The Second Declaration

by T Emerson May

  Tom Adams opened the inaugural cabinet meeting in the office of his residence. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to this, the first such meeting of the cabinet of the North American Union. We have no agenda today. I thought it would be an opportunity for the photographers and cameramen to try out their equipment. I hope the electricians were able to install enough power yesterday."

  "Thank you, Mister Premier," said Bill McKay, the new head of the Department of Indian Affairs.

  "It's a great and historic day, Mister Premier," said Hal Browning, always mindful of events and their proper place in the perspective of history.

  "Good morning, Tom, I mean Mister Premier," said Sam Brouchet, still getting used to the protocol of addressing Tom Adams in such a formal manner. The others around the large oak table greeted the new Premier, some with more intimacy than others. The new cabinet consisted of Hal Browning, the Foreign Minister; Carol Osteen, the Treasurer; George Brazleton, head of Commerce; Bill McKay in charge of Indian Affairs; Max Drury, a distinguished attorney and head of the Department of Courts and Appeals; Dr. Murry Klein, Health; retired General Dan Wolf, head of the Defense Department, who would have to get used to a much diminished budget.

  Also included was Tom's friend Sam Brouchet, member of the Legislative Assembly from Nevada and chief of the Department of Mines and Lumber. Rounding out his cabinet was the remarkably attractive and extremely capable Linda Hargrove, Transportation chief.

  Tom had never met Dr. Klein nor Max Drury prior to a week before. He had appointed them to the cabinet upon recommendations of advisors and close friends. Bill McKay had suggested Drury, while Hal Browning had put forth Dr. Klein's name as possible Health Secretary. Dan Wolf was a recent hero of the Gulf War and had entered politics at the urging of his friends in Wyoming. Carol Osteen was the former head of one of the largest banks in Dallas who had entered the political fray when delegates to the constitutional convention had been chosen. Linda Hargrove was the young genius about whom Sam Brouchet had spoken so fondly a few months earlier.

  "Barely nine months ago, eight people gathered in a small resort cabin in Idaho and discussed what they considered were problems facing the US. All but two of those people are either here or serving elsewhere in our new nation. One of them was brutally murdered in the streets of Washington, DC. His widow still mourns his passing on their ranch in Idaho. Today we are faced with the massive task of creating the machinery of the North American Union. Much of the work has been done by the constitutional convention and its permanent committee, both of which are now dissolved. The debate and discussion are now over; it is time to make it all work for the citizens of our country. We are extremely fortunate people. Seldom in history have people like us had an opportunity to create a new nation. Judging from the talent sitting at this table, I know we will be successful. Would anyone like to make any comments at this time?"

  "Only to say how proud I am to serve as your Treasurer, Mister Premier. I will do my utmost to return the trust you exhibited by choosing me," said Carol Osteen.

  "I'd like to second that," said Linda Hargrove. "As the youngest member here, I hope I don't step on any toes. Thank you for believing in me."

  "Mister Premier, I just want to say that nine months ago I was ready to retire from politics. The events which transpired during those months have reinforced my belief that I have something to offer this new nation. I hope that it is my spirit and not my vanity that has told me that. I am very happy to be here today," said Bill McKay in his usual terse, pointed manner.

  "Mister Premier, I represent the great state of Texas, but more importantly the people of this great new country. I stand ready and willing to do whatever is necessary to assist you in the tasks that lay ahead of you in the coming months and years," offered George Brazleton.

  "Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen. Let me assure you I will need all your help in the coming months. Well, if there are no more comments, shall we let the photographers in for their session?" concluded Tom.

  For the following hour the press and TV people swarmed around the table, shooting picture after picture, asking questions, reporting every comment on tape and pad. Tim Mullenski was there and he came straight to the Premier's end of the table.

  "Good morning, Mister Premier. How are you today?" asked Tim.

  "Very well. Today's a good day to start a new government," said Adams.

  "How's Tom junior? I haven't seen much of Tom or Angie since the night of our dinner. If I didn't know better, I'd say you better plan for a wedding in the Premier's residence."

