Olvusulthia, Revised

[jaosals42]

Minor language warning:

 

Here's the original version of the same portion of the book: http://thenexusforum...showtopic=96752

 

And here's the current:

 

 

 

It all began by a shallow, ocean-blue pond among a few creaky old pines and oaks. Sitting by watching the soft water flow alongside in a creek, and listening to the birds singing, frogs chirping, and several bees buzzing was a woman lying on a blue and yellow blanket. She was a short woman, beautiful with thick, long, curly black hair, wooden-brown eyes, wearing a long dress the same deep blue as the water in the pond next to her. A picnic basket filled to the top now with only empty plastic sandwich bags and wrappers lied beside off to the left. She gazed out toward the remaining half of the sun setting off to the west and surrounded by a sky filled with countless shades of blazing pinks, reds, oranges, and indigos. Here, was one of the last similarly pleasant scenes the world would remember in the next three decades.

 

The woman’s name was Lina Mercedes, a native resident to Quito, Ecuador, and married for seven years to Francisco Mercedes, who also was a native to this same city. She, Lina, worked over at a nearby hospital as a nurse, an occupation that she as a young child always wanted to have, being the good-hearted person she was, and willing to help other people in need. Francisco Mercedes, on the other hand, currently worked as an executive at a public local bank; one that had been rebuilt two years earlier after the previous building that hosted it had been destroyed when a public bus rigged with explosives crashed into the building. The resulting aftermath of the building’s collapse led to one of the largest bombings in the country of the century so far, discussed hotly even today.

 

Today, in 2049, the world had achieved virtually no technological progress since the early part of the century, despite common conditioned belief that the world truly was moving forward. This matter was due to many problems: Political strife among various factions and nations, devastated economies, constantly fluctuating weather patterns, and ever-increasing poverty. Progress, if any at all, was slow and almost impractical – people were constantly bombarded with the newest gadgets of the world, while growing ever-more blind to the events happening around them.

 

“Why can’t we humans ever use any common sense and get along for a change?” she had often asked Ana and Mary, her two closest friends.

 

“Don’t ask me!” was the only response she ever got.

 

Lying down comfortably on the blanket, Lina’s head began to fill up with various thoughts. She remembered many things she heard from others and read in the newspapers about the abnormal phenomena occurring currently particularly in and around the United States. While it was true peoples’ speech and the newspapers were filled with almost unimaginable levels of bias, it was surely true that things out of the ordinary were going on throughout the North American continent. Throughout the United States, temperature and climate changes were widespread, even more so than in other parts of the world. Natural disasters, such as an increased amount of earthquakes on average along the West Coast, a spurt of cyclonal activity in the Caribbean, and increased super cell activity in the Great Plains were becoming part of everyday life and news. Throughout Canada, blistering cold winters, often remaining a good deal below -10 Fahrenheit and disease outbreaks frequently became critical situations, requiring foreign support blocked by isolationist policies. In Mexico, a growth in the uneven distribution of wealth in the country and growing social issues often led to strikes and riots requiring intervention by the military, rather than simply the every-day police officers.

 

One particular city seemed to be relatively unaffected. Nashville, in the United States, was a region of seeming growth and prosperity. The city itself and immediately surrounding regions saw a continuously warmer and warmer, wet winters, followed by drier summers. Throughout town, the city boomed with new high-rises dotting the skyline and foreign plants making their home in the clay soil. U.S. military and governmental presence in the region was minimal – one of many in the region, a particular nearby military base towards the city of Clarksville along the border with Kentucky, Fort Campton, was closed due to fears kept hidden to the public.

 

Many people often blamed the city’s, and continent’s unnatural phenomena to be caused on behalf of Olvusulthia, at the time, the Earth’s only underground nation. Not much information of it was released of it publicly, and North American leaders usually twisted most of what was released to the world as “Unbiased and uncensored” information. However, a growing common belief was that there was a place of joy and freedom unseen for decades by the world hiding beneath miles of clay and rock. A paradise, where a rebirth of hope for the future would brew. While it was supposedly just superstition, this belief was now accepted by countless millions in the world, desperate for change and hope.

 

Ten years ago, Olvusulthia, the only underground colony in the world up to date, won independence through war from the United States-Canada-Mexico coalition, known as NAFTA – once “North American Free Trade Agreement”, now “North American Freedom and Trust Alliance”. The war, started in 2034, lasted 5 long years of fighting, decimating both sides in the conflict, according to the newspapers. Although the name, “Olvusulthia” was of unknown origin, it was the commonly accepted name by everyone for the country, the people, and their language. Their leader, a one “Pordenta Jreksiveri’i” never appeared in person on the papers or on television, but rumor was he was a man who was more than he seemed to be. A threat to the “stability in the world and to democracy everywhere”, though this was shot down by public words, saying that he, Pordenta Jreksiveri’i, was leading the Revolution for global change. A verbal war between the public and media continued to this very day on differing opinion of whose side the Olvusulthians really were on.

 

The country, or “City on an Island” as one might say, was believed to be a megalopolis of prosperity, great weather, huge skyscrapers that rivaled the magnificence ones in the U.A.E and much of Europe and Japan. An artificial sun provided light and life to a place where naturally, there was meant to be none. People of all cultures and races lived together in equal harmony and treatment toward one another, their government, and nature. Technology and nature thrived and exceeded that of the main world, surpassing all other nations in technology by no less than a century. It was the dream that the Human Race, has been, since the dawn of civilization, trying to finally achieve. And now with the birth of Olvusulthia, it had finally become reality…

[species5478]

If you'd like an honest opinion, then I'd be more than willing give one. I think it's well written, and sets the stage but for what, I don't know. A few characters spoke, but it might have been better to leave their dialogue out until you finished describing the background to this tale. If you plan on writing more, I would love to get to know the characters. Who's Lina, Ana, and Mary? What purpose do they serve? Is the story about them, or are they just side characters? I'd love to read more.

