Waiting Games

On my way home, I got the distinct sense the men in the SUV had pulled a fast one. Badger hadn’t wanted to end the conversation. I turned around and walked back to City Hall, intent on seeing the councilmember. I didn’t want to go through her city hall office so I made my way to the municipal garage. I thought maybe I could catch her and her entourage on the way out, but it turned out they hadn’t arrived yet. I thought that was even better, I could wait for them there. I found a spot to wait by a ledge where they wouldn’t see me as they pulled in the spot but I’d see them. It also gave me a view of the street level below. I could spit and hit someone down there, but I passed the time whistling at people and ducking if they looked up. Badger’s SUV never showed up.

I decided to try to go into her office in city hall and fake having an appointment. I knew she was supposed to be there after all. Each council member had an office, or complex of offices really, at city hall, with a receptionist area, a cubicle area for staff and a fancy city office for the elected official. There didn’t look like there was anyone in her office. The main door was closed, and while it had that thick old-school glass that I don’t know the name of but all the older buildings seem to have, you could still tell it was dark in there. I took a walk down the hall and found most of the other councilmembers offices were closed. I found one that was open with a receptionist inside. I asked him what the deal was, and he explained that it’s not a council day so a lot of councilmembers don’t come to City Hall, and sometimes the staff doesn’t either. Can you imagine anyone working so little?

I walked home disgusted by the whole thing. Fake council members, fake jobs, real offices that cost money and take up space. But I couldn’t stop thinking about Badger. I thought about her for weeks after that car ride, going over what she said. She was so head strong about her ideas, and so wrong. Yet there was an appeal. Fascists always went after communists first because fascists preyed on the same discontent in the working class that communism is the legitimate expression of, stripped of its class consciousness. Kendra didn't consider herself a fascist, but of course we know that doesn't make her not one. But there was a glimmer of class consciousness in her, I was convinced.

I decided I had to see her again. Every few days I would take a walk up to the district office, hanging around outside or across the street. I didn't want to go in and ask for her. I would sit across the street outside the convenience store where I usually bought a pack of cigarettes and had one looking at the office. The cigarettes were a few dollars cheaper here because they came from out of state. You could tell because the wrong tax stamp was on the bottom, but they hadn’t been caught yet. Maybe they could tell the city inspectors, or paid them off.

Anyway I didn't see her one time lurking across the street. Later I learned there was a back exit she usually took. Eventually after a few weeks the bodyguard Jeff came out as I was hanging out there and he told me to beat it.

-What do you mean?

-I've seen you here long enough, you've been coming around for weeks.

-What of it?

-What are you doing here?

-I get my cigarettes here, I said, shrugging toward the convenience store.

-You can get cigarettes anywhere, he grunted.

-They’re—I stopped myself before blurting out that they were cheaper here. That wasn’t the reason I came here, Badger was. I like Ack, I said instead, referring to the store owner.

-I'm not an idiot, Jeff snarled before barreling toward me, catching me completely by surprise as he slammed me into the wall.

-We'll get a restraining order against you, he spat at me.

-This is assault! I yelled out.

-Go ahead, take a swing. Just you and me, private citizens.

I’m a lover, not a fighter, but I’d gotten in my share of street brawls. I hunched down and lunged at him. He was big, thick, but maybe I could knock him over, I thought. He got me into a head lock instead, picking me up off my feet. I took a swing at his belly, then another, before slithering out of his head lock.

-Bring it on big boy, I yelled at him as I thumped my chest and straddled forward toward him. We exchanged a flurry of punches and found ourselves halfway on the ground. His size got the better of me again and he managed to pick me up over his body. I flailed my arms and legs helplessly, trying to get at his back. I succeeded eventually in rolling myself off. I fell and slammed on the ground but got a good kick at his legs to knock him over.

A small crowd gathered around us, and I heard a few people taking bets. I wasn’t sure what was happening anymore, but I knew I wanted to take this big guy down and keep him down. I punched at him after knocking him over but he got back up. I knew I needed to use my longer wingspan to make distance. That’s when the store owner came out, yelling that he was going to call the cops.

-Don’t do it to me, Ack, I want to take this gorilla down, I said.

-Not my business, he responded before shooing the small crowd away and going back inside.

Unfortunately someone else had already called the cops, and they broke it up pretty quickly. They recognized Jeff, who I guess was a retired cop, but not me. This was it, I thought, this is where they were all going to pummel me. At best, I was getting arrested. And for what?