Another morning I wake up like normal but I am becoming a bit more weird about finding “the signs.” Not sure exactly the logic, what they are, but whenever I follow the signs things go well for me so I am here for it. The signs it is.
Developing a “campaign routine” I make my latest breakfast obsession at home (a toasted English muffin with Nutella) before going to the campaign office downtown and down the hill. After the mental mixup of a breakfast pastry this week, I figured I would stop eating at the office altogether. Besides lately, I have been feeling less and less the need for food. Nature’s Ozempic?
Italian music on day four is still playing in my head although I am getting used to it like background noise.
I look around the apartment for more clues or “signs.” Are the flowers in the vase a symbol? Is there anything on the floor? I open some old closet doors and looking around the apartment for a half-hour actively looking for clues, nada. Part of me becomes impatient.
How am I suppose to follow the signs if there are no signs?!
I stare off into blank space before Chelsea calls
Chelsea: Hey, are you coming down? One of our printers, you know Kelly’s cousin, forgot to stuff the envelopes that have to be mailed this afternoon. We gotta stuff. Like stuff 2,000 envelopes. Luckily the caught the mistake on the other 10,000 but us girls gotta fix this batch
I take a minute to reply, okay something normal went wrong so in a way I let out a breathe of relief. I start to overthink it too… is this a sign? Something about Kelly’s cousin, something to do with signs like physical signs (as I yearn for “signs”) or maybe this…
Chelsea: Hello!? What the fuck Ella….
Me: I’m here and yes already planned on being in. Give me like 20 to be there
Chelsea: Aight, cool. See you soon. I’m leaving the office in a few hours for the post office then I have to work on tech stuff for a few days as we have an update push at work.
Me: yes ma’am I am almost en route. Ciao.
As I hung up the phone I laughed at myself saying Ciao. The Italian music in my head is really rubbing off on me I suppose…
Let Them Eat Cake
Rushing down the hill for the campaign office in a shady part of downtown, I find myself actively searching while heading there for “clues” to the point where I start to feel a little crazy. To my surprise no clues. Not even one sign. The Italian music still plays from time to time in my head just not as loud at moments.
I walk into the office which is now smelling more like a cardboard shop—smelling of printed pasteboards and hand sanitizers. I am greeted by Chelsea shoving her cell phone in my face the minute I open the office door
Chelsea: Look…
Me: How did you time that? I am just walking…
Chelsea: I have a tracker on your phone. LOOK!!!!
<Chelsea points again to her cell phone which has a news article on it>
Chelsea: She’s out. I told you. Those online trolls WHO I DO NOT KNOW BY THE WAY no really, I don’t know them. Anyway, Amy Huang dropped out of the race an hour ago
Still shocked there’s a device in my face I push it back to Chelsea and keep walking towards the area of the envelopes to stuff because I know we still have a short time
Me: Wow. Okay, we still needs votes though right?
Chelsea: of course, but without Amy you have no real competition politically. There’s a librarian and some non-profit Shaman also running.
We already got 2,000 residents registered to vote in the area aka new voters and I think you needed 10,000 to win and that was IF competing against Amy Huang.
Now… I dunno…
As I am stuffing envelopes I am listening to what Chelsea is saying and somehow it is not fully registering in my brain. I continue to stuff envelopes feverishly as Chelsea stands chatting to me, completely un-interested in the table covered in printed materials.
Chelsea: Ella, hello? Earth to Ella?
Me: Yes
Chelsea: This means you basically got this <points to the table> this needs to be done, and also, you have no competition. none. Zilch. This is wild girl.
Me: Ok. That just seems too… easy… too good to the true?
Chelsea: I know right. For me this means I won’t have to DDOS a few websites WHICH I WOULD NEVER DO FOR ANYONE LISTENING and less work online wise countering Amy Huang’s SEO. Also this update at work is super important so
I am turning off my Ella-world-leader-campaign brain for a few days… anyway this looks like city council is happening for you?
I shrug as I am still processing what Chelsea is saying while another Italian song plays in my mind.
A few hours later Chelsea and I leave the office together, she gives me a ride back to my apartment since it's completely uphill and on the way for her to the post office we use. Once I’m in the apartment and alone I google Amy Huang to see for myself and it’s real. She’s out. When I woke up this morning I asked for a sign. Was this “the” sign?
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
On the other side of town Sven, gay real estate husband of Nicolas, had his own plans for Mary Poros who he had really started to be over. Mary Poros, a billionaire real estate developer in Los Hellas and expert at moving assets for some of the world’s wealthiest families, was a huge pain in the ass and now her political darling Amy Huang was officially out of the race for Ella’s district. Mary was slowly losing her political control in Los Hellas and her ways of corruption outdated.
