“Then how did the fight arise?”
“You must understand, Mr. Parsons, that although children are under our constant supervision, we can’t forbid them to talk about non-related school issues. Well, today politics was on their agenda apparently. Specifically, they talked about the reform bill in health that your wife is promoting, the Walters Care!”
“It seems highly unlikely to me that children of this age started such a debate on their own initiative.”
“We thought so too, but we have it on camera. You can watch it now if you want.”
“No, thank you that won’t be necessary! I trust you. From what you said to me over the phone, Mike beat up four children?”
“Yes, that is correct. He is quite strong you know! You must understand, though, that no matter the reason for this fight, we cannot encourage this kind of behavior at Challenge Elementary.”
“Just a moment, Miss Coldwell. You said that the little fellows were talking about politics, but you failed to mention the specifics. Why exactly did Mike attack them? Were they offensive to my wife?”
“That is precisely what happened. The kids were very offensive, mind you though these words they spoke were quite certainly not theirs but their parents’.”
“I can’t quite see how Mike is to blame for all that! Mike, like any other 6 year old, loves his mother dearly. He obviously acted on impulse when they started offending his mom. I’m not proud for what he did, but I understand why he did it!”
“I get what you’re saying, Mr. Parsons, and perhaps you are right. Of course it’s not my position to encourage such attitudes and by this I mean not only Mike’s but also that of the other children. If I were a mother, I would like to be defended by my 6-year-old son. I find it very caring.”
“So there is nothing left to discuss here.”
“Mr. Parsons, I wish you could understand my position here. Recommendations have been made to both sides. The rest of the parents agreed to be more careful in the future so that their children won’t have access to opinions on politics. You and your wife must make an effort as well.”
“Tell me what you want from us and we will comply!”
“You need to refrain from having political debates with your spouse and other affiliates in Mike’s presence. If it is possible, you should avoid it completely. Six year olds have an increasingly growing perception and intelligence. Being aware of a political issue doesn’t make them capable of developing an argument over this issue. Their mind is not ready for that kind of thing and thus it can lead to unpredictable behavior.”
“We’ll do that, Miss Coldwell. Thanks... Mike won’t engage in such discussions again. We’ll make sure of that.”
“If you need any extra information, please don’t hesitate to contact me personally. Here is my number… and thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Parsons.”
Ethan left the teacher’s office of the director holding back laughter that so spontaneously sprang from within him. He once more had witnessed the influence that politics had on people! If Susan wasn’t in Congress, Mike would definitely be expelled from school after this incident! Challenge Elementary had zero tolerance for such behavior. He remembered the first time he and Susan met the school’s principal. Back then Susan was just another congresswoman amongst many that sent their children to Challenge Elementary and so their application to accept Mike there was not certain to come through. While now everything was so different! The reform bill Susan cleverly promoted was already boosting her political career. Walters Care was everybody’s business! It was a radical reform bill that in spite of the many enemies that fought it, remained a big bet for Walter's Administration that if they managed to pass, would make modern American history.
Alongside Walters’s name, that of Susan Parsons would be written with golden letters as well.
Glory was never Ethan’s driving force! He only cared for the drilling projects he oversaw for the oil company he worked for. He most definitely understood politics but had serious objections regarding some aspects of Walters Care!
In spite of the objections, he had decided not to get into a conflict with Susan. It was pointless! Susan’s sole goal in life was to rapidly climb up the stairs of her political career. As her husband he didn’t quite get the President’s obvious aid to Susan in achieving this goal. Her upgrade to one of the core-members of Walter’s Administration was a big mystery for him. Serious promises had to be made in order for this alliance to be formed.
Not long ago one of Washington Post’s headlines stated exactly that. “It Seems that the President Trusted Susan Parsons with More Than She Can Chew” was the headline of the article that announced Susan’s leading role in promoting Walters Care! This reform bill in health was by far the most controversial in decades. The reason for this controversy was that President Walters firmly insisted that Walter’s Care should embody invasive procedures in Emotion Markets to the benefit of policyholders. The President was in possession of countless scientific studies that were conducted on the long term benefits for health that Emotion Markets would bring. The hard work was done by technocrats of his Administration who conducted plain term cost-benefit analysis on the matter. The results were staggering! The gross national product of the US had much to gain from this emotion market business. Walter’s second presidency was coming to an end, but Walters Care and all its benefits would stay in tact for years to come! Susan’s job was important, but so was any other job for other families.
When one’s job started to affect the family, this was bad news. He had to talk to Susan urgently. They had argued a lot as a couple in the past few years. Their own decaying relationship was the basic issue most of the time. Now things were different. The things that Susan was involved in now started to affect Mike as well. Walters Care and its innovative embodiment of Emotion Markets had an international impact on people’s lives. Susan’s career in politics was the least of Ethan’s concerns! His soon to be ex-wife was capable of managing her profile even if things went wrong. What troubled him was the impact that all this might have in Mike’s life. No child should suffer the consequences of their parents’ doings. That day’s incident at Challenge Elementary could very well be the beginning of a tortuous path for their son. Ethan was the enduring kind of man, so he didn’t really care about the impact that Susan’s job had on his life. It was trivial.
