Blake Schwendiman's Blog and Blook

Chapter 28

Thursday, 10 March 2022 – 6:00 p.m. MST

Ramesh sat alone in the large conference room on the top floor of the Q-Morrow main tower. His eyes were closed as he continued practicing the control implants. He had become quite adept in the past hour.

Outside the conference room, Ramesh heard several people approaching. He opened his eyes and sat up. Laura entered the room with Quinn and Valerie close behind. Ramesh leapt up. He had so hoped to see Laura on this trip. He crossed quickly over to greet her and put his hand forward, but Laura smiled and stretched out both arms. They held each other. Ramesh felt a swelling of emotion.

“So glad to see you again, Ram.” Laura said.

He stepped back from the embrace. He smiled and choked back his emotion. “Yes. It has been too long.”

“How are you?” There was softness in her eyes. The last time they had been face to face was at the funeral for Padumi and the twins.

“Better now. It is so nice to see you.” Ramesh quickly drew his hand over his eyes. He smiled.

“Well, Quinn’s kept your presence a secret. I’d have come yesterday if I had known.” Laura winked at Quinn as she spoke. “Will you be having dinner with us?”

Ramesh shot a glance at Valerie and Quinn. “I don’t think I’ll be eating tonight.”

“Why not?” Laura asked.

“Because of my...”

“Stomach.” Valerie interrupted quickly. She nodded once at Ramesh. “He’s been complaining about his stomach since he arrived.”

Ramesh had been told not to eat after the surgery. He was actually quite hungry, but wasn’t interested in becoming ill again.

Laura looked concerned. “Are you sure? Is there something we can get you?”

“No. Really, I’ll be fine.”

“Perhaps you’ll come with us? Maybe a cup of tea? I’d really like to spend some time with you before you leave. Quinn tells me you have to go in the morning?”

Ramesh hadn’t been told that he would leave so quickly. “Yes,” He answered, glancing at Quinn. “And I would like to go with you. A cup of tea sounds wonderful.”

“Great! We have so much to discuss. I’d really like to get your thoughts on my campaign, if you don’t mind.” Laura took Ramesh by the arm. It felt so natural to have him there again, as if the past four and a half years had not occurred.

They walked together out of the conference room to the elevator. There was a delightful chatter as they descended through the building. Ramesh was so pleased to be in such company. He had sheltered himself for so long that he had forgotten the joy of socializing.

“How are the kids?” Ramesh asked Laura.

“Great,” Laura answered, “Julie Ann and Josh are both doing well in school. They’re looking forward to summer. Jordan is in her senior year and participating in the Arizona Junior Miss program right now. She’s in the state competition this week, so she’s staying with a host family until Saturday night.”

“Host family?”

“Yes, the program requires that each girl stay with a host family for the duration of the competition. They’ve been doing it that way for years. She’s been there for the whole week. She spends most of her time practicing and preparing for the competition.” Laura glowed as she spoke about her children. They were her greatest source of joy and pride.

“Do you know the family? Is it safe?”

“In our case, we did make a few special arrangements regarding the host family. But, we’ve wanted the kids to grow up and feel as normal as possible. They’ve been in little league, gone to camps and done most of the things that other kids do. It’s important to them, so it’s important to us. And Quinn does keep an eye on them. He always has a good sense of when a situation could be dangerous.”

“Well, with the...” Ramesh caught himself. He nearly mentioned the futurestream. “...resources he has.”

“Yep,” Laura continued, “He’s always looking out for us.”

They continued together to a small restaurant. It was a comfortable venue, quiet and dimly lit and not particularly busy on a Thursday evening. The hostess recognized Quinn and took them to a table out of the main dining room.

“Quinn, Val, I hope you don’t mind if I talk shop with Ram for a bit,” Laura said as they sat.

“So, I’m curious to find out what you think of Senator Cox’s opinions on modern political centrism, particularly what he recently said about winning voters.” Laura never questioned whether Ramesh would have the background for the topic. She knew that Ramesh had become very involved in American politics since he had become a full-time writer. His articles touched on many facets of ethics in business and in politics.

Ramesh shook his head. “That man is setting himself up for a big fall, I believe. I agree that the American public do want political leaders with strong opinions. Political centrism is not working. Americans can no longer distinguish their candidates because they are all too close to the center. I do not believe, however, that Americans will vote for an opinionated candidate irrespective of the opinion. Senator Cox is underestimating the American public.”

“I fully agree.” Laura was grinning. She had spent so much time establishing the goal and objectives of her political campaign. “I believe that Americans do want strong, opinionated leadership, but I think that they are still concerned about core values.”

“Most certainly,” Ramesh continued, “and your campaign is proving that,” he smiled.

“Well, we still have a long time left before November.” Laura never felt that she could rest. She had one of the largest projected leads in a Senatorial race in Arizona history, but she never felt that a victory was guaranteed. It was not in her nature to become complacent.

Ramesh and Laura continued through two hours of spirited conversation. Quinn and Valerie joined in from time to time, but spent a great deal of the time simply listening. Ramesh enjoyed the evening more than he had any time since Padumi’s death. He felt involved. He found himself considering the possibility of joining Laura as an advisor, being active in her campaign. He hoped she would ask.

The evening faded and the conversation tapered. After coffee, the four left and made their way back across the Q-Morrow campus. It was a perfect Arizona evening. Ramesh felt vibrant. In the past few hours he had not once worried about his upcoming trip. He was simply content to be with friends.