This Tender Land

Gertie introduces them to Flo, her partner, who feeds them. After eating, they shower in public baths before returning to the café, where they meet Forrest’s brother, Calvin, or “Cal,” as well as Flo’s brother, Truman “Tru” Waters, a towboat operator.

Gertie puts Odie, Albert, Mose, and Emmy to work during dinner hour at the café. Odie notices that she serves those who can’t pay. After dinner, one of the boys Odie met near the river rushes in and tells Gertie that his mother is about to give birth. Though the boy introduced himself as John Kelly earlier, Gertie refers to him as Shlomo Goldstein. Gertie goes to help Mrs. Goldstein and sends Odie and Shlomo to call a doctor. Odie and Shlomo play cards through the night while Mrs. Goldstein gives birth. After the baby is born, Gertie asks Odie to help Shlomo on his newspaper route.

Odie and Shlomo talk as they walk. Odie learns that Shlomo’s father is a junk dealer, frequently gone from home, and that Shlomo goes by John Kelly since it is “safer” and “easier” not to be recognized as Jewish. Shlomo tells Odie that Gertie, who has a scar down one side of her face, was injured by police officers when she tried to defend someone else from the police. As they finish their route later than usual, a police officer scolds them, and Shlomo again pretends to be John Kelly.

Back at Gertie’s, Odie talks with Flo while eating breakfast. He learns that Flo is Catholic and Gertie is Jewish, though she does not attend worship services. Gertie returns from delivering food to the Goldsteins, and Odie watches in surprise as she and Flo kiss.

Odie sleeps for several hours. Upon waking, Flo tells him that Tru enlisted Albert to fix his boat. Odie writes a letter to Maybeth, then helps serve lunch at the café. Mose returns and relates that Albert convinced Wooster Morgan to let him use his equipment to work on Tru’s boat.

Odie is about to nap when Shlomo returns and leads Odie to the railroad tracks, where he shows him how to hop on and off trains. Shlomo then takes him to the courthouse to mail his letter. Inside, Odie is stunned to recognize Jack, previously assumed to be dead.

Odie is even more surprised when Jack thanks him. Taking Odie outside, Jack explains that he miraculously survived and is now reunited with Aggie and Sophie. He apologizes for the way he treated Odie and the others.

Odie returns to the café to help serve dinner. Later, Albert returns with Tru and Cal, who hail Albert as a “genius” for his work on Tru’s boat. For the first time, Odie sees Albert drink beer.

That night, unable to sleep, Odie joins Mose outside. Mose tells Odie that he and Albert might accept jobs on Tru’s crew, to Odie’s disappointment.

The next morning, Odie tries to rekindle Albert’s desire to go to St. Louis, but he is interrupted by Tru and Cal, who promise to find work for Odie as well. That afternoon, Odie visits Albert at his work on Tru’s boat. Seeing how happy Albert is, Odie wanders off alone, intending to mail Maybeth’s letter, but he runs out of time before hurrying back to Gertie’s to serve dinner.

After dinner, Tru invites everyone to join him for a party on the boat where he and Cal live. Odie remains aloof while the others celebrate, denying their requests to play music. He relents when they ask him to tell a story. He continues the story of the four vagabonds, telling how the Black Witch tricked the giant, the wizard, and the princess to fight among themselves, leaving the imp to wander alone.

The party ends, and they return to Gertie’s home. Odie describes his encounter with Jack to the others and urges them to leave for St. Louis. Albert, Mose, and Emmy affirm their desire to stay in St. Paul. Dejected, Odie leaves and begins to feel that he, alone, is responsible for the bad things that happened to them.

Odie runs into Shlomo, who is on his way to pick up his newspapers. Odie explains that he intends to go to St. Louis by himself, and Shlomo promises to help him find a train. After returning to Gertie’s to retrieve the harmonica and Maybeth’s letter, Odie and Shlomo make their way to the rail yard. Odie catches a train headed south.