He went inside his car and with a sudden movement he opened the glove compartment to get his cell phone. For the umpteenth time, business cards fell and scattered to the floor mat. Among the cards he now hastily picked up from the dirty mat, there was one he hadn’t seen for a long time. It took him some seconds to recall every detail about Kate Steelton. She had such a beautiful business card… He had dated Kate in the brief period that he and Susan had separated. It was before he asked Susan to marry him. They had separated for a total of two months and during the second week he had met Kate. Ethan thought that Kate could be his rebound relationship, but he was wrong. Kate’s work program back then was unbearable. She had to be on standby mode constantly and within a four mile radius from her work. She was one of Washington’s correspondents for Journal Today. Mary Ann West was the chief-editor of Journal Today. She was to blame for everything that had gone wrong in their short period together. Kate worked impossible hours, they could barely meet, and so Ethan had decided to patch things up with Susan. How stupid of him back then to have believed that life with Susan could be happy and carefree... It had only taken two years in marriage for everything to go bad.
He redialled Susan’s number on his cell. He had gotten used to his calls being unanswered. One of Susan’s assistants picked up.
“I'm very sorry, Mr. Parsons, but the congresswoman is busy at the moment and can’t…”
“Peterson, is that you?”
“No sir, it's Connor Connelly.”
“Listen carefully, Connor, pass my wife the phone right now or next time I see you I’ll shove the cell up your…”
“Yes s
ir, Mr. Parsons, I didn’t realize it was that urgent… I am passing along the congresswoman right now!”
When talking to him, Susan’s voice always betrayed her. As much as she tried to remain calm, her voice told another story. She was panicking! “What the hell, Ethan? You’re threatening my employees now? What’s wrong with you?”
“Your employees are in need of a threat every once in a while! Enough with their never-ending efforts to help you save the world!” he replied sarcastically.
“Seriously now, don’t you have anything better to do than to harass us?”
“It's urgent that we meet. There’s something we need to discuss. I’ll see you at the house on the 16th at 8.”
“You’re out of your mind! At 7 I must attend a...”
“I wasn’t asking, Susan! I’ll be waiting at the house at 8. Make sure you’re not late.”
It wasn’t his style to be rude and abrupt with people. Unfortunately for busy Susan that was the only way to go. He wasn’t at all sure if Susan would comply with his demand, but nevertheless he had enjoyed their brief encounter over the phone.
He had plenty of time until their appointment at 8 since he was on vacation from work. It was Ms. Sanchez’s turn to pick up Mike from school that day. He decided it was the perfect timing for his favorite stroll in Rock Creek Park. He often went there alone but mostly with their dog. Chico loved this park; he had so many friends there. Escaping to nature was always Ethan’s top priority when he wanted to clear his head. Chico always responded to the words “Rock Creek” with excessive joy for he knew he would spend a few hours sniffing and running in wild nature. Such a kind-hearted dog. His impatience for Rock Creek Park was overwhelming as Ethan picked him up from the house!
While driving to the park, his thoughts were on Kate Steelton and the unforgettable sex they had. He wondered if Kate was still working for Mary Ann West. He considered calling her but hesitated. He would love to catch up with Kate and chat about the previous week’s 10 with Mary Ann show.
Watching the allegedly impartial Mary Ann West shamelessly promoting emotion market tech was frustrating! It was common knowledge that she was a woman of great influence and stating she had already booked an appointment in an emotion market was a terrible setback to her credibility! Her sense of humor was obviously poor if she thought she could get away with it. Apparently she had been paid an enormous amount of money to do so. It was shocking to witness Mary Ann West infringe on the law of unbiased judgement! Exercising her global influence to prompt people to use this new medical tech was almost criminal behavior!
In the past, people’s consciousness was formed by a selected few who exercised their global influence to guide the masses in buying a product, software, dress code, or even adopt a certain lifestyle or alter their thinking process. Acceptance of the necessity for a law about unbiased judgment from the UN had lead to the imposition of the law in many countries of the modern world. This was welcomed as a supreme act of freedom for individual rights. Enforcing the law and its penalties, though, was another matter. Legal loopholes were used by law firms every time one of their clients “accidentally” broke this law. Social network propaganda by people of influence was still present in spite of the huge fines they risked paying for breaking this law.
Ethan was pretty sure that Mary Ann West would find a way to bypass the law’s penalties for biasing the judgement of half a billion people toward emotion market medical tech. Her lawyers would see to that!
CHAPTER 7
IN THERAPY WE … DON’T TRUST
New York
Lying prone on her bed, Mary Ann West said farewell to Hidao and renewed their appointment for the following day begging her not to visit another client in between. Hidao was considered by far The Big Apple’s top reiki healer. Legendary Hidao emitted tremendous amounts of energy from her hands. Her “energy balls” could be felt from as far as 10 feet away. The feeling was experiential! Mary Ann adored Hidao and her energy balls. She was in so much need of them.
A few minutes later, the bedroom’s door opened slowly and Bertha entered with two tentative steps.
“I’m not asleep, Bertha; come on in…” whispered Mary Ann.