  "You think it's that serious?" asked Tom.

  "Hard to tell. Angie couldn't do better than Tom. I hope it is serious. They make a great couple," suggested Tim.

  Tom Adams puckered his lips in a thoughtful reflective expression and cocked his head to one side. "Well I'll be damned. Young Tom is really serious about someone for a change," he thought to himself. "You know, I'm glad you don't carry a grudge. I really thought you had a thing for Angie."

  "I like Angie, a lot," said Tim, emphasizing the word 'lot'. "A fellow could do a lot worse than spend a lifetime with her. But we're just very good friends; our lives would never allow us to be married. I'm on the road too much."

  After the press left the residence, Tom reconvened his cabinet for a four hour meeting. Primarily he wanted to see how the group interacted. Except for his close associates, the cabinet members were strangers to one another. He did not want to leave the impression that he would only listen to old friends; he wanted the counsel of all the cabinet. So from time to time he solicited thoughts and ideas from Hargrove, Osteen, Wolf, Drury and Klein. He was especially careful concerning Klein and Drury. Both were from Canadian provinces and Tom wanted to establish that they were full partners in the government. His old associates sensed what Tom was doing and fell into step with his plan, without a word being spoken. Sam and George deferred to the newer members of the cabinet at every opportunity and the new members were quite appreciative each time this happened. It was important to the newer members since they felt that the inner group would dominate all discussions. At the end of the meeting, Tom went out of his way to say something kind to members as they left the room.

  President Jeffries called Tom Adams to the President's office on December 15th. They had conferred by phone or in person each day since the government had been formed.

  "Tom, I received a most curious phone call from the new president of former Soviet Georgia today. As you know, Georgia has declared independence from the Soviet Union and has elected a president. He wanted to know if we would be interested in exchanging diplomats. It presents a problem, of course. If we recognize Georgia, the Soviet central government may be mad as hell, but if we don't recognize them then we appear to be hypocrites. What do you think?" mused the President.

  "Interesting dilemma. Has any other country recognized Georgia?" asked Tom.

  "Not yet. But of course, they've only just elected a President and formed a government, as we have."

  "I'm inclined to recommend that we extend recognition but not exchange diplomats. I think we should wait."

  "Exactly what I was thinking. We really can't afford to set up an embassy in that country. We're going to be strapped by putting one in the major capitals," declared Jeffries.

  "We're doing quite well in the diplomatic circles, though, don't you think? We now have diplomatic ties with Japan, China, England, France, Germany, Russia, Korea and most of the Pacific rim countries. Our application to the UN seems like a sure thing with England and Germany sponsoring us."

  "Yes, we're doing quite well. Incidentally, I'm very happy that you named Hal as the Foreign Minister. He and I work so well together. I have tremendous respect for his abilities. If you ever step down, I'll look for him to take your place. Mind you, Tom, that isn't a hint that you should retire," said Jeffries, laughing.

  "Well, I think five years will be enough for me. Hal will be my choice of the people we know now. I can't foresee anyone
giving him a run for it when I go."

  "Don't be so hasty about your plans five years from now, Tom. The people of this country need you now and I suspect they'll need you in five years as well. Incidentally, I'm having a little dinner party next week. It's our little Christmas dinner as we'll be returning to Manitoba for the holidays. Would you like to join us? I'd really like you to bring Theresa Winston. I think the trip would be good for her. The party will be small, just Liz and I and another couple from here in Seattle."

  "I think that's a great idea. Let me call Theresa tomorrow and see if she'll come. If not, I'll cancel out. Don't want to be the odd man out."

  "Nonsense, Tom. Plan to come anyway if Theresa can't travel yet. Come alone or bring someone else. I'll see you one way or the other on the 20th."

  That evening he called Theresa at her ranch in Idaho. She was thrilled to hear from him and was feeling a great deal better than the last time he had talked to her. She disclosed that part of her therapy was working in a children's ward of a local hospital. The care giving so channeled her thoughts away from Bob that she had made almost a complete recovery. She still missed him, but not with the crippling intensity that she had experienced during the summer.

