by David Kersey
CHAPTER FIFTEEN – Expansion
Adele watched the speaker take her seat at the head table. The lieutenant governor’s words were well accepted, judging from the seemingly genuine robust applause at the conclusion of her speech. Adele looked at Jack, and said, “It’s now or never. I’m going for it.”
Adele stood, excused herself from her table that was occupied by black-tied patrons and their elegantly dressed wives, smoothed her sequined gown, and then made her way to the speaker’s table.
“Hello, I am Adele Meadors, and I enjoyed…..no, that’s not it……more than enjoyed. I totally agree with your sentiments. The federal government has no business dictating health care. Adele handed her business card to the distinguished speaker. “I would very much like to make an appointment with you to discuss something going on in our state that you may wish to hear. It is health care related.”
Patricia Reid, one of the most highly respected women in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, examined the intruder’s card, which read: Adele Meadors, PhD; Professor of Psychology; the University of Kentucky. The lieutenant governor grabbed her clutch purse. “Let’s go for a walk. I need some air.”
Mrs. Reid led Adele through the French doors onto the terrace of the Greenbrier, the most exclusive country club in Lexington. “Do you smoke, Mrs. Meadors? I’m absolutely dying for a smoke.”
“No, but I used to. I can’t anymore.” Adele quickly made a hand gesture that traced the lack of breasts.
“I understand, and I am sorry to hear of your loss. How is it going for you now?” Patricia sat on a bench and patted a space next to her. She lit a cigarette while waiting for Adele to be seated. “Will the smoke bother you?”
“Go right ahead. I am used to it, my husband sneaks a cigar every once in a while. Mrs. Reid, my cancer, well, that’s is only a small part of what is happening. By the way, my tumors are shrinking, and I feel great. The bigger story is that I want to give you an advance notice of something that is going to happen. Just so you won’t be in the dark.”
“You have my attention.”
Adele explained about Joshua, at least in fragments; just enough to present a coherent depiction. She briefly described the NIL that Joshua had developed after years of experimentation and trials. She then said that the Somerset public television station would be conducting an interview that would educate its audience about Joshua and his health related product.
“Do you live here locally?” The lieutenant governor asked.
“Yes, in Tates Creek.”
“Send me the NIL product. Or, better yet, call my office and make an appointment to bring it to me. Here’s my card. My office in Frankfort is not that far away from you. If this NIL thing is what you say it is, I would love to snub my nose at Washington with it. You know, this state is going to dig in knee deep on the issue of forced health care. We are damn well going to protect our citizens from excessive government controls. Mrs. Meadors, I caution you to tread lightly without expert legal advice. Are you familiar with the new legislation entitled the Food Safety Management Act?”
“I have not heard of it.”
“Well, it is law, and was railroaded through without public input. It’s another example of central government not being ‘for the people’. It was signed into law due to dirty, underhanded politics, though it was whitewashed under the guise of the prevention of bioterrorism. It will be illegal for you to grow, market, even give away your product without complying with many new requirements. It’s an extremely serious piece of legislation that violates the right of liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution. The Washington political machine is much more nefarious than FSMA, but that act could smash your dreams. So, I appreciate you giving me advance notice, but now I am reciprocating. Go online and do some research, and pay attention to who sponsored the legislation. Do some digging there. Two more things; I will not be a turncoat, or whistle blower. I will help you. I can arrange for you to get some legal advice from a law firm very familiar with the new regulations. Second, I promise to pray for your speedy recovery. How many business cards do you have with you?”
“Oh, six, maybe.”
“Let me have all six. I won’t be the only one praying for you.”
With those parting words Lieutenant Governor Patricia Reid stood and re-entered the dining hall, but not before locking elbows with Adele as they walked into the room side by side.
“Joshua, what are you doing?” Adele spoke from her cell phone on the way home from the fund-raiser.
“Tracy and I are fixing something to eat. Van and Namanda are down in the valley catching lightning bugs. We had a little problem arise. I picked up Autry’s old truck, and Van followed me back home in his rental car. Namanda is pouting because I asked Tracy to ride with me in the truck.”
“I could see that sort of thing coming, to tell you the truth. Just give her some one on one time and she’ll come around. So what have you found out?”
“Tracy is willing to stay here for a few days but will not commit to staying longer, at least not yet. I’m still working on her.” Joshua noticed Tracy was smiling while slicing tomatoes.
“I was fortunate to have a five minute chat session with the lieutenant governor. Joshua, she is on our side, but she put the fear of God in me. What she said made me think we may be in over our heads, kiddo.”
“Sounds like she came at you with the need for legal advice.”
