The phone call came suddenly and without warning. George had just laid down for his afternoon nap when Laura handed him his cellphone. "Who is it, L?" His wife was visibly upset and her answer was short and bitter. "It's him again. Tell him he wanted the job and I'm sick of the calls. I would tell him myself but I don't want to use certain words I know will come out if I really tell him what I think!" George hated seeing his wife upset but he felt he was partially to blame and sometimes a man just has to take these calls every once in a while. As he looked at his Samsung Hennessy he smiled to himself. Very few people in the world actually had a working version of the new flip phone but it felt nostalgic in his hands. The trip was only momentary as reality sank in. George asked the question but knew the answer already. "Chicago, what can I do you fer?" George could feel the anxiety flowing in from the other end. "Thanks for taking my call sir. I just have a few questions and I don't want you to feel obligated to answer but if you would that would mean a lot to me. This whole Syria thing. It's a real mess." George smiled to himself as the memories from all those years, which had felt so unbearable but had found a departure from his life when his term ended, came flooding in. "I totally understand Chicago. Syria's not going to end well no matter what you do. Have you checked with the Houses yet? Have you got a feel for what they're thinking?" There was a brief silence as George could here papers shuffling from the other end. "Well, I know how my party feels but they haven't felt the necessity of such action within the senate or the house. But we do have some early poll results..." George drew a deep breath feeling the futility rise like the sun dawning on another day. "You can't always rely on the early polling. If I know anything, or I'm sure of anything, the people only know what they want on a given day. If I had to guess those numbers will have flipped by Monday. Has the networks even mentioned congressional approval yet?" More shuffling paper noise from the other end. "Well, sir, I know there has been some referrals to your time in office, and there has been some mention of it, but it hasn't made the title into any of their entro's yet. We've just been waiting." George could have almost written the phone conversation beforehand. "Well, Chicago, they'll bury you and your numbers on Syria and anything else will go down the crapper if you don't get a handle on the press. I've been watching your numbers and they go down if you talk too much. Get Kerry in the spotlight. Mr. 'Nam might rethink his whole policy if he remembers this is only a three year gig." The silence was a usual thing as George waited for the words to be digested. "So I should proceed with the congress approval but stick to my guns on action?" George wanted to get back to his nap but he knew how the man on the other line felt. "Listen Chicago, sometimes you can't worry about the polls or "your people" or anybody else. You gotta use common sense. You gotta let your gut do the talking and never, I repeat never, let Couric or Lauer ask about it before you've already done the talkin'. You get what I'm sayin' to you?" More paper shuffling from the other end. "Yes I do sir. My apologies to you and Laura and I hope I haven't interrupted your day to much. Thank you George and all my best to you and yours." George smiled to himself grateful he was out of that office. "Well, I just hope you can get this all straightened out before Thanksgiving. Americans don't like sitting with their turkey's on the table and tryin' to digest war at the same time. If you're gonna punt better get a better kicker in there than 'Nam. That whole Swift Boat thing will come back to haunt him one last time. Give my best to Michelle and the girls. Those two 'l be makin' headlines soon as well." As George hung up the phone he took a long sip from his iced tea and slowly closed his eyes. At least he wasn't the only one to know how much the world could weigh when it was on your shoulders. "I hope Laura makes a pie with supper." he mumbled as he dozed off. My name is Rueuhy and I approve this blog.
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