  "Yes, Tom, I'll be happy to go out on a date with the new Premier. Oh, Tom, I know how proud Bob would be of you right now. I know he'd be so happy for all of you. I'll fly out the night before. Do you think all the wags will start talking if I stay with you for a few days?" she asked in jest.

  "Let them talk. I guess you know that I'm a bachelor now. Susan didn't come up to Seattle with me. The gossip can really bounce around, eh," said Tom in return.

  "Well, maybe we can give them something to gossip about, then, Tom. The new Premier and his mystery date gallivanting about Seattle like a couple of college kids. I kinda' like that. God, it's so good to here from you again, Tom. I've really missed you," sighed Theresa.

  "I've missed you, too, Theresa. I'll be counting the days until you get here." Tom hung up the phone then sat and stared at the fireplace for a very long time. He really did miss Theresa, he thought. It would be very good to see her again.

  Theresa arrived on the 19th and was picked up by Tom's private vehicle. The driver took her to the Premier's residence. Tom was there to greet her with a hearty hug and a kiss. They sat in his office and talked until late in the evening. They snacked on sandwiches, drank coffee, laughed and recalled the good times of their youth, the bad times of the past summer and Tom's role in creating the NAU.

  "You've had a hand in writing history, Tom," she said.

  "Theresa, I never could have done it without Bob's help when he was alive and his memories after he died. I vowed to Bill McKay the day I heard about his death that Bob would not die in vain. I pledged that and I kept that promise. But it was always Bob whose spirit was there. He should receive the credit. He died for his dream," said Tom philosophically.

  "Tom, I don't want to shatter your memory of Bob, but do you know where he was going the night he died?" Theresa was very serious now.

  "No, I just suppose he was finishing up in Washington."

  "Well, not quite. He was on his way to see Patricia Wellingsly. He was stopping at a flower shop owned by a relative of the driver. Fifteen years ago he and Pat had an affair. I imagine that he was going by to say goodbye for the last time." Theresa was looking at Tom in a way that confirmed that she had already checked out this story.

  "Theresa, I didn't know that. But that was between you and Bob. It doesn't change the way he died," said Tom.

  "If he hadn't driven through that part of town, he'd be alive today, Tom. That's what really angers me. He was on his way to see another woman," Theresa sobbed.

  "Theresa, I'm sorry. I really am sorry. I just didn't know," said Tom, not knowing what else to say.

  "Tom, a part of my recovery was to admit to myself that the marriage Bob and I had was not really the type of marriage most people perceived. We weren't the perfect couple that everyone thought. We loved each other, sure, but there were some skeletons in the closet, too. We stayed married because it seemed like the proper thing to do, but our marriage was not perfect."

  "Whose marriage is? Susan and I are all but busted. Talk about a sham of a marriage. Here I am the Premier of a country and my wife is in Denver attending all the high society balls and parties. She just couldn't tear herself away from that for the sake of the country." said Tom angrily. "Hey, listen to us. A couple of old whiners. That's history. You're here to have some fun and get back in the swing of things."

  "You got that right. I still got a few good years left and I don't plan to spend them paging through my old scrapbooks. Do you think I'll fit in at this little dinner party tomorrow?" she said smiling that irrepressible smile of hers. "I'm a little out of practice."

  "You'll do just fine. Just fine, Theresa."

  The dinner next evening was a success for Theresa. She had regained that charm and spirit that Tom knew so well. Robert Jeffries had not forgotten that disarming smile from their meeting at the Lodge in May. He had been captivated by her then and was still. In Theresa's inimitable way, she was able to charm the husbands while endearing herself to the wives. Lovely as she was, women did not perceive her as a threat. The other couple at the dinner was an elderly pair who proved to be witty and entertaining in spite of their seventy plus years. He was a retired electronics company owner who had amassed a fair sized fortune in his fifty years of business. Both he and his wife could have passed for fifty, mostly because of their sprightly outlook on life, not so much due to appearance.

