Nancy (part 3 of 3)

Nancy

“We’re not trading ration stamps, Ador, these are people,” 

Taneesh.

“Are you going?” Ador asked from where she stood beside Nancy.

“Hell no,” Matin shot back. “We have a job to do here, people who have died for this cause.”

“And I take it she is going?” Ador asked pointing at Taneesh, the quiet African girl packing her life into grocery bags.

“Look, I can see why you and the others want to go,” Matin said to everyone but mostly Taneesh’s back.  “but this is a thread off of a sweater.  If they go they will pull and pull. Then we’re naked out on a limb for some other people and we’re out there without a cause.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Taneesh turned and asked incredulously, rhetorically.  To hide behind some cause, some idea? They’re helping too: McDonalds and BK and big businesses together donated $500 million the second the northern dams broke.”

“$500 million?” Matin objected raising his voice. “You know what the combined net earnings of just one of them is close $3 billion. No, $500 mil is nothing to those guys.  If you and Morelis and Yorden want to go join hands with these sleasebags then fine!”

“You just don’t get it. We’re going for the people who need us.  We’ve been here too long spinning in circles.  This will be good.” Taneesh said and watched him waiting for a response.

At first it looked that Matin had nothing to say.  Then he mocked “Good, bad. Who knows anymore. ”I’ve had enough of that moral imperative bullshit weighing down on me.  I’m all for money and freedom now.”  He turned to recently entered girls: Nancy and Ador.  Nancy, you’re going to look for your boyfriend or husband right?” Nancy nodded. “How?” He asked then answered the question himself. “That doesn’t matter.  What matters is if he will pay me if I help you get to him.”

“He is a wealthy Newtopian Ambassador.  His best friend has the largest war chest of any Newtopian Senator.”  The half-truth came out easily.  Senator Baxton was no friend of Seamus and most of Baxtons wealth came from embezzlement and bribery, Nancy thought. Ador turned to Nancy with an open mouth and bent eye-brows.

“Nancy, I can get you to Crete in four days.  Want my help?” Matin asked while moving closer.

“Yea.”

“Then it’s settled: we go south and you guys go east.” Matin waited for a reply red-faced and puffing out large heavy breaths.  Nancy had ignored Ador’s silent protest so Ador turned and said, “I never said I was going with them.  Why would I go and join the relief efforts my people are here.”

Of the thousands that journeyed in the large nomadic shanty town of water there were about 50 who took direct orders from Ador.  They would come by throughout the day requesting stickers for rations and advice on patching up aluminum roofs.  Taneesh and Matin had excited told how she had become popular.  Ador summed up the story by saying, “I made a long, awesome speech at the right time at the right place.”

“That’s exactly it.  You know your heart is with your following.  They’d be useless without you.” Matin knew he had offended her by saying that. So he stopped abruptly and waited for her.

Ador absorbed the indirect insult.  There was a smooth and threatening way she said, “Who said we would be separating?”  Then just like that Nancy realized Ador and her following would be coming with Nancy and Matin to Crete.  That’s only one more piece of the puzzle.  Ador turned to Taneesh, “Can you come with us?”

Taneesh had been packing the same tee-shirt into a bag and then removing it throughout the argument. “I can’t see it.  They need us.  I should be asking you,” Taneesh said angrily.  “You don’t need everyone to help out this girl.  I…can’t. There’s no way they’ll go with you.”

“You take them,” Ador said.

“We’re not trading ration stamps, Ador, these are people,” Taneesh complained.

“Yes and they’re my people.  But if and want to go your way I’ll tell them to look for you, they’re free to work that out.” 

The anger in Taneesh’s voice left and made room for fear, “You think they’ll come?”

“You’ll be a great leader. Whether is five or all fifty two; you’re very smart.” Ador moved closer to Taneesh. Taneesh moved to hug Ador but the table was in the way. With tears streaming down she shuffled past Matin and hugged Ador.  Matin had started to sob and came from behind to hug both girls.  Overwhelmed by the loud pouty gasps from the large man-child Nancy began to cry and joined the hug.