Chapter 215

“The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.”
—Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris: The Shooting Script

THE SADDEST PART of my nineteenth birthday was putting Beca on a plane to return to DC. The time together had been so short. And for the first time we had been together just as lovers. Making love once had not been enough and we’d made love yet again when we woke up in the morning. I held that girl in my arms for twenty minutes before I could stand to let her go at the airport.

Once I was back at the motorhome, though, my wives set about making the rest of my birthday a very happy one. And they weren’t content to simply lie around the motorhome naked to do it. The bus picked us up for a tour of some of the many beautiful and historic places in Des Moines, including Salisbury House with its art and collection of musical instruments, Pappajohn Sculpture Park, and the Better Homes and Gardens Test Gardens where the magazine has its shoot location with twenty-two different gardens. Of course, the women were full of ideas about how we could transform our back yard into one of the showcase gardens.

We went to an old Italian restaurant where the girls seemed intent on making sure we all ate enough to not be able to move for the rest of the night. I had a steak as big as my head with sides of pasta, salads, and tiramisu for dessert.

Attempting to cripple us with overeating didn’t stop us from spending the evening—most of the night—naked and making love. Donna, Emily, Cindy, Desi, Rachel, and Remas made sure my birthday was filled with fantasies that became reality.

Performing in arenas and outdoor amphitheaters can really distort reality. In Des Moines, we performed at the Civic Center and considered the 2500 seats with orchestra seating and three balconies to be an intimate setting. Most of our venues for the remainder of the tour would be this size or smaller and were far more suited to our style of music with just three instruments and a voice than the amplified stadiums we’d gone to in the middle stages of our tour.

Most of the cities we were going to in the last third of the tour were smaller than places like New York, Boston, Detroit, and Chicago. And those cities had congressional races and senate races that were hotly contested. We needed to sway a lot of votes and the broadcast from Detroit had shown that we weren’t messing around. The Midwest and upper tier of the south were a different matter entirely. This central tier of America was known for its conservatism, bordering on provincialism. These states were among the last to ratify the twenty-eighth amendment and had the least desire to see anything change. But there were certain triggers that would set them off. I was going to try to trip them.

The Des Moines concert was a delight. The incumbent representative of the third congressional district had been a borderline vote in the House. She asked Donna for a few minutes on stage with us and after a quick interview, it was granted. She didn’t wait till the end of the concert, but joined me during my spiel at the end of the first set.

“Jacob, Marvel and Hopkins and Company, House Octave, National Service Corps, thank you for allowing me a moment to address my constituents during this incredibly beautiful performance. First, let me say that what you have done for acoustic music, classical, semi-classical, and surprising Spanish Renaissance music, is wonderful. You’ve revitalized a part of our cultural heritage that had slid aside in this age of high amplification and digital downloads. Thank you.

“And revitalizing a part of our heritage is what I believe the reform movement is all about. I wasn’t sure about hearing the service reform bill and voted with the majority to table it in the last session of congress. In the past months, weeks, and even days, I’ve come to see that this is a problem that we all need to face, not just with the National Service, but in every aspect of our elected government. In the past two weeks, I’ve been in touch with my counterparts around the state and in neighboring states to talk about the reform movement. As a result of our conversations and deep concern about the condition of our national politics, I have joined the Reform Caucus and will state openly that I favor not only National Service reform, but sweeping reform of our legislative practices according to the platform published by the caucus. This includes campaign finance reform, legislative management reform, and congressional ethics reform.

“We have strayed. I confess, I let the business of government overshadow some of my own ethics and principles during the past six years of my tenancy. No more! Our constitution was created in order to form a more perfect union. We cannot assume the world has come to a standstill in the 235 years since the constitution was written. It was founded on a dream that we have let fade from our minds and hearts. Today, I join Jacob and the Reform Caucus in boldly stating, we will recover the dream.”

We encountered something in Kansas we hadn’t seen since Atlanta. People were parading in front of the Lied Center on the University campus in Lawrence carrying signs. It wasn’t a protest, though. These signs were in support and were carried right into the auditorium for the performance. They read ‘Vote Reform’ and ‘Support the Reform Caucus.’ It was obvious our message had grown beyond what we started out with.

In St. Louis, Senator Hornby joined us onstage at Powell Symphony Hall.

“You have undoubtedly heard about the formation of the Reform Caucus among candidates for the United States Congress,” Senator Hornby said. “That caucus has not yet infiltrated the more reserved Senate. However, the principles expressed in the platform of the caucus must catch the eye of even the most staunchly conservative of us in the Senate. These are noble principles. They harken to the fundamental notion of a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. I have encouraged colleagues in the eight legislative districts of Missouri to carefully consider aligning themselves with the reform movement. Just as I am carefully considering it. This is a delicate time for the United States and we must walk carefully and deliberately.”

Well, he hadn’t exactly said he was joining the movement. I was beginning to see some of the slippery sides of politics. I speculated Senator Hornby would move to whatever the winning side of the reform movement was seated after the election.

When we boarded our bus for Louisville the next day, I saw two familiar faces standing beside the door. Tom and Jenny, Abigail Johnson’s Secret Service detail. The two visually scanned each of us as we got on the bus and I could tell they were mentally comparing us to the images they had memorized from a couple of months of following us around.

Sure enough, Abby was sitting at one of the tables where we studied and worked while riding, looking at Amanda.

“Are we having a meeting before we leave or are you riding with us?” I asked.

“I’m flying out of Cincinnati late tonight,” she answered. “Thought I might catch a ride with you as far as Louisville if it isn’t too much trouble.” I decided to be evil and tease the President’s daughter.

“I’m okay with that. We’ve all gotten pretty used to being naked in front of random people. Hope you don’t mind.” I started to pull off my shirt and saw Abby go pale.

“Jacob, play nice,” Rachel said. She grabbed me around the waist and kissed me. I was ready to play, all right. We’d made love after the show last night with Cindy and I could have just stayed in the motorhome with them for the trip to Louisville.

“Okay. But we could just go to the back sofa. She wouldn’t see anything,” I whined.

“Honestly! Abby, aside from some verbal abuse, we don’t normally try to make our friends uncomfortable. We’ll try to keep our clothes on,” Rachel said. “Unless you decide to strip with us.”

“Um ... No thank you.” She hunched her shoulders and became intensely interested in Amanda who had chosen that moment to move herself to the middle of the table. “I’m going to have words with mother,” she muttered. I slid into the seat opposite her and fondly reached out to pat Amanda.

“Like our little friend?” I asked. “Amanda, what are the road conditions, traffic, and estimated time to Louisville today?” I asked.

“Road conditions are smooth, Jacob. There is moderate traffic projected around Evansville and as we approach Louisville. Without unforeseen difficulties, travel time is estimated at five hours, including a rest area break. ETA at the Louisville base is two o’clock.”

“Wasn’t there a good restaurant near Evansville we liked when we were there last?”