  Tom and Theresa left the President's house accompanied by security guards. When they arrived at the Premier's residence the guards discreetly retired to their posts. Tom and Theresa went into the kitchen for a last cup of coffee before retiring. They sat and chatted about the dinner party, talked about their plans for Christmas, which was only five days off. "Theresa, why don't you stay here for Christmas? It will save you a trip back to the ranch and we can just get reacquainted again. Whatya' say?"

  "No, I'll tell you what, though. Why don't you come out to the ranch with me? There'll only be the two of us there, too. Well, I guess a few guards won't hurt as long as they stay out of the way. Whatya' say to that proposition?"

  "You got a deal, Theresa. Just you and me for a week. Just like back in college, before Bob stepped in and swept you off your feet." Suddenly Tom realized something that he hadn't admitted to himself while Bob Winston was alive. He still had very strong feelings for Theresa. He and Theresa were a couple thirty years ago at the college they and Bob all attended. Bob did intercede and Theresa fell in love with him. They had eloped before anyone knew they were gone. Tom carried no rancor because of it, mainly because he and Theresa weren't engaged at the time. But he often thought of her through all these years.

  "Yes, he did sweep me off my feet, Tom. But I really wanted you to ask me to marry you," confessed Theresa. That was part of her therapy for recovery, too, to admit to herself that the man in her life was Tom, not Bob.

  "Theresa, why didn't you tell me? I was really in love with you then," asked Tom, raising his eyebrows in surprise at her confession.

  "Honey, that was a long time ago. Girls didn't make the first move back then. Remember?" said Theresa very coyly.

  "Tom, I think we better turn in for the night, before we say too much. We'll have next week to discuss this, anyway. That's one reason I want you on my turf."

  Now Tom was puzzled, but he agreed it was late and that they should turn in. He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, reflecting on the conversation he and Theresa just had. "Did she say all those things because she found out that Bob was on his way to see a woman the night he died. Is she just feeling scorned and wants to get even with Bob? Or does she really feel this way, and has for all these years?" he thought to himself. His reverie was interrupted by the sound of the bedroom door opening. Theresa was standing in the doorway, wearing her robe.

  "Would you like s
ome company tonight, Mister Premier?" she asked in a low sultry voice, mimicking Marlene Dietrich.

  "Yes, Theresa, I would like that very much. We've got about thirty years to make up for," he answered, his heart beating faster. "Then let's don't waste any more of it than necessary," said Theresa, putting her arms around Tom's neck. She kissed him very slowly and very passionately. The thrill of the kiss affected both of them in almost an identical way. It was forbidden fruit, delicious, succulent, heady. It was the closure for thirty years of unrequited love.

  Tom's arms had wrapped around Theresa so tightly that he suddenly released the pressure and said, "God, I'm sorry, Theresa. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't want you to get away from me, not tonight, not ever."

  "Don't worry, Tom. You're going to find it very difficult to get rid of this little gal. Thirty years is too long to wait for another opportunity."

  "Theresa, I never stopped loving you. Even when I married Susan, I thought of you. Maybe that's why my marriage to Susan never had a chance. We both married on the rebound." Tom looked deep into Theresa's eyes, letting himself be pulled into the warmth of her gaze, hypnotic and constant.

  "Tom, this seems like a night for confession. Let's take advantage of tonight and the next few days and nights, and just see what happens. Tonight we're just a couple who found each other, after being lost for a long time. No promises, no pledges, just a quiet night together at last." Theresa still had her arms wrapped around Tom's neck and she moved toward the bed, pulling him with her.

  It was the signal Tom wanted and needed. He lifted Theresa up and onto the bed, then reached over and turned out the table lamp. He noticed in the dim remaining light that Theresa had already removed her robe revealing a very sexy little gown that barely covered her torso. He took off his own night clothes and pulled the covers over himself and Theresa. Tom moved his hand very gently to her hip and stroked from hip to her buttocks to her groin. She immediately responded with small, low moans as he found her warm, already moist cleavage and tenderly moved his finger in a tiny circle in that spot.