The Cultmaster

Chapter 2: Politicians

Jacob Winstead, 27, awoke the following morning in his rickety old bed in his rickety old colonial home in Brunswick Township. He felt as though the opportunity being afforded to him on this fine day was one of great luck and fortune, and yet, he could not help but feel as though he was in some way unfortunate to be involved in something so emotionally taxing. But it was too late now to back out of the deal. So he got ready, changed into something that looked nice, took his Walkman, and drove to the local diner to meet his older brother.
Jacob's relationship with his brother had not been great. They had not been on especially great terms ever since Anthony had been abusing substances in his younger days. But Jacob told himself that it was fine because they were working through it, as fruitless as it may turn out to be in the end.
The diner in Middlesex County was old, but inviting still. Jacob remembered eating there when he was a young boy, and staring at it now evoked a deep sense of sadness and nostalgia.
He finally went inside after taking a deep breath.
In the corner was a jukebox, which no longer worked, probably. Jacob was captivated by it until a waitress came.
"Smoking or non-"
"Sorry, ma'am, I already have someone here waiting for me." Jacob stared down the row of booths before he spotted Anthony, who upon also spotting him, waved Jacob over. Jacob took a deep breath and walked. He did not know yet how this encounter was going to play out, for it had been months since they had last spoken.
Anthony reached his big broad arms out happily for a hug. Jacob was not having any of it.
"No," said he, "you know I don't do that. Sit down." Anthony sat down with a sorry look in his eyes, and Jacob almost felt bad for him. But business took the reins of the conversation. Even though it was the non-smoking section, Anthony still found a way to light up because the people behind him were doing the same thing. He offered Jacob, but Jacob declined, citing health concerns.
"So, what exactly is this 'business opportunity' you told me about over the phone?" Jacob asked the question in a very interrogative manner, almost as if he did not believe a word of it before. Why would he trust a drunkard?
"You remember Old Chester, right? Dad's friend?" The name struck a bell.
"Yes..." Jacob responded, "What about him?"
"Well, I heard from a little bird that he's running for Congress. 7th or 8th congressional district. Encompasses Jersey City, Newark, Hoboken, that whole area."
"Sounds like gerrymandering. That's the 8th district, by the way. And who's this 'little bird'?" Anthony pulled a newspaper from under his coffee. It was the Jersey Cardinal, a reputable paper in the area. The headline read
CHESTER COLFAX, REPUTED JERSEY CITY LITIGATOR, ANNOUNCES RUN FOR CONGRESS IN STATE'S 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. Jacob was beyond shocked. He never pictured a man like Chester running for Congress. Chester had never been one to tell the truth, or at least to the fullest extent. But maybe that made him a perfect politician. He would fit in well. Jacob kept his emotions and dismay at this information suppressed. He looked at the paper's date. It was today, November 3, 1983, meaning the election was only a year away, exactly a year away.
"Why... why would you show me this?" Anthony breathed a sigh of annoyance in response.
"You're a lawyer, right? I thought you'd be interested. " Jacob suddenly became flustered.
"Why in the hell would you think I was interested in something like this?! I mean, I love Chester, he's like a father to me. But God, he's gonna fuck it up. He's gonna fuck it all up!"
"Will you calm down? You're causing a goddamn scene!" They both finally took deep breaths, and Anthony continued.
"Look, you've talked about working for a congressman since you were a teenager, and now you've got an opportunity. Don't pass this up! You should be happy!" Jacob began to cry as he sat. He was angry at Anthony, at Chester, at the world. The world had not afforded him an easy life.
"Hey..." Anthony said after a long pause, placing his hands on Jacob's, "are you all right?" Jacob looked up with very red eyes.
"Can't you tell? I'm... sad." At this, Anthony burst out laughing, which only served to further stigmatized Jacob.
"You mean, you mean, hold on... you mean you're depressed? Brother, that's not a real thing. There's no such thing as depression." He then gave Jacob a more serious, grave look. "You're not being serious right now, are you?"
"How could you say that? You're a doctor, for crying out loud!"
"Correction, I'm a pharmacist. And once again, there is no such thing as DEPRESSION!"
"Uh, yes there is. You remember my friend Giovanni, don't you?"
"Yeah, the kid Mom told you to stay away from 'cause his family was mobbed up or something. You still went over to his house every summer because he had a pool and we were poor." Anthony broke out a smile.
"Yeah, they owned, like, the entire mafia in Trenton. Anyways, there was always this expectation that he would take over the 'family business' per se. Everyone always thought he was joking about the whole mafia thing, including myself. But it took a toll on him. His grades began slipping. He lost all of his friends until I was the only one. His father started beating him with a belt every day. He always played it off," Jacob began to weep again, "until the school resource officers got involved. His father played the whole perfect family act. Acted like there was nothing wrong."
"And then-"
"And then, one day, his poor mother found him, in the closet, hanging. He had tied the belt around his neck. Asphyxiation. Couldn't handle the pressure anymore. His father was arrested for abuse, and the papers ran the whole damn thing. Capitalized on it, like it didn't matter. Like Gio's life meant nothing. Like he was just a cog in a machine. That day changed me forever. Changed everyone forever. God, it's so amazing how selfish the world can be."
"So..." Anthony said, "you think he was-"
"Depressed?" Jacob snapped back. "Oh, absolutely. He was on a bunch of meds. The doctor even diagnosed him!"
"I'm sorry, man. I never realized that's why he did it."
"Yeah, well, that's all in the past."
"Jacob," Anthony continued, more solemnly now, "We can drive to the city today to meet Chester. That is, if you're up to it." Jacob turned behind him to look out the window. The skyline was barely visible in the distance. He could make out the Twin Towers and the Chrysler Building, and the very top of the Empire State Building.
He pondered for a moment, then came to a consensus.
"Yes, we can go."
"Allright, then. Let me just get the check. You're sure you're not hungry?
No coffee, even?" Jacob nodded no, and walked away.
"You're still coming over for Thanksgiving, right?" Anthony called out.
"Maybe," Jacob responded, not looking back. There had to be something more than just this.