The Prodigal Daughter (39 page)

“Yes, it
certainly was. I apologize. But I have always believed you could play a role in
national politics, as you did The P”sent: 1968-1982 241 once yourself, and I
feel the time is right, especially as I’m convinced that you haven’t changed.”

“But I haven’t
been involved in politics at a grass-roots level, let alone a national level,
for years.”

“Florentyna, you
know as well as I do that most people in Congress have neither your varied
experience nor your intelligence. That goes for most Presidents, come to think
of it.”

“I’m flattered,
Edward, but not convinced.”

“Well, I can
tell you that a group of us in Chicago want you to come home and run for the
Ninth District.

“Henry
Osborne’s old seat?”

“Although the
Democrats won it back in ‘fifty-four, we have never had a large enough majority
to feel confident when we had to select a new candidate to ward off any strong
Republican challenge.”

“Daley wants a
Polish woman?”

“Daley wants the
woman Time said ran behind only Jackie Kennedy and Margaret Mead in the
nation’s esteem. Daley likes winning.”

“You’re mad,
Edward. Who needs it?”

“I suspect you
do, F
‘ lorentyna
. Just give me one day in your life;
come to Chicago and meet the people who want you.

Express in your
own words how you feel about the future of our country. Won’t you at least do
that for me?”

“All right, I’ll
consider it and call you in a few days. But I warn you, Richard will think I’m
nuts.”

On that count
Florentyna turned out to be wrong. Richard had arrived home late that night after
a trip to Boston and he told her over breakfast the next morning that she had
been talking in her sleep.

“What did I
sayT’

Richard stared
at her. “Something I have always suspected,” he replied.

“And what was
that?”

“‘I want to
run.”‘

Florentyna made
no reply.

“Why did Edward
want to see you for lunch so urgently?”

“He wants me to
return to Chicago and run for Congress.”

“So that’s what
brought it on. Well, I think you should consider the offer seriously, Jessie.
For a long time you’ve been critical of the fact that competent women don’t go
into politics. And you’ve always been outspoken about the abilities of those
who do enter public life. Now you can stop complaining and do a little more
about it other than when elections come around.”

“But
what about the Baron Group?”

“The Rockefeller
family managed to survive; no doubt the Kane family will get by somehow. In any
case, the Group now employs twenty-seven thousand people, so I imagine we can
find ten men to take your place.”

“Thank you, Mr.
Kane. But how do I live in Illinois while you’re in New York?”

“That’s easily
solved. I’ll fly to Chicago every weekend. Wednesday nights you can fly to New
York and now that we know that Carol will never leave us, it shouldn’t be too
unsettling for the children. When you’re elected, I’ll take the shuttle down to
Washington Wednesday nights.”

“You sound as
though you’ve been thinking about this for some time, Mr. Kane.”

Florentyna flew
out to Chicago a week later and was met at O’Hare Airport by Edward. It was
pouring and the wind was so strong that Edward, tightly clutching a large
umbrella with both hands, could not protect her from the rain.

“Now I know why
I wanted to come back to Chicago,” she said as she scampered into the car, cold
and wet. They were driven into the city while Edward briefed her on the people
she would rneet.

“They’re.
all
party workers and faithful stalwarts who have only read
about you or have seen you on televisioH. They’ll be surprised to find that you
only have two arms, two legs and a head like any of them.”

“How many do you
expect to be at the meeting?”

“Around
sixty.
Seventy would be exceptional.”

“And all you
want me to do is meet them and then say a few words about my feelings on
national affairsT’

“Yes .11

“Then I can
return home?”

“If that’s what
you want to do.”

The car came to
a halt outside the Cook County Democratic headquarters on Randolph Street.
Florentyna was greeted by a Mrs. Kalamich, a plump, homely woman who led her to
the main hall. Florentyna was shocked to find that it was packed with people,
some standing at the back. As she walked in, they began to applaud.

“You told me
there would only be a few people, Edward,” she whispered.

The Present:
1968-1982 243

“I’m as
surprised as you are. I expected about seventy, not over three hundred.”

Florentyna
suddenly felt nervous as she was introduced to the members of the selection
committee and then led on to the stage. Shc sat next to Edward, aware of how
cold the room was and how the hall was full of people with hope in their eyes,
people who enjoyed so few of the privileges she experienced everyday. How
different this room was from her own boardroom, full of men in Brooks
Brothers
suits who ordered martinis before dinner. For the
first time in her life she felt embarrassed by her wealth and hoped it didn’t
show.

Edward rose from
his chair in the center of the platform, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my
privilege tonight to introduce a woman who has gained the respect and admiration
of the American people. She has helped build one of the largest financial
empires in the world and I believe she could now build a political career of
the same dimensions.

I hope she will
launch that career in this room tonight.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mrs. Florentyna Kane.”

Florentyna rose
nervously to her feet. She began to wish she had spent more time preparing her
speech.

“Thank you, Mr.
Winchester, for your kind words. It’s wonderful to be back in Chicago, my home
town, and I appreciate so inany of you turning out for me on this cold, wet
night.

1, like vou,
feel
let down by the political leaders of the day. I believe
in a strong America and if I were to enter the political arena I would dedicate
myself to those words Franklin D. Roosevelt said in this city over thirty years
ago: ‘There can be no greater calling than public service.’