Sven, who had been hooking up on the side with disgraced and recalled former prosecutor Bogdan Brown on the downlow was also starting to question why he kept this side fling going. Especially now with Mary Poros getting on Sven’s nerves, Bogdan too was giving similar vibes. With Nicolas gone now for months as well, Sven decides to start some personal life cleanup. Starting with Bogdan…
Sven meets Bogdan in his apartment at their normal hookup time only now its different. Bogdan starts to immediately undress
Sven: Stop, please. I want to tell you something
Bogdan confused pulls his pants up, his shoes are already off and his stands
Sven: I don’t want to keep doing this and I can’t do this at all for the next few months…
Bogdan: Why? Are you pregnant?
Sven: Just, stop, ok. I am thinking of running for city council and this, THIS, us fucking, definitely is not looking good especially with my husband still sorta like, missing
Bogdan: He’s dead
Sven: what?
Bogdan: Nicolas is dead. Killed in Italy by a team from Mary Poros… blah blah… so are you saying you don’t want to fuck today? Because I have been living off water…
Sven: Hold on. You can’t just say things like that.
Bogdan: Okay, then I will go slower: Nicolas is dead. Killed in Italy by a team from Mary Poros… blah blah… so are you saying you don’t want to fuck today? Because I have been living off water…
Sven: I came here to break up with you, at least for now, and you are dumping really heavy shit on me. What the fuck?
Bogdan puts his sweater back on and sits down on the couch as he realizes zero hooking up is about to happen.
Bogdan: Okay what did you want to do? Put us on hold for some side quest around city council in a city that is so corrupt you wouldn’t even make a dent? Huh?
We can actually be together now. I was holding off on the Nico thing because I just found out from friends and… I was purposely not trying to overwhelm you.
Sven: say more?
Bogdan: Nah, thats okay. I get it. Take your things, Zelle me, call me after whatever elections see if I am here
Sven: wait, really like that?
Bogdan: one thousand percent, you know your way out of here. Many months of practice EVEN WHEN NICO WAS ALIVE
Sven startled at the new revelations and yet relieved at how quickly the breakup took place he balances the freedom with the odds that Bogdan for once might have telling some truths?
Angry at Sven, Bogdan spends the night drinking bottle after bottle of wine until the early morning hours. As a gift he had hired a private investigator team of former colleagues to investigate where Nicolas, Sven’s husband, actually was. Bogdan had found out and was awaiting as a gift to tell Sven all the details but with the breakup, no hoes should work for free. Bogdan now, broken up from Sven, thinks of his next best options to get paid: Mary Poros.
A lifeline Call
Not taking the breakup with Sven well, Bogdan after spending the late hours and early morning hours drinking decides to call Mary Poros. She picks up right away like with any call with a local phone number
Mary: Boujour, Mary Poros
Bogdan: You paid Nicolas to kill Ella, then killed Nicolas. I have all the evidence and would like $200,000 in cash ready by tomorrow for my pickup
Mary: Well, good morning this must be… Brody…no… Brock…no… Bogdan Brown?
Bogdan: I’m serious, I’m over it. Have things ready I expect a handoff outside your office tomorrow this exact time
Mary: I charge $3 extra if you would like a bottled water with that
Bogdan: Shut the fuck up Mary. We’re done. We don’t even need to speak, have the money ready in a gym bag this time tomorrow with someone outside your office already to deliver
Mary: understood, my friend
Bogdan feeling no joy from the situation and also in a corner packs a suitcase and decides it’s time to leave town for good, Los Hellas is no longer for him Sven or not.
Meanwhile, Mary Poros has other plans and as Bogdan packs and drunken sleeps she calls some of her friends and higher ups who owe her favors, things which do not require the exchange of money. Mary Poros minutes after Bogdan’s wine-fueled call, makes her own phone call to a friend on the east coast
Officer Sing: Officer Elizabeth Sing, here
Mary: Hello Ms. Sing, happy to hear you have the same desk. This is Ms. Mary Marie Poros and I’d like to report an illegal campaign contribution of last year, it was for a candidate, Bogdan Brown in Los Hellas and it exceeded the Federal limit. I made the donation from a business, it is our mistake, however punishable by law I need to report it. Especially given light of Mr. Brown’s recent public recall and well, other issues towards integrity
Officer Sing: Understood Ms. Poros. We will message you if we need further details
Mary: Great. My lawyer has already emailed documents which might be useful to your Helpdesk
Officer Sing: Thank you Ms. Poros we will be in touch if need be
The duo both end the call knowing exactly what each person is to do.
Bogdan sleeps off his hangover. Sven turns in his city council papers right before end of the day.
Ella has a normal, now Amy free competition day ahead of her.
Mary Poros starts looking into any other city council candidates she can bribe now with Amy Huang out of the running, the candidate she selected and funded fully OUT.