“She did. Something about the Food Safety Management Act. Have you heard of that?”
“I have researched it somewhat. It is a waste of time to get a handle on it since the FDA is still in the process of developing rules and regulations. It will mostly be benign and it doesn’t overly concern me. Just more hoops to jump through. But I will need some help with the patent filing; and we need to get on that.”
“Joshua, she made it sound much more serious than what you are saying. Maybe she has an axe to grind. She is campaigning for the Senate seat, so maybe she was vote-getting with me. But I believe that she was serious about helping us. I guess you’ve helped me calm down a little.”
“Tell you what, I’m going to give Namanda some homework to do tonight. The Safety Act, S510, is available to read online. Two birds, one stone. Adele, I have perfect peace about what we are doing. So should you. But there is something else that is concerning me that I will have to talk to you about at a more appropriate time. No big deal, just a security issue.”
“Call me tomorrow, dear.” Adele terminated the call without waiting for Joshua to respond. Typical Adele.
“I’ve made up my mind about what I’m going to do.” Tracy said. “I have just short of a million rupees saved, which really isn’t that much when converted to Euros. That is about twelve thousand Euros. I’m going back to New Delhi and make preparations to move to Belgium, back to my home. I want to introduce my parents to the NIL formulation. They already have a greenhouse on the property. If they want to do it, I will stay there to help get them started. Then I will come back to America and seek a teaching opportunity. Would you like to come with me, or meet me in Belgium? I would love to show you the beauty there which is so much like this area. And I’d like to introduce you to my parents.”
“That sounds intriguing, and I’d love to entertain the idea. I just don’t see how I can get away, at least not for a while. There is quite a lot of activity planned for the next month or two.”
“I want to return to right here, if that’s ok with you?” Tracy placed her hand over Joshua’s.
Joshua made no effort to terminate the sprouting of romance. “I would like that, I mean for you to return here. Let’s call the others to dinner.”
+ + + + +
Jackie Bingham had drifted off while sitting at her home office desk. The buzzing of her cell phone aroused her from slumber; a well-deserved hiatus from a full day of departmental scrambling over the chikungunya virus in the Caribbean, and an Ebola outbreak in Western Africa. The coronavirus in the Middle East was also discussed at some length, which
is also known as MERS, as well as some concern that measles appeared to be making a comeback, especially in the Philippines where over twenty thousand outbreaks have occurred. It had been a full day of ominous news. A text message simply read, ‘check mail’.
The first of two attachments was a copy of form ARF209 from the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services. “Two children, both aged nine, classmates at Forrest Park Elementary, Pine Bluff, both verified, H7N9 flu, protocols in place. Cause unidentified, link undetermined, spread vector ongoing.”
The second attachment was a copy of form GF209 from the Georgia Department of Health. “38 year old female, Hampton, Georgia, verified, H7N9 flu, critical phase, protocols are activated. Cause unidentified, link unknown, web vector investigation assigned and underway.”
How in the hell is this thing spreading? She asked herself. Hampton, a bedroom community of Atlanta, is merely twenty-five miles south of the CDC complex in the Druid Hills section. She needed to see the lab reports in each case, so back downtown she went.
+ + + + +
Captain Khalil walked through the bougainvillea archway not expecting to receive useful information. Amail Saluhulean
answered the soldier’s rap on the door.
“Where did they go?”
“Who do you mean?”
“You know who. Your neighbors, the Mehras.”
“Oh, them. Amit said he was taking a job, a government job, let’s see, where did he say that was? Fazilka, that’s where he said it was. Fazilka. Why would anyone do that? That’s what I thought when he told me. Why would a musician take a government job, especially over there in that rat hole? Seems strange, doesn’t it?”
“When did they leave?”
“I work, work, work. You know, all work, no play. I didn’t see them leave, but I would say they have been gone for almost two weeks. Have they come up missing, or something?”
“The whole family left at the same time?”
“Yes, yes, I suppose so. I haven’t seen Shreya or the girl, Namanda.”
“Here is my card. Contact me if you should see or hear of any of them. You are being truthful, yes?”
“Oh yes. Sorry I can’t tell you more. I wasn’t that close to them, you know, them being Christians.” Amail watched the soldier leave, leaned against the door once inside and let out a sigh of relief. He did as Amit told him to do. Hopefully this would be the last of it.
Captain Khalil called his commander from the Land Rover. “The neighbor wasn’t any help. He says the Mehras moved to Fazilka, and we know that isn’t true. You don’t convert rupees to Euros and stay inside India, or even travel into Pakistan for that matter. They are on the run and to a distant place. Do you want me to bring the neighbor in for questioning?” After hearing the negative response, he drove back to the base.