“My father came
to Chicago as an immigrant from Poland and only in America could he have
achieved the success he did. Each of us must play our role in the destiny of
the country we love and I shall always remember your kindness in inviting me to
be considered as your candidate.

Be assured that
I shall not make my final decision lightly. I have not come with a long
prepared speech as I would prefer to answer any questions you consider
important.”

She sat down and
three hundred people applauded enthusiastically. When the noise had died down,
Florentyna answered questions on subjects ranging from the U.S. bombing of
Cambodia to legalized abortion, from Watergate to the energy crisis. It was the
first time she had attended any meeting without all the facts and figures at
her fingertips and she was to find how strongly she felt on so many issues.
After she had answered the final question, over an hour later, the crowd rose and
started chanting “Kane for Congress,” refusing to stop until she left the
platform. It was one of those rare moments in her life when she wasn’t sure
what to do next. Edward came to her rescue.

“I knew they
would love you,” said Edward, obviously delighted.

“But I was
awful,” she shouted back above the noise.

“Then I can’t
wait to find out what you’re like when you’re good. “

Edward Ited her
off the platform as the crowd surged forward. A pale man in a wheelchair
managed to touch her arm. She turned.

“This is Sam,”
said Edward. “Sam Hendrick. He lost both his legs in Vietnam.”

“Mrs. Kane,” he
said. “You won’t remember me; we once licked envelopes together in this hall
for Stevenson. If you decide to run for Congress, my wife and I will work night
and day to see you are elected. Many of us in Chicago have long believed you
would come home and represent us.” His wife, who stood behind the chair, nodded
and smiled.

“Thank you,”
said Florentyna. She turned and tried to walk to the exit, but it was blocked
by the outstretched hands of the well-wishers. She was stopped again at the
door, this time by a girl of about twenty-five who told her, “I lived in your
old room in Whitman at Radcliffe and, like you, once stood in Soldier Field and
listened to President Kennedy.

America needs
another Kennedy. Why shouldn’t it be a woman?”

Florentyna
stared at the eager, intense young face. “I’ve graduated and work in Chicago
now,” the girl continued, “but the day you run, a thousand students from
Illinois will be on the streets to see that you are elected.”

Florentyna tried
to ask her her name but was pushed on by the crowd. At last Edward managed to
bustle her through the dirong and into a waiting car, which drove them back to
the airport. She, didn’t speak during the journey – When they arrived at
O’Hare, the black chauffeur jumped out and opened the door for her. She thanked
him.

“It’s a
pleasure, Mrs. Kane. I want to thank you for the stand you took on behalf of my
people in the South. We won’t forget that you led our struggle for equal pay
and every hotel group in the country had to follow you. I hope you’re now going
to give me the chance to vote for you.”

The Present:
1968-1982 245

“Thank you
again,” said Florentyna, smiling.

Edward took her
to the terminal and guided her to the departure gate.

“Made
your flight in good time.
Thank you for coming, Florentyna.
Please let me know when you’ve made up your mind.” He paused, “if you feel you
can’t go ahead with the nomination, I’ll always understand.” He kissed her
lightly on the cheek and left.

On the flight
back, florentyna sat alone thinking about what had happened that night and how
unprepared she had been for such a demonstration of good will. She wished her
father could have been in the hall to witness it.

A stewardess asked
for her drink order.

“Nothing.
thank
you.”

“Is there
anything else I can do for you, Mrs. Kane?”

Florentyna
looked up, surprised that the young girl knew her name.

“I used to work
in one of your hotels.”

“Which one?”
asked
Florentyna.

“The
Dc~roit Baron.
Barons would always be the most popular chotce for stewardesses. If only
America was governed the way you run your hotels, we wouldn’t be in the trouble
we’re in now,” she said before moving on down the aisle.

Florentyna
flicked through a copy of Newsweek. Under the headline “How far does Watergate
go?” she studied the faces of Ehrlichman, Haldeman and Dean before closing the
magazine. On the cover was a picture of Richard Nixon and the caption “When was
the President told?”

A little atter
midnight, she arrived back at East
Sixty-fourth
Street.

Richard was
sitting up in the crimson chair by the fire. He rose to greet her.

“Well, did they
ask you to run for President of the United States?”

“No, but how do
you feel about Congresswoman Kane?”

Florentyna
phoned Edward the next day. “I am willing to put my name forward as the
Democratic candidate for Congress,” she said.

“Thank you. I
ought to try and express my thoughts more fully, but for now-thank you.”

“Edward, may I
know who would have been the candidate if I had said no?”

“They were
pushing me to run myself. But I told them I had a better (andidate in mind. As
I’m certain this time around you’ll take advice, even if you become President.”

“I never did
become class president.”

“I did, and I’ve
still ended up serving you.”

“Where do I
start, coach?”

“The primary is
in three months, so you’d better reserve every weekend between now and the
fall.”

I already have
starting this weekend-and can you tell me who was the young woman from
Radcliffe who stopped me at the door and talked about Kennedy?”

“Janet Brown. In
spite of her age, she’s already one of the most respected case workers in the
city’s Human Services department.”

“Do you have her
phone number?”

During the week
Florentyna informed the Baron board of directors of her decision. They
appointed Richard co-chairman of the Group and elected two new directors.

Florentyna
called Janet Brown and offered her a job as her full-time pohtical assistant
and was delighted by Janet’s immediate acceptance. She then added two new
secretaries to her staff for political work only.