Chapter 13
After suggesting a few minor tweaks and two errors and a place name that had to be corrected, Magnolia wiped her eyes and said they had been tough years and if only members of the extended family had come to the assistance of her parents instead of falling away from them, the outcome may have been very different.
"I think some of my tears resulted from the sheer power of the story telling -- please may I meet Mr Locke?"
"He's commenced a delayed trip to South America but you'll meet him when he returns," Jim said. "Kitty and I are off to have a drink and then on to dinner and we warmly invite you two to join us."
"Please Magnolia."
"We would be delighted, Skye had asked could we go out. Gerry is at some function at the City Club so will booze the night away. Are you sure we are not intruding Jim, Kitty says you two don't get together all that often?"
"That will change and then again perhaps it won't if Kitty gets a real political career going. But tonight perhaps you could allow me to share some of my political experience."
That confession startled Magnolia. "Have you been in politics?"
Kitty laughed and said he was a political bureau chief and had reported on at least five General Elections and numerous by-elections. "He has experience to burn and some of what he tells us will be invaluable. Have you a book to read Skye?"
"No, but I'm interested in politics. I know a lot about how to disrupt meetings, eject protesters without hurting people alongside them, defusing bombs, searching behind stage for booby traps. You know, the usual things."
"I'm not really sure that I do," Magnolia said nervously.
Skye smiled. "Don't worry -- most of that stuff occurs around the party leaders. No one is really interested in you ordinary candidates."
"Oh, I'm relived to hear that," Magnolia said and joined in the laughter but frowning.
During a break in conversation Magnolia stood up suddenly and said, "This has been a rather draining day for me so come on Skye, you can catch up on drinks when we get home. You are good to me by volunteering to drive. Kitty, I was ready to strangle you five hours ago when you called me but as usual you turned me around and I feel better for it. You are really reshaping me as a better person, also without trying it would seem but I know it is not done without thought. Oh, this is becoming a speech. Sorry. What I want to say is as soon as we are selected as candidates, as I feel we will be, I'm taking you to England to meet my parents. I want to meet them again and this sense of reunification is all because of you. 'Kick ass Kitty' my ass. You are an angel in disguise."
"A week, can we afford a week away?" Kitty laughed.
"You know as well as I do you selected staff for our office as our successors. We being away for a week will be good for them."
"This office, now I want the truth," Jim said playfully. "It's really only a PR showcase for the Prime Minister isn't it?"
"The office already has logged almost 300 phone call, more than 450 items of correspondence of which a little over 100 are complaints regarding perceiving denials of equal opportunity in politics, political service or under political patronage against the writer while we have received seven submissions regarding the need for adjustments to current equal opportunity legislation and about one hundred and fifty suggestion on how equal opportunity in the workplace could be improved."
Jim looked at Kitty in surprise. "How could I have been so wrong?"
"Because you think like a male that people with complaints tend to be wimps."
Jim sighed and said Kitty could be right. "Good work ladies, I'll be putting Shona Ralph, chief of our Better Living team on to you to dig into this thing."
"This thing?"
"Oh come on Kitty, don't snarl at me like that. My heart's in the right place isn't it."
"I suppose so."
Magnolia became the cavalry. "Thank you for taking an interest in our office Jim. Kitty is correct -- an extraordinarily percentage of males seem to have the attitude we are engaged in window dressing. I suggest you have Shona talk to the person being groomed as my replacement as I understand you know her, Chase Menzies."
Magnolia and Kitty laughed at the look on Jim's face.
"Jim I recruited her because I recognize her potential and her experience and success in management speaks for itself. She just took a wrong turn, for her, when she took up with you believing the easy life was for her. Magnolia and I, apart from planning and forming policy, mostly lay about the office scheming. The day-to-day drive is headed by Chase in tandem with another woman we've taken on as my replacement. The vision of the four of us is to grow the broadening work of the office from the PM's department into a functional new wing of the Department of Employment and Industrial relations. All of this is set out in our strategic and marketing plans which have been endorsed by the PM's chief of staff and he has briefed Lord Fitzroy who said, and I quote the chief of staff, 'Sounds progressive and potentially a dynamic initiative. Let them run with it but keep an eye on them because they are only women'. Ends quote. That man of Magnolia's has problems, I'm telling you."
"Calm down dear, Skye and I are off. Kitty is getting these power surges of her more under control Jim since she'd been associated with me."
It was Kitty's turn to display a funny open-mouth look. Magnolia looked at Jim looking at Kitty and she said, "Cute huh? Even she can be surprised. Goodnight darling," she said kissing Jim, you are such a lovely man and this is the first time I've been in your company for a reasonable length of time. I'm already falling for you, passively of course. Kitty you've picked a really nice man."
The two women hugged, bursting into tears.
Jim looked on in dismay, catching Skye's grin.
Skye told him cheerfully, "Don't worry, they just have this thing some women have. It's not about being gay."
Waving to the departing women, Jim said, "For the life of me I can't see a problem with Magnolia."
Kitty said she appreciated Jim telling her that. I've noticed real change in the last few weeks but in recent days her confidence has taken off. I know people have mood swings and it's difficult to note changes in people you are with all the time but I truly believe today we witnessed a minor miracle. The pressure she came under in being told we had documented her background momentarily plunged her into despair, giving her choices, and her mind took over and set her free. I know this sounds wacky but today we have witnesses the full blossoming of the The Lady Magnolia Fitzroy. I'm not even sure that she knows it yet, but so what? She will and soon."
"I think she knows Kitty. I don't think it was the alcohol talking. A guy knows when he meets a happy woman and she became happy the second we walked away from proofing that two-page feature."
"Oh my good boy."
"You've done wonders with her Kitty. Come on a kiss and off we go."
After Jim picked up the tab on expenses they stayed a while talking to the restaurateur and his maitre d'. Only during that quite brief social encounter did Jim and Kitty realize they were at the threshold of becoming quite regular patrons of that Mediterranean-style restaurant. They were also beginning to click into becoming a couple.
They left the corner restaurant arm-in-arm and potentially proceeded in anyone of four directions and without any discussion crossed and continued in the opposite direction from which they had approached the restaurant. It was unspoken and they had been less romantically engaged that usual because they'd eaten with company. They strolled on, chatting lightly but not about their destination. They just knew the time had arrived.
* * *
In the alley behind King Towers Apartments occupying the site of a long demolished movie theatre they stood in probably not the exact place they were sixteen years ago but they knew it was close enough. They remained oblivious to the trash bins and the probable associated odors.