“I’m terribly sorry for stating the obvious, but haven’t we seen enough of Hidao this week?”
“What do you mean enough? She’ll be back tomorrow… and the day after… and the day after that! I need her so.”
“What you need, my dear, is a good night’s sleep and some rest to clear your mind. Energy balls are a hoax!” said Bertha with a slight touch of irony.
“Nobody asked for your opinion, Bertha!”
“Nope, you sure didn’t…”
“I need to hasten my appointment in the emotion market. Can you make the arrangements or must I tell Isaac to do that for you?”
“I'll do it myself. I am perfectly capable of managing your business, thank you very much! You’re so unrepentant…. Are you actually going to go through with it in spite of the mess you have created?”
“Of course I will. Please try to mind your own business unless I tell you to do otherwise. As for the mess… I had my reasons…”
“A large sum of money I gather. Don’t you have enough already?”
“You’re a fool, Bertha! Your insinuations don’t interest me.”
“Very well, is there anything else?”
“Yes, I need you to keep calling Stanboro Hospital. I feel responsible for Eidan... I may need to visit him there at some point...”
“You have failed to enlighten me about the circumstances of his accident. How are you responsible for that?” asked Bertha while lifting her right eyebrow.
“Gosh, your questions bore me to death! If necessary I will brief you further.”
“Just make sure that it’s not too late when you decide to do that.
“Late for what, you winning piece of…”
“Just saying...”
“Enough with that! My scheduled appointment with Dr. Von Holst stands; therefore, I’ll be gone for the rest of the afternoon. Did we have any news from the man we sent over to Caroline Emerson’s?”
“We haven’t sent anyone yet. He'll be there tomorrow morning. It’ll all be fine. Hans is very experienced.”
“Tell him to maintain code red for a longer period than usual! We must make sure the doctor is safe!”
“Quite surprisingly, Dr. Emerson only received two life threatening letters. The situation is manageable. She is silly you know. From what I heard, she repeatedly insists on personally replying to some letters and e-mails.
“That’s classic for a rookie! She is so inexperienced yet. I’ll contact her myself in order to explain. Thank you, Bertha!”
Bertha left the room as quietly as she had entered. Mary Ann trusted her completely and ranked her as number one among her assistants. Bertha was so much more than a housekeeper… Sometimes she crossed the line with her inquisitions, but Mary Ann knew she meant well. She was like family to her.
Half an hour later, Mary Ann’s driver dropped her off at Dr. Von Holst’s office and drove away. Sergio was with her. After Jeffrey’s kidnapping Mary Ann had requested the help of a friend in the NSA. She had explained in vague terms that she and her son were in need of constant protection. Her friend had introduced Sergio. Sergio accompanied her everywhere she went. They had come to a silent understanding from the very first day. He didn’t speak to her and she didn’t speak to him. Sergio’s appearance was frightening. His body was huge with scars on his face and a penetrating look in his eyes that could be detected even through the dark sunglasses he always wore. Mary Ann laid back and watched the effect that Sergio’s presence next to her had on people.
The instant they saw Sergio next to her, their big smile gave way to a startled look followed by a brisk salute and immediate withdrawal. Everyone pretended they didn’t want to delay her and simply… left. Mary Ann was grateful that Sergio’s presence did that to people. She needed him! Being in need of people she wasn�
�t before was a sad realisation of her current state…
She knew how to keep her distance from people of no-interest, but often it was necessary to indulge her fans. If she had Sergio or someone like him on the day of the interview with Caroline Emerson, maybe nothing would have happened. Or maybe it would anyway. This emotion market business was just starting and she thought that it was unfortunate that she was already involved. Next to Jeffrey her friend from the NSA had placed two “Sergios.” For her, one was enough!
She slightly lifted her wrist, indicating that Sergio should wait for her in Dr. Von Holst’s lobby. The doctor’s secretary asked, “How are you today, Miss West?” but never got a reply. She then opened the door while humming cheerfully. Mary Ann despised people who were cheerful for no apparent reason. This secretary was totally unfit for the post she held with the psychiatrist. She was an unnecessary nuisance!
“Hello Samuel, you must help me."
Samuel Von Holst looked very peaceful and serious. He kindly smiled at her.
“That’s what I’m here for, Mary Ann. Please have a seat.”
“I know…I know it’s just that we may need a little more time tonight. I would hate it if we had to stop before we decide on the right course of action.”
“We already know what the right course is, Mary Ann. But I can’t walk you down this path. You have to do it yourself… Have you followed the process I described last time?”
“I won’t lie to you, Samuel! I haven’t… Simply because…”
“Nothing is simple, Mary Ann. You know that.”
“Yes, I know, but after an incident that occurred, it all suddenly became very clear.”
“Regarding your invasive procedure in an emotion market?”
“Yes! I think I’m pretty sure on which emotions I should buy.”
“You think?”
“Yes! I think I know now.”
“The verb ‘think’, Mary, is inconsistent with all that we have agreed on in our previous session. You must confront your emotional self with the utmost respect. This will happen only if you ‘know’, Mary Ann!”
EMOTION MARKET: the Tailor of Hearts - A gripping psychological thriller Page 6