Lesly's Tales (7)

  Lesly Rivera sat with the duo, with the latter halting their food intake, looking at her with some reservation. It was no dark, deep little secret that the National Front was in need of heavy support. But who believed in a recently created political party directed by a 19-year-old, who was also responsible for the massacres against OCs nowadays, and who knows if performing some himself?

  Only half the neutral congress members wanted to remain neutral, living well, being paid well, and given the respect that maybe 2 decades ago wouldn’t exist, as it was the case with the first neutral senate president. However, the other half were looking around, darting their eyes left and right and raising an eyebrow to perform a ritual of ‘come get me’.

  Lesly wouldn’t ignore those, but she wouldn’t personally hunt them herself. That could be saved for later when a number, large, small, or average, joined the NF’s cause… if they did.

  For the fishes she considered crucial, like it was the senate president and the 2 before her, Lesly came out to play. Looking back at them, Lesly smiled, showing an interest glint play in her eyes as Sebastián Lara slowly munched his food to an end.

  He posed his elbow on the table and leaned a little with his other hand pressing on his knee, “Vice president Lesly Rivera, if you must say something, go ahead. We aren’t impolite people, we can hear you. Just don’t expect us to meet you with similar eagerness… to this.”

  “Really? I’m glad! No embarrassing feelings, then?” Lesly rotated her head a bit and straightened her back, looking gladdened. Sebastián and Clara exchanged a little frown without moving their heads before nodding at her. Lesly smiled and waved at the cook in the kitchen area.

  Then, she looked back down at them and extended her arms forth, resting them on the table with her fingers calmly fidgeting with each other. “You didn’t really think I’ll come knocking just like that, correct? I don’t even have a briefcase, am I supposed to rope you in you with the power of the heavens? Belief?”

  After those words, Lesly smiled, her gaze directed past them. Looking back, they saw the cook of the cafeteria himself bring a tray to their table. Lesly pouted a little, but she felt obviously grateful. She looked at the cook and voiced with a slightly berating tone, “Ooh, many thanks. This wasn’t what I meant, but thank you very much. You’re giving me time to catch up with knowns.”

  “No problem for the vice president, please enjoy,” the cook left the tray on Lesly’s spot before stepping back. Lesly nodded, looking down at the food before setting her eyes on the cook, “Thanks, don. But if you keep this up, I’ll interpret it as a cry f or help and might just steal you to the presidential precinct.”

  “Don’t you dare,” the cook stopped and motioned with his head, coming closer to the table before uttering as he looked around, “I wouldn’t bear parting with this depressing atmosphere every day. I may lose myself in this place, why would I want to go to the well-reputed presidential precinct?”

  “Hmm~,” Lesly smiled thinly before the cook went away. Then, Lesly enjoyed her lasagna and her orange at the side, already peeled around its center to help with the process. She had a few bites, which was meant to be just one bite, of which she couldn’t help herself. “Oh my, these have gotten delicious. What do you two do, eating fried fish and fries so much?”

  “Well, don’t stop eating now,” Lesly said, grabbing another mouthful with a fork and looking at Clara, “While I ‘threatened’ to bring that cook away from this pigsty, I’m rather inclined to steal you away from the congress.”

  “I think you’ll make such a fine asset in the executive branch, Clara.” Lesly paused to continue eating. Sebastián intervened at this moment, “I’m sure she would, vice president. But I’m not sure that it would be soon. Little Clara is also too young now, although she could have a go in the term of the 1,032.”

  “For what?” Lesly lifted her head for a moment and asked in a simple tone. Sebastián replied in the same manner, “For safety.”

  “Oh, you know we wouldn’t disappear people. No, not us.” Lesly turned serious out of nowhere and looked at Sebastián, throwing a steeled glare that made him sweat a little out of the sensation. He felt as if he accidentally yet purposely said something bad.

  “Although if we really wanted to, we could disappear anyone wanting to stop us from bringing Clara away from the congress,” Lesly softened her countenance after staring at Clara again. Clara lifted her eyebrows for a moment, her sparkling green eyes irradiating charming beauty for a moment. “You would do that? Anyone?”

  “There are… strange circumstances to disappear certain people. For example…” Lesly stopped and inclined her head, her eyes upturned towards the ceiling. “Someone could disappear, only to stay in someone’s bedroom or office, should they caringly ask.”

  “Lesly!” The young maiden exclaimed with widened, incredulous eyes. Especially when she saw Lesly dart her eyes ever so obviously between the young maiden and the handsome middle-aged man her father’s age. Clara admonished the vice president with her glare, status no longer withstanding this reunion.

  “What now?” Lesly thinly smiled at Clara before slowly looking at them. Sebastián Lara wore a calm expression, but there were some beads of sweat down his temples.

