. Give me a shot of that brandy on the table. Over there, damn you, Mexicans! Learn to speak our language! Where are we going? Not the hospital! Help me, brother! Help me!”
Driving to General Hospital, Ernest tried to figure out how much his uncle had drunk. He must have drunk before they had arrived. The few times he left the living room he probably drank more. Ernest knew the procedure, and Uncle Philip hated it. He would fight the hospital staff, but they would treat him and keep him overnight. Once assigned a room at the hospital, Ernest waited until Uncle Philip was in bed, sedated. He would take him home the next day. He had done this several times before. After the last binge, Philip promised that he would never drink again. His uncle was sick. When he relapsed it happened dirty, ugly and hurtful, always hurtful to him and to those who cared about him. Loving and caring for him were becoming more difficult. This time he scared Ernest’s mother and father. He scared Allison, who deep down despised him and everything he professed. Ernest was tired of repeatedly saving his uncle financially and physically. But Uncle Philip was family, so he would not let his father’s brother down—plus, he owed him his start in business.
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