Thereby hangs a tale

Chapter 3 - Local Politics

The following afternoon,  Tara made for the merchant's quarter to collect her fortnight's supplies. The more peripheral streets she walked to work had only hinted at the election pageantry she found here. Banners were being mounted wherever they could be, and stalls were being erected in any space that could be found. There was something a bit ramshackle to it all though, the edges a bit rough.

She walked into Harada's bakers, joining the short queue that seemed part of the furniture there. Tara smiled to Tam Harada as he waved to her over the heads of the other customers. She'd once found the sheer scale of the local baker intimidating, now all she saw was her friend. Molly Harada, his wife, only became visible once Tara made it to the front of the queue. Tam had vanished into the back of the store to conjure up fresh aromas to tempt the hungry stomach.

A slightly flour dusted Molly greeted Tara, "You're a bit late Tara, giving some kid the strap after wisdom sharing?"

Tara, not an advocate of corporal punishment laughed, "Nothing so fun, I had a visit from Kevin Lee. He wanted to discuss some of my students, who were bothering him in the library."

Tam's voice called through, "Did they throw rocks?"

Tara replied, loud enough for both the bakers to hear, "No, they just went to read some books."

Molly sighed, and giggled; Tam replied, coming out from back with a fresh tray of baked deliciousness, "The villains! That man is one big bother, I wish he'd bother off!"

Molly asked, "Which kids was it?"

Tara replied it was Ting and Leo Chen, who just seemed to be enjoying reading old books and stories. Something which, apparently, the town librarian didn't hold with.

Molly sighed, her pretty oval face falling slightly, "That poor boy. Tam and I see him, and that new girl, walking around sometimes. We think it's very sweet, don't we?"

Tam shrugged and smiled, shrouding himself in a tiny corona of flour. "I hope," he said, "you told that ...librarian to leave off. He has all the tact of a raccoon. Last time I was in the library, he fairly goggled at my choices, saying he was surprised a 'working man' would be interested in philosophy."

Molly, tucking a stray strand of auburn hair under her hat chuckled at her husband, "Quite right too, don't want you getting ideas. No one ever complained that their baker was under educated! "

Tam laughed then, "I was only the slightest bit disappointed when he didn't try to stop me. Anyway Tara", he turned back to her, "is it your usual order today?"

It was, and she made her usual request for two plain loaves and a pound of scones.

"So, what do you make of all this? Is it getting in your way?" Tara waved towards the street outside.

Molly said it was nice to see some cheer back in the town, it was boosting trade; they might actually sell out at the rate things were going.

"Tam gets in the shop around three, and he said the Social democratic movement had already begun setting up yesterday before he arrived. You can see they took the best spots. The rest, the empire party folks included, were only just turning up when I walked in around six."

Tam, finished serving another customer, called over, "Aye, I think the Dems were the only ones prepared at all. Just look at the state of some of the Empire's stuff. I think they printed some of their stuff with potatoes!"

Tara liked the Harada's, they brought down their unsold goods to the tent most days when they closed up for their dinner. They, with Tara's help, made sure that those families with most need, and least resources would at least have bread to break. She suspected they actually baked extra just to be sure.