  Out of nowhere, Lesly felt her right foot kicked. She looked at Clara, who lowered her head and semi-covered her mouth, transmitting Lesly a message only she could read from her lips’ movements.

  Lesly smiled and stood up, the young maiden wanted to properly greet her. They haven’t met in informal business for so long, after all. Clara stood up formally, accommodating her jacket and long business skirt before walking up, when Lesly had already arrived before her and hugged her shoulders.

  Clara’s sparkling green eyes widened, but warmly so. In no time, she lowered her eyelids and hugged Lesly back. After a couple of seconds, she couldn’t help commenting, “You’re doing just good, Lesly. Do you really need this much effort and the support gained from it?”

  “Look who’s talking. Jennifer Paws has a more amazing job, but the world compares you to the Lemyonova big genius. Are you what, the Meteltis’ destined little genius? You are doing great.” Lesly then slightly separated, looking at Clara’s sweetened face and slightly pink cheeks. “Who can blame you for having daddy issues without having daddy issues with that stallion ‘mentoring’ you?”

  “He- Lesly~~!” Clara widened her eyes and further. Lesly threw her head back and laughed uproariously, making Sebastián smirk, but Clara blushed even harder. Sitting back down at the lunch table, they continued eating and chatted with ease. The incertitude from earlier erased.

  “…Did you hear about the results coming out soon? The south is getting their change so rapidly. Oh, and ANS are already on their way to define their president. Many say it will still be Comfor, even though he is already so old…” Clara found a spot to speak about this.

  “Indeed, nom nom…” Lesly nodded before bringing the last mouthful of lasagna to her lips and then finished her orange. Se stood up and winked at Clara before looking and seriously saying to the duo, “Let’s meet more the next month. I have a date tonight, so you guys go ahead and do whatever you do in full moons filled with passion and love like these.”

  “…” - “…” Both felt stupefied at the vice president’s casualness. They watched her leave with her elegant white coat stained with lasagna and orange juice. She ate almost like an animal, and with people from the opposing polies around, fearless.

  “Don’t you say a single thing about this, okay? It’s one thing that we are seen with Lesly, but another if we are the ones to mention it.” Clara looked at Sebastián and spoke like she was the mentor here. Before Sebastián said something in his defense, anything, she added, “Or I’ll hug you in public again.”

  “Oh, please. Don’t!” Sebastián widened his eyes. He cleaned his mouth as he shook his head before detailing his torment. “You have no idea what a long sermon that bought me from your father last time. Besides, why would I? Who do you take me for, Little Clara? I also can’t say no to the still-probable future vice president of the nation for the third time in a row.”

  “Don’t call me little!” Clara blushed at the repeated mentions of endearing, but that also showcased the difference between their status in more than the upper and lower chambers in the congress. “Oh, but I understand. You are watching out for our image. You don’t want to let the rest think we’re siding with someone. It’s true, we have no reason to be part of it. Neutrality is just fine, but I also want to hang out with her more.”

  “Also…” Clara leaned her body away and cocked her head, looking at Sebastián, who patiently heard her out, with a pair of crafty eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the president of the Chamber of Deputies? Is being a senator for naught? You participate in the upper chamber!”

  “I do, but he’s a president of the parliament of the lower chamber!” Sebastián widened his eyes in a glare and wiped his mouth again out of habit. “Besides, he’s a father! He is allowed about his sweet little girl for all the world cares. He’s also been the president of the senate and Chamber of Deputies for decades…”

  “Tsk,” Clara crossed her arms and pouted with a slight frown, extremely adorable. “What now? Was I just a puppy experiment when nobody wanted to get close to me? Too afraid of my two last names, then, of being the next tragic accident?”

  “…” Sebastián stopped doing anything he was onto and looked down at her, facing ahead. His countenance turned serious and contemplating before softly speaking, patting the upper back of her head a little.

  “You are no experiment, and those were just the people who were afraid, who were most of them, and those who respected you. There was no NF then, not even Defending Our Home-whatever. Lesly was in the same situation as you.” Sebastián was but the smartest, handsomest man Clara knew alive.

  She looked up at him and released her arms, almost tearing up, but showing a resolve he helped her forge himself. “I do… I do. I want to hang out with her, catch up, and maybe… ‘talk’… But I also want to hear her out… Is it wrong I want to give her… and him… the- no, a chance?”

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Of course not,” Sebastián barked out, softly. He patted her head a few more times before retracting his hand. “We can hear them, sure.”

  With that, Clara became pensive, and Sebastián avoided speaking of her father. But then, before they stood up to leave the cafeteria, she hugged him while still sitting before fleeing.

  … Lesly went to the presidential precinct directly after the day was coming to its end. She simply walked in Luis’s office and saw him in, staring at the window with the bright moonlight descending into his office.

