memory bank

City Council

"You know the meeting's inside, right?"

She looked up from her phone to see a man in gray suit and ostentatious bow tie. The Man appeared to be in his late '40s, early '50s, a clean mustache clearly cared for atop his lip and a smile that had a little twinkle behind it. He was leaving the glass walled chamber where she was observing the city council meeting take place. She quickly closed her phone and looked up to see the smiling man as he approached her in the lobby.

"Oh! I'm- I know. I just wasn't sure if I was allowed to go in and I didn't want to disturb. " She sputtered out, her nerves getting in the way of her often cool and positive demeanor. "I'm a grad student from NYU, and I was just hoping to grab someone to talk to about the police community relations commission."

The Man raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Grad student from NYU out here? Not to be rude, but why the hell are you out here?"

Shocked by the crassness she again managed to barely get out that she actually lived in the area. The Man smiled. Pausing, the man looked back at the room and then back at her.

"Do you want me to get the police chief for you? He's in there." He asked.

Thoughts bounced around her brain like little mice looking for the cheese. So many reasons she wanted to say no. Flashes of indescribable memories shot off in her brain at the thought of communicating with a Pig. Memories she knew weren't all hers.

On the other hand this was exactly the person in any ideal situation she would want to talk to. Before she could register her words she heard "That would actually be amazing." Excuse me, what!?

She has said it. And he responded to it. "One moment." Turning heel, the Man had put paces between she and him before she could stop him. As quick as he was out he was back in to the glass walled chamber, turning immediately right. Two seconds later he was out of sight. Natural instinct told her to panic. Run. This is dangerous and you are going to regret this and your parents are going to hear about this.

But she was 28 years old and had walked into more dangerous situations than sitting in a city courthouse. If anything she was safer here then anywhere she had ever gone to. Logic and trauma don't really care though.

After what felt for both an eternity and an instant the Man appeared again, this time with a uniformed officer behind him. Officer held himself in high regard, she thought. Puffed out chest, slicked back hair; The works. The Man offered an introduction to the Woman, at which point she shook Officer's hand and introduced herself. The Man had placed a hand briefly on officers shoulder while looking at her with another smile. The Man excused himself to go to the bathroom. Probably his original purpose of leaving the chamber anyway.

The Woman spoke with officer, asking questions and getting into her inquisitive graduate school mind. This is where she felt good, competent, assertive. And with each passing question The Man began to slowly slip from her mind. She was there for a purpose and a reason, and that was standing right in front of her.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. Glancing to see fingertips that held a ripped section of note paper. Something was scribbled in hasty calligraphic blue ink.

"Here. I figured you may have more questions. If you would like to reach out." 

A name and phone number. His name and phone number. The Woman was too stunned to speak. Again she bumbled her words. "Thank you," she glanced at the paper "Jake. I really appreciate it." She tucked the paper in her other hand and into her pocket. Jake smiled, mischievous and kind, before he nodded and walked away. The Woman stared at him as he walked away, flabbergasted by all the events.

Officer cleared his throat. He wanted to know if she needed anything else. Snapping back instantly she turned cold but kind. "No, thank you so much for taking the time. You are doing some good work in there." Vomit wanted to pop up, just a little bit, with the words she offered. Fluff the ego and you'll be safe. Officer nodded, shook the Woman's hand, and walked away.

She stood in the again empty room, not having realized there must have been a break in session while she was preoccupied. All those in attendance were in varying staging of reseating themselves. Jake was not able to be seen she noticed. Weird, she had thought. With a bowtie like that you'd think the man loved attention. She pulled out the piece of paper with his phone number and name on it again. This was new. She'd never received anyone's number unprompted before. Shaking out any further unnecessary thoughts the Woman now turned heel, headed home to another hell-bound coffin.