Chapter 29

Homer Barlow was buried on the day after the calling hours following a private, family service at the Presbyterian Church. Cal spent that Saturday and Sunday helping out on the farm. He and Junior brought in a cutting of hay from the North Forty section of the farm between milkings.

On Sunday night, after his mother had made him a big dinner, Cal’s father told him that he was ready to take over again and that Cal should stay home from then on—and, by the way, ‘thanks for helping out’.

Cal found out that Junior had let it slip to his parents that Bonnie was staying with him in his cabin. His mother and father seemed to shake their heads and accept it. Cal would have expected a more vocal reaction from them. Roxie’s presence in the cabin had always brought their stern disdain. Times change.

On Monday morning Cal was at the Bluebird, sitting in his usual booth. He was waiting for Millie to bring him the breakfast that he’d ordered and he had that good feeling of things getting back to normal.

“Did you see this morning’s paper?” Millie asked him as she delivered his breakfast.

She took a rolled-up copy from one of her apron pockets and it landed with a thud on the table in front of him. Then, she set his plateful of eggs and home fries on the table next to it.

As she walked away Cal unfurled the paper and looked at the top of the front page. He didn’t see anything there that appeared very urgent. He flipped the folded section over to the bottom half, and the just re-found feeling of normalness vanished. He took a quick glance at the young woman with a pretty face and warm soccer-mom smile and then read the headline.

“Jennifer Davis to Challenge Cal Tucker in 2^nd Legislative District Race.”

Cal had been expecting to run unopposed—and he felt that he deserved as much, too.

He was sure he would defeat the just-nominated Ms. Davis, who was new to the County and to running for office. Cal knew, however, that running for reelection meant raising money, door-to-door canvassing, making speeches and all the other distractions that went with campaigning. Worse, he would at every moment be required to force himself to pretend that he was enjoying it all.

“I wonder how much money of my own I’ll have to put into the campaign,” he wondered to himself.

Cal had run into his new opponent a few times at various meetings and hearings. Her stock-in-trade had always been petitions for new playground equipment, tree plantings and bike lanes. She had impressed Cal as being just a bit shy, and whenever she spoke in public she held the microphone as if it was time bomb ready to explode. Or, perhaps it was a persona that she was crafting.

Ms. Davis had a late-twenties soccer-mom look, but Cal had heard that she was really thirty-three. Every time Cal had seen her she was wearing casual clothes with a baseball cap that held her long, straight, pony-tailed strawberry blonde hair in place. She was tall and slender and peaches-and-cream. She was good-looking, too, but she made herself look cute instead so that housewives wouldn’t catch their husbands ogling (although they did).

Millie came by to refill Cal’s coffee cup.

“I guess you weren’t expectin’ that,” she said.

“I wasn’t,” Cal admitted. “I had heard that after the results in the last election, the other party was going to let me go unopposed.”

“I don’t know her, but I know of her,” Millie told him. “A lot of people around here like her a lot, especially the younger families. She knows a lot of people at the college.”

“She’s only lived here thirteen months,” Cal answered, “doesn’t understand the...”

“A lot of folks figure that people like her are smarter than the rest of us,” Millie said.

Cal understood what she’d said, but he let Millie finish the explanation.

“She and her husband aren’t from here, for one thing,” Millie explained. “And for another, they’re from the college, so it would stand to reason. Besides, she’s a lot nicer looking than you, Cal.”

“I’ve got to agree with you on that last point,” Cal laughed.

“You can probably beat her,” Millie went on, “but she’ll give you a run for your money.”

She topped off Cal’s coffee and walked off to take care of a table nearby. Cal studied the article some more.

“Green space for our kids ... better schools with all-day pre-K...” Cal read. “Traffic control ... Community Center in the Annex.”

The article went on to quote the aspiring candidate that the County had surrendered to corporate greed and filled the Annex with a company instead of turning the facility into a ‘Community Center’.

Cal shook his head.

“If she wants to fight it out on that issue, then let’s have at it,” he declared to himself.

Cal folded the paper back up and set it down in an empty spot on his table. He knew he would never lose with the Annex Project as the big issue in the campaign. Besides, by the time Election Day arrived the Annex agreement will have been signed and the issue relegated to ‘moot status’

“Of course, she doesn’t know that it will be signed by then,” he reminded himself. “Let her stake everything on that and then find out late that the project is all done.”

He allowed himself a private snicker.

The Candidates’ Meeting scheduled at Party Headquarters that Wednesday evening was on Cal’s calendar. Until then, he thought he would show up and offer sage advice to fledgling candidates. The morning news changed all that. He began a mental checklist.

“I need campaign funds and I need volunteers.”