  She walked to Luis without saying a word, standing beside him as their backs were darkened, with their eyes seeing each other’s fronts perfectly. After a little exchange of eyes and smiles, they looked at the moon above. It was big, as always, during the last day of the month.

  ***

  5 days passed by quickly.

  Lesly kept meeting the duo at least once every day, mostly in the evenings when the work was over, or when the night shift/session hadn’t initiated yet. They talked and conversed, getting to know each other again or newly; those were simple encounters.

  Lesly didn’t talk about politics, other than the history of those in Lymoca, and a little abroad. Today, they were meeting at a local restaurant where tacos, tortas, burritos, and pozole were sold, and very good at that. Proteros was so many times safer after it was liberated, leading to these many local restaurants opening as soon as they had the chance.

  Being slightly at night, with no work in the parliament for either of the chambers, Lesly walked to the table already taken by them. It was a little empty, but that was because Proteros’ jobless people rate dramatically decreased during the past couple of weeks.

  Furthermore, the number of people opening business in just the capital city increased. These weren’t simple online shops or services for shipping products, but restaurants, shops of all kinds, from food and candy to electronics and small pets’ refuges.

  Thus, the number of people around in certain hours of the day were a little less. After all, Proteros was still one of the most populated cities in the world, even if it couldn’t compare to the broken Ziaca Nation from hundreds of years ago.

  It was still an hour or so before the people walked out of their jobs and flooded the streets. Police in the city hasn’t diminished, but it also didn’t increase exponentially. Now, the police counted with more intelligence instruments to gather information, not appearing too ‘watchful’, and those overseeing the transit were no longer part of the police, neither were they from the NG now.

  While police elements remained nearby in case of anything, they didn’t have the jurisdiction to act and stop vehicles. Now, that job is left to the community wherever some streets or the roads nearest to the settlements were in Proteros state.

  Walking to their table, Lesly heard the TV hanging on a corner nearby talk of the things that have been made known to the global population. “Terka, the last southern country’s president from the south of the Moonblue supercontinent, has been confirmed just this afternoon.”

  “That’s right, Isa. Antonio R. The new Ters’ president of a nation, Terka, is just starting his first speech as the president of Terka. In a few moments, we’ll hear about the future that this country will face in the next term…”

  The voices from the news anchor faded into the back as Lesly sat at the table. Sebastián and Clara greeted her. Sebastián gave her a polite nod, while Clara smiled big time at her. Lesly returned the bright smile to the two, “Things are getting so interesting now, no? Let’s eat. I can’t believe they don’t serve more of all of these in the congress’ cafeteria. So inhumane…”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think about it. It was noticeable, but it didn’t occur to me before. I remember something about ‘going after’ the menus of other countries. To think we hardly had any of this food for the past years… I guess I was brainwashed indeed.” Sebastián Lara commented before calling a waitress to take their order.

  The chubby, nice lady walked to them and started taking their orders, starting with the handsome congressman. Meanwhile, the congressmaiden and the vice president chatted of womanly stuff.

  “How has it been with you two, hm?” Lesly teased, holding Clara’s fingers in between hers. Clara smiled with a blush, “Stop it! I almost want you to speak of politics now. Won’t you stop?”

  “Hey, don’t be like that. Don’t forget who was a ‘little sister’, and called me her ‘big sister’. I haven’t~.” Lesly smiled brightly. Clara blushed a bit more, radiantly smiling. But she then rolled her eyes, “More like a cousin, anyway.”

  “Oh, come on. I don’t want to start spreading rumors of a little baby sis being clingy to her big sister until she left.” Lesly smiled, this time warmly. Clara’s blush continued. She looked down before murmuring, “Yeah, exactly. Before you left.”

  “…” It was Lesly’s eyes turn to drop. She thought for a few moments before lifting her chin to stare at Clara intently, holding her hands and squeezing them.

  Clara returned the stare before the waitress softly coughed at the side, grabbing their attention. Their hands separated, with Clara taking her order before Lesly. The latter looked at the former with a bright twinkle flashing in her breathtaking black eyes.

  … Half an hour later, with their food arriving round 20 minutes after they ordered, and each eating their plate as soon as it arrived before them. They would’ve waited for each other to eat if it wasn’t because of the rich sight and scent coming from it. Thus, the young maiden was allowed to eat her tacos and torta ahogada, getting her chin and cheeks all filthy, not to mention her hands.

  Every bite was a reminder of her childhood, at least when both her parents showed her what love and warmth was…

  Sebastián cleaned Clara’s little face time and again with a napkin, and then two, and then three. At last, his plate arrived, letting him eat his burritos and a few tacos right away. Finally, Lesly had her pozole and quesadillas ready. They ate with tranquility, chatting in between, and causing the occasional laughter in the place.

