CHAPTER 12
Isaac
The next evening
Congratulations!
Fire Chief Irons!
You deserve it! Look forward to working for you!
The text messages of support are pouring in. It’s a landslide victory. Abby’s story ran this morning, just as she said, and now she’s nowhere to be found. I think it’s the strangest thing I’ve ever been a part of, with one exception…
“You won,” Julia says.
“Thanks to you,” I say as she gives me a big hug.
“I guess you got what you wanted, so…that’s it, huh?”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” I say.
“It does, Isaac. Deep down I believe in real love, true love, and I’m not going to settle for anything less.”
“That’s exactly what you deserve,” I say.
“Thanks.”
I pause, realizing for the first time just how much I’m going to miss her. She was kind, incredibly supportive, a great cook, and beautiful to boot.
“Where will you go?”
“Well, I guess they don’t need me to testify, and I still have some time left on my work and travel visa so I’ll just catch a bus and see where it takes me. I want to travel cross country, and see all the beauty that America has to offer.”
“Are you allowed to do that…I mean on your work and travel visa? Does it permit that?”
“Since when did you worry about the rules?” she says, tapping me on the nose.
“I guess you’ve got a point,” I say. I pause again and look into those incredible eyes of hers. I can see her sadness and her optimism at the same time. I guess the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. “What should I tell people who ask about you?”
“I don’t really know. I mean I don’t care…I’ll be long gone. Wait! I do care. Tell them thank you. Thank you for showing me their hospitality and helping me understand this American way. This American optimism and the way the people of your country always find a way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, where I’m from sometimes people get…how do you say…beaten into submission. The weather, the news, the government, the media. It’s all carefully orchestrated to keep you in place, to prevent individualism and keeping you from the things that you really want in this crazy little thing called life.”
“Even the weather?”
“Okay…maybe that’s just a product of our latitude, but anyways I like this can do attitude that I saw. I mean yeah, we had to bend the rules a little bit, but you got what you’ve always wanted in life. You didn’t let anyone stop you, and you didn’t hurt anyone in the process. And most importantly, even though you may have a rough exterior, I can see you care about people and that you’ll do a great job for them.”
“I do care about people. More than I ever knew. You showed me that side of myself. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She releases me from her hug, and looks at the watch on her arm. It’s bright red, of course, and looks like something a college kid might wear. It’s fun, loud, and fits her perfectly. “I guess I better be going. My bus is leaving soon.”
“You know,” I say, thinking back to last night when I practiced this moment a thousand times in my head. I’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to expressing my feelings, but I’m ready to start now. “You don’t have to go.”
“Don’t be silly.”
“Is it so silly?”
She says nothing.
“I mean, if you’re interested in staying I mean. I definitely enjoy having you around. And I think it would be fun to learn more about you and show you more of just what America is really about.”
“You have to get started as the fire chief,” she says. “You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.”
“That’s one of the misconceptions right there,” I say, smiling. “I do plan on working hard, but when you reach the top you have to learn how to delegate. That and there’s a transitionary period over the next month. But before that there’s a time to celebrate my victory, our victory.”
“Our victory?”
“None of this would have happened without you.”
“Aww,” she says. She takes a step back and looks me up from head to toe, as if getting her last look at me forever. She looks down at her watch.
“Can you drive me to the station?”
“Sure I say,” glad I’ve bought a little more time with this amazing young woman.