Chapter 3
When the buzzer rang again, Wanda was still standing on the balcony with the drink in her hand almost untouched. Looking at her watch, she was startled to see that Mike Hanson was due and she still hadn't changed. She hurried to answer the buzzer.
As she waited for him to come up, Wanda scolded herself for having blown so much time in a pointless lament on the ills of society. It seemed even more pointless when she realized that there was nothing she could do about it except fight little pieces at a time.
Even at that, she thought as she watched the elevator indicator climb toward the tenth floor, her fighting hadn't been terribly effective lately. Except for losing her job, making the Chief of Police violently angry with her and hurting a lot of helpless people down there in the slums, she hadn't really achieved anything at all.
In spite of the way she felt, Wanda still managed to turn on a smile for Mike as he stepped out of the elevator and hurried toward her.
Before they commenced talking, Wanda insisted on pouring him a drink and he didn't really resist. She showed him to the big comfortable chair that was obviously designed for a man anyway and sat on the end of the couch near him.
"Shall we drink to unemployment?" she asked with another smile she had managed to dig out of an unsmiling interior.
"Only if you insist," he answered as he raised his glass.
After that, Mike wanted to know the whole story of her firing with all the underground aspects involved.
"Are you asking as reporter or friend?" Wanda asked as she looked into his face.
"I'm asking as a reporter, Wanda," he answered with an equally frank stare, "but I'm friend enough that I promise not to use anything you don't want me to."
"Even if I don't want you to use any of it, Mike?"
"Even if you don't want me to use any of it," he agreed solemnly. "But I can try to make you change your mind."
Wanda began telling the story then and told it so completely that he didn't have to interrupt her at all. She was still telling him about her final tour of the beat that day, when she realized that both their glasses were empty. She picked a logical point to break the narrative and went to refill them.
Handing him his glass, she went on again. When she reached the part about the Chief's visit earlier, she saw anger in his eyes. It made her feel a little better to know that someone understood her motives in acting the role of bad citizen.
She had told everything then and for a little while, they sat without talking. It was as if both wanted to say something, but neither knew where to start. Mike was forced to break the silence as he lowered his glass and looked at her in a way that made her feel better than she had felt all day.
"Where do you go from here, Wanda? What about a job?"
"I don't have to rush about that," she answered honestly. "I can go for three or four months if necessary. It doesn't seem important right now. Perhaps it will when the shock wears off."
"Okay, Wanda, we won't push that now, but let me know when you're ready. I don't want to sound like the hotshot reporter who knows all, but I do know a lot of what goes on in this town. You won't have any trouble finding a job when the time comes."
"How wrong am I, Mike?" Wanda asked impulsively without even realizing she was going to ask the question.
"Wrong?" Mike echoed. "Legally? morally? To hell with all those people out there. I think the only thing you're doing wrong is banging your beautiful head against a brick wall, but I know you're not going to stop so I'll even take that back. I guess that's what society builds the wall for in the first place "
"Do you think that's why the Great Wall of China was built?" she asked with a smile of relief at the change of pace.
"It has to be the reason, now that you mention it. You must have noticed that all the old pictures of Chinese we saw as kids showed them as having almost no hair. It got rubbed off from butting the wall, I'll bet."
They laughed and worked at their drinks again. Wanda could see that Mike was waiting to say something, looking for just the right way to phrase it. She decided to let him take his time. When she saw a new gleam in his eyes, she sensed that he was going to go ahead. He did.
"How would you like to bang your head against a wall that can be knocked over for a change?" he asked.
"Keep going, Mike," she answered. "It sounds interesting so far."
"You really care about those people out there, Wanda. You did what you could for them as a social worker, but you were limited by the system or city hall or whatever you want to call it. Now the system has kicked you out, so you either quit or get back and fight from a different position."
"You're building up to something, Mike," Wanda looked at him with open curiosity, "but I can't see it coming. Maybe I'm just being dense tonight."
"I'm sorry, Wanda. It isn't your fault, it's mine for going through all this preliminary. Look," he paused to take a deep breath, "how about running for alderman. The civic elections come up in six or seven months and I'm sure you could win a seat."
"Mike," Wanda almost shrieked, "you have to be kidding. What do I know about politics?"
"Who cares," he shrugged off the question. "You know a hell of a lot about people and that's what city government is supposed to be all about."
"I don't know what to say, Mike, except no. It's just something I've never even considered. I don't see how I could. I just wouldn't know how or where to start."
"Maybe you'd start by admitting that as an alderman, you could fight for those people out there. You could work to get them better housing and schools and playgrounds and day nurseries and all the other things they need."
"You really campaign, Mike," Wanda winced. "I'm going to get myself another drink to protect myself. Join me?"
"Sure," he smiled. "Maybe if I get you drunk enough, I'll make you say yes."
"I thought it was something else a man had in mind when he plied a woman with booze to get her to say yes," Wanda laughed as she carried the glasses to the kitchen for refills.
"Don't confuse me," he protested as he followed her and stood in the doorway while she poured.
Mike took one of the glasses from her and they walked back into the room. The initial shock of his proposal was wearing off now and Wanda was beginning to think about it more seriously. She still doubted she would go along with the idea, but at least she was able to think about it and that was a decided improvement.
"Why me, Mike?" she asked as they sat again.
"A lot of reasons, Wanda. You understand those people, you're intelligent, honest, sincere, and you have guts."
