Of Hatred And History (3/4)

Of Hatred and History

(Three of Four)

It was years after that I again met her, she was already an elected official of the province where I was assigned. Truth to tell, she wanted me out of the province, and to have one of her long-time allies from the province to take my place. The media was all over that issue and I did not even know. A friend of mine from another department told me. So I went to see her. I asked her secretary if she could get me in, the kind lady went in to tell her (I could see because her office was all enclosed in glass) and apparently she said ok. But I was told to wait. So I waited. I could have finished one full-length movie during the wait. At last, I was called in.

I said a one-line greeting, and proceeded to ask her if what the people out there were saying was true, she said yes. I asked why, and she told me quite frankly that she wanted this man loyal to her to take over, because she has worked with him in the past, and it would be easier to get things done when people are familiar with each other, etc. So to that, I said, 'I am a good PARO (my title in the department).' She looked at me straight in the eye and said, 'I have no opinion of that.' To which I retorted, 'Then give me this chance to show you, so you would have one.' She stared at me for the longest time, stood up and said, 'I have to go to this meeting downstairs, walk with me.' We did, and while we were walking, she seemed to soften up. Without the specifics of it all, she let me stay on. It is not as if she had the authority to say so, but really, we all know that it matters a great deal what the political leaders in the area we work in, think about us. Suffice it to say that from that day on, I worked harder than my usual, and showed her. I think that it is not presumptuous of me to say that we became good friends. 

We still are, even if I no longer assigned in her province. She has kept my number, reached out when some concern about my work there cropped up, or exchange some sarcastic joke over texts in her free and unguarded moments.