He decided that it would be a good idea to keep the information about the Annex signing to himself, for the time being. He wondered if he could. Jack Ross and Kyle Stevens already knew. George Lambe would have to know, too. In fact, no one truly knew. It was an assumption that Mr. Tanaka would cooperate and he had heard nothing up to that moment.

“I better get to the office and see if anything has come in to my email inbox.”

He didn’t wait for the check. He knew how much the breakfast tab would be. He took out some money, with some extra for Millie, and left it on the table. With some luck he hoped something would break that day. It was time to get to the office and find out.

As Cal began to climb the stairs to his office he could see the light was on in the anteroom, which meant that Delores was already there.

“Ted Hargrove called,” she told him as Cal opened the door. “He said that you should call him right away.”

“Yes, I suppose that he would,” Cal agreed.

He passed through the reception area and opened the door to his inner office. Delores followed him in and placed a fresh cup of coffee on his desk.

“Did you see the newspaper this morning?” Cal asked.

Delores shook her head.

“Then, you don’t know yet—Jennifer Davis announced that she is running against me in the November election.”

“Jennifer Davis!” Delores exclaimed. “Cal, she can’t beat you. She’s only lived here about a year.”

“Someone is backing her,” Cal answered. “She got a nice write up in the newspaper, and a very nice head-and-shoulders photo, too.”

Delores stood in front of Cal’s desk shaking her head from side to side.

“I know that she is pretty and sweet. But, she’s too young and she doesn’t have any experience. I don’t even know what she’s for,” Delores insisted.

“She’s thirty-three, like me,” Cal replied. “I’ve met her a couple of times when she attended the County Legislature meetings looking for money for playground improvements. Other than that, all I know is that her husband has a position at the college.”

“Well, I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” Delores said. “The people know you, Cal. They won’t let you down.”

Cal took a sip from his coffee and then shook his head.

“I’ll stop worrying after the votes are counted,” he said. “Someone convinced her to run and that means they promised financial support to her and thinks she has a chance. I was hoping to be able to relax in this election. The talk was that I would be unopposed, but now...”

“You always worry too much,” Delores insisted. “But, if it makes you feel any better I’ll get Ted Hargrove on the line for you.”

Delores walked back to her desk in the reception area. Cal sat back in his chair, waiting for the call. He wondered how much money he would need to mount a reelection campaign. Money was tight everywhere—and that meant in the party coffers, too. There were always candidates with big ideas and open hands thinking that they had first claim on campaign funds.

Ted Hargrove was the Party Chairman for Appleton County. His position had begun as a part time, unpaid job. Over the years Jack Ross had pulled strings and twisted arms to fund the position as a full time job. Ted was the only person in Appleton to ever hold the chairmanship.

“I know Ted is going to ask me to put up my own money. It’s not fair! I did last time and the time before that, too. The party committee thinks that because I’m single and have my own law practice I can afford it. This time it’s going to be different.”

He was thinking about recruiting some volunteers for door-to-door and stuffing envelopes. He knew that wasn’t what he was good at and would need Ted’s help with that as much as the campaign money.

Delores buzzed him on the intercom.

“Ted Hargrove on the line.”

Cal picked up the phone.

Cal: Hi Ted! Delores told that you called. You must have read my mind, because I was about to call you.

Ted: I’m sure it’s because of the story in today’s paper that Jennifer Davis is running against you.

Cal: That’s right, Ted. I’m not taking any chances with this. This lady might be new to politics in this county, but there’s no sense in taking anything for granted. I’m going to need money and foot soldiers. I didn’t ask for much last time around, but this is different. I’m...

Ted: Whoa, hold on there, Cal. Before you get any farther, there’s something that you ought to know.

Cal: Something that I ought to know? What are you talking about, Ted?

Ted: Cal, it’s nothing personal, I want you to know that in advance.

Cal: C’mon! Out with it, Ted.

Ted: We’re dropping you. We’re cross-endorsing Jennifer. It was all decided over the weekend.

Cal: What? You have got to be kidding! I’m the Chairman of one of the most important committees in the legislature. We’re just finishing up the Annex Project. It will be the biggest job producer in this county in years. You can’t...

Ted: Yes, we can, Cal. Even if we give Jennifer this seat, we’ll still hold the majority by far. We won’t need you for the Annex Project. Kyle Stevens is taking care of...

Cal: This sounds like Jack Ross’ doings to me.

Ted: Sure, I spoke to Jack, and I agree with him. We need people on our team who realize they are on a team. Jack and I figure some time off for you might teach a thing or two about running this County and who calls the shots around here.

Cal: I think that you’re forgetting that the newspaper story said that Jennifer Davis is against the Annex project. How can...