  As they were finished with their food, the TV turned to real-time footage again. “There you have it, the Ters of Terka are prepared, and their new president is walking to the podium. Look at everyone clapping! We can see our ambassador with a big smile over there, yes sir! Hahaha…”

  The TV showed a multitude of people, perhaps about 2 to 4 million, at least in sight, in front of a 10 meters tall stage. One of the few seconds of an angle showed the Ly ambassador looking up, clapping furtively at the notion with a little smile.

  “So, how have you two considered being together?” Lesly asked before slurping her bottle of juice from a straw. She filled her cheeks and looked at the two of them, who seemed to go back to the first time they ate together, kinda.

  Paralyzed and giving each other eyes, Sebastián and Clara didn’t speak before the latter spoke while waving air to her face. “What are you talking about? Sebas and I’s relationship is of the kindest, friendly, and oozing mutual respect.”

  “Uhuh,” Lesly gulped down her beverage before uttering without a care. She then leaned over and spoke plainly, “It’s not just you two who have an ‘illegal’ relationship. There’s really nothing about that, in fact. You know, even I do…”

  “…!” - “!!” Clara needed a moment to realize what Lesly was speaking about, while Sebastián tried not to show it, but couldn’t hold it in the end. He shot a shocked, unexpected expression at Lesly. Lesly smiled at them, “Don’t look at me like that. My rumors aren’t as unknown as yours.”

  “What-” Clara spoke out gain, while Sebastián was too ashamed to say anything, even to apparent innocent in Lesly’s, or anyone else’s, eyes. Lesly stopped Clara, swinging her palm in the air between them, “It’s not a secret, as I said. There’s just not confirmation, and we’re too busy to bother with whether there is something happening or not… for now.”

  “You two don’t have that,” Lesly smiled before checking her empty bottle, swaying it quickly. She looked at them with a semi serious expression. “You can be together at any time. All you have to do is choose when to face that situation… It’s better than being forced from circumstances.”

  “Anyway, let’s not talk about these matters unnecessarily,” Lesly cleaned her mouth and fingers before pushing her plates away. “Now, we shall address the situation with my National Front’s dire need of people, what’s more coming from the talented.”

  “Ahem,” Sebastián coughed, recomposing himself to get into work-mode. “So, this is where we’re finally getting into…”

  “I won’t force you now, but I will let you consider.” Lesly looked at both while Clara also recomposed with her blush gone and drinking from her beverage. “It’s not only senators and deputies I’d like to reach. And it’s not only to win that I wish for your cooperation. You have heard so many things of my President, and his cabinet, including me. But you never stopped to have a talk with us, not even in the parliament, when NF invites others to debate further discussions for the future. Maybe because everyone thinks it will disappear in this year’s elections.”

  “But you also recognize that isn’t feasible. Who hasn’t moved the people for a march or two? But how big have they been for the past hundreds of years? It’s been tedious and inefficient, really.” Lesly fattened her cheek and slightly tilted her head to the left.

  “More than anything, they’ve been fake.” Lesly paused for a moment before picking her purse, placing it on her lap. “They are also paid, and for show. But were those millions not too long ago also for show? They were, but for what? All you can know is more than you let yourselves.”

  “Well then, I will go. Clara Metelti, it was good seeing you again, really.” Lesly extended her hand to Clara, who lifted hers a bit dazed, shaking it casually. Then, Lesly looked at Sebastián. “Yes, I’m begging you, but I won’t do it twice. We’ll see each at another time. I have enough preparation to go hunting for others. Have a good night.”

  Once again, but differently this time, with other thoughts and a slightly wild imagination, both stared at Lesly’s back as she left. This time, she was clean. They looked at each other before falling silent.

  Clara looked down, with her lips pouting outwards. Sebastián grasped his chin with his palm, supporting it with his elbow on the table. Their attention, and that of the few clienteles and even the owner, were grabbed by the TV. The owner even raised the volume for all to hear.

  “… With this, I have to say the truth, because I… am unafraid!…” The new Terka president, a brown, short, balding man with the only remaining hair at his sides, and a little fat; spoke to his people in international TV. “The situation ‘above’ has worsened! There’s been countless thousands of deaths. Their people suffer hunger in the affected areas, and their ammunition is blowing off to their own flesh and blood! Don’t they care so much of their blood? Why is it staining their ground like filth now, then?!”

  “I am… formally… accusing this young— impertinent man from sacrificing the blood of his people, the values of his country and its enviable history, of tyranny!”

  “I invite all my other fellow countries to show the same desire for the peace that should have never been taken away. First Preut, now this!? It’s not acceptable. You are the bandit, Luis Heartez, the criminal here, the thief! You shall not steal the presidency of your country, nor of any other for that matter, ever again!”

  “And why have the Lys not done anything? How dare you let such a tyrant live above you!? This is on you, too! Every moment you let that imbecile remain on top, you will continue kneeling for the power of tyranny!”

  …