"Thank you," she smiled. "I think I'll vote for me. Assuming all these admirable qualities though, what makes you think I could really achieve anything?"
"You mean the bit about being just one person among twenty?" he asked with a look that indicated he still held a card up his sleeve.
"That's right, Mike. There are probably five or six good ones there now and a couple of weak ones who could possibly be led. That still leaves a dozen of the grabbers and pocket fillers and favor granters. I can see it as just a case of fighting my way into a bigger frustration."
"Right, Wanda," he smiled openly now. "But I haven't told you the whole story yet. You see, I've been aware of this for a long time now and I've been doing some quiet work behind the scenes."
"I knew there was more, Mike, let's have it."
"You'll get it. For one thing, I'm going to run. For another, Sam Gold is going to run."
"You mean Sam the professor at the school of social work?" Wanda's voice registered excitement.
"The same. There's still time to select a couple more really good candidates. As I see it, counting the good members who can expect to be returned, we could end up with control on council. How does it sound to you now?"
"Stunning would be as good a word as any, Mike. How long has this been going on?"
"In my mind, a few years, I guess. Sam and I talked abut it one night a few months ago. That's when it really started. We've put a lot of thought into it and we're deadly serious. We want you to come along with us, Wanda. More important, we need you."
"That's a pretty heady brew, Mister." Wanda leaned back in her seat and tried to bring her mind back under control. She had been prepared for a serious argument, but it had long since passed the bounds she had felt prepared to cope with.
"Sure it is, Wanda. In effect, what we propose is a sort of municipal party of reform even though I don't particularly like that word. We want control of the city after this election. After that, we want to rebuild the city and its way of doing things. If it works, we can make this a model for the nation. Do I sound like a starry eyed do-gooder or some kind of religious nut?"
"Far from it, Mike. I know you much too well for that and I also respect Sam Gold too much to see him in that role either."
"Then you will join us?" He -edged forward on his chair in obvious eagerness as he asked.
"Easy now, Mike. I'll admit you've bowled me over with what has to be a pretty flattering offer. Right now, it sounds exciting. On the other hand, my life lately has been such that I'm afraid I don't trust myself to make snap decisions the way I used to."
"Okay, Wanda, I'll give you a bit of time to think it over. I warn you though, if you try to refuse, I intend to keep on hammering at you."
"Well, that is fair warning, I guess," Wanda smiled and took another sip of her drink. "But look at me, I'm a drinker. Politicians are supposed to be careful of their image."
"That kind of reform party, we're not, Wanda. We intend to show that normal people who drink and make love and live life honestly can actually run a city."
"That's a pretty radical concept, isn't it?" she asked. "It's just so wild that it could work."
"It will work, Wanda, I know it. We're going to make it work and we're going to transform this place into one hell of a city."
"I've just had a jarring thought, Mike. The last thing your new party needs is a member who's vulnerable. Suppose I announce my candidacy and Chief Markey hits me with that charge. What would that do?"
"The first thing it would do is guarantee your election. It would probably also bring in a hell of a lot of votes for all the rest of us."
"You mean the martyr thing?" she asked.
"I mean just that. Suppose the paper announces in the morning that you're running for council at the next election. Assuming that Markey is fool enough to lay the charge after that, how is it going to look to the public?"
"I'm afraid I'm in too subjective a position to answer that honestly. How do you see it?"
"As I see it, the present city hall setup would be walking right into a public outcry of dirty pool. I can't think of any politician I know who'd even dare run against you. You could walk into council without a fight."
"What about the danger that it would damage your whole concept? What if you're guessing wrong?"
"I'm not, Wanda. I've covered this city too long to be wrong about a thing like that. I know too that I'm right when I say this is the one way you can fight back on behalf of all those people you care so much about. If it sounds like I'm trying to shame you into coming along with us, I guess you're right."
Wanda paused for a moment before speaking. She looked at Mike's face and read a lot of things in it. She saw a passionate, yet reasoned, dedication to the dream of a good city. More than that though, she found a sincere respect for her there. She felt that deep inside.
"A little while ago, Mike, I asked you for time to think this over before making a decision. Okay, I've thought it over and not only will I be glad to run for council, but I want to thank you for your respect and trust and friendship."
Impulsively, he reached over and caught her hands. He held them in his. It was the most articulate message Wanda had ever heard. It told her many things she wanted to hear, but most important, it convinced her that she had made the right decision.
For more than an hour, they worked on the story for the next day's paper that would announce her decision to run for city council. When they were satisfied with it, Mike phoned the office and had them send a photographer over. He was going to give the story the whole treatment and knew he would have no trouble with the editors on it. That was a detail he had already worked out.
It was just a bit after eleven when they finished their last drink and Mike prepared to leave. At the door, he took one of her hands in his and squeezed it again. It felt very good.
As Wanda turned out the light in the kitchen, she looked out and saw that the lesbian lovers had hung a curtain in their bedroom window. It was a light sun shade that was completely transparent.
The light was on in the bedroom and through the thin curtain, Wanda saw that they were undressing. She decided then that the two were also exhibitionists and made up her mind not to gratify them by watching as they performed.
Turning, she walked out of the room, turned out the lights in the living room and went into her bathroom. After that, she decided that the nightcap department had already been pretty well looked after so there was nothing left to do now but go to bed.