[jaosals42]

If you'd like an honest opinion, then I'd be more than willing give one. I think it's well written, and sets the stage but for what, I don't know. A few characters spoke, but it might have been better to leave their dialogue out until you finished describing the background to this tale. If you plan on writing more, I would love to get to know the characters. Who's Lina, Ana, and Mary? What purpose do they serve? Is the story about them, or are they just side characters? I'd love to read more.

 

They are only few of several important characters. I have around 20 or more characters, all with the point of showing different views of the situations that will unfold in the future. While I plan to focus later on on a select few characters, the others will still have their share of input in the story. Everyone will have some purpose or other in it.

 

I am currently on my way to finishing the revision of the first, and longest chapter of this book. Some more will be posted later

[jaosals42]

Some more revision on the same chapter, immediately following the previous content:

 

“Oye, Lina!” called her husband. “Ven!”

 

Lina became startled, feeling disoriented by leaving her world of thought as suddenly as she did.

 

“What was that, Francisco?” she shook her head in disorientation. “Oh, are we going?”

 

Well of course, Lina,” Francisco promptly replied, swiping up the picnic basket. “Look at the time – it’s six on the nose! I’ve got to get ready for my meeting at eight over at the bank. Wish to join me? We can have a night out-on-the-town afterwards. Any place you’d like.”

 

He was about six foot, one inch tall, about ten inches taller than Lina was. His thin black hair grew one inch straight out of his scalp. He was wearing his favorite white T-shirt with the name “Ecuador” printed on the back in blue letters along with a pair of blue jeans and white tennis shoes. He, like her, was brown eyed and of a moderate skin-tone.

 

“No thanks,” she replied quickly, looking off toward the sunset and back toward Francisco. “Rather, I think I’ll prepare dinner tonight for when Mamá returns home tomorrow. Didn’t you remember she was coming home at the end of the month?

 

“That’s right, she was!” Francisco slapped himself on the forehead. “I completely forgot! And you’ll need the sleep when you head in back for work tomorrow afternoon… I’m such a forgetful idiot, Lina.”

 

“Don’t be silly, Francisco! Of course you’re not! …Let me just take the picnic blanket and then we’ll be on our way.”

 

“Of course, Lina. Let’s go, then.”

 

Lina picked up and rolled the blanket quietly, while Francisco went and tossed out the trash remaining in the picnic basket in a trash container nearby a set of drinking fountains. Francisco, as he and Lina began heading back for the car, decided to ask Lina a question.

 

“Lina,” he began, clearing his throat after calling her name. “While you were lying there on the blanket, what were you thinking about exactly? You seemed very involved in your thoughts…

 

A sports car across from them on the avenue collided lightly with a white family-van while attempting to park alongside the curb. Upon colliding, a siren in the van went off and filled the air with a loud, wailing sound that could be heard the park over. This small ordeal reminded Lina of an event that had happened not as long ago as Lina wished it had…

 

Several years earlier, just as the war in North America broke out, Lina, her mother, Yolanda Peña, then her father and her brother were driving along a mountain road to Cuenca in southern Ecuador, going to visit a few relatives. But, when the car was about halfway through the trip, it reached a sudden turn while moving at too fast of a speed. The car drove into the guard rail and broke through, plunging fifty feet toward a road lower below and blocking it for whatever traffic there may have been. It took two hours for any other car to show up and notice they needed help. In shock, the driver of the second car immediately called emergency, which took another twenty minutes for them to arrive. Upon arrival, two ambulances showed up, one taking her father and the other taking Lina and the rest of her family minus her father. Having been knocked out at the time of the event, Lina remembered nothing for weeks due to the concussion. Several months passed with Lina, her brother and mother finally regaining energy and memory, while also improving in health. However, her father received more critical injuries and began to worsen as the months passed.

 

He was later buried back at a cemetery near the apartment where Lina and Francisco now resided. Lina ended up marrying the driver, who ended up being Francisco.

 

A gray moth landed on Lina’s cheek and she returned to reality. A simple swat of the hand convinced the moth to fly away while Lina turned her attention back to Francisco.

 

“No, actually I was actually just thinking about that one city… Um… I just forgot the name though…”

 

“Olvusulthia?” Francisco’s eyebrows rose.

 

“Yes, them. I was really just wondering – what do you think of the weather in North America? Do you think the Olvusulthians are causing it? Do you think that maybe it is just because of global warming? Or do you think that it might be because of experiments that NAFTA may be conducting themselves?

 

Francisco hesitated from responding for a moment, almost biting his lip before coming up with, “Well, ever since they lost the war, and particularly since the combination of Nale’s, Davison’s, and Flores’ elections last year, the pact has been in particularly poor shape, including the problems as a result of their extreme debt… but at the same time…

 

Francisco pecked Lina as they entered the car. They fastened the seat-belts and roared up the car, heading for the city center.

 

“… Well, you and I know too, that the Olvusulthian people are very secretive. I really don’t think much of what the media says is true, but also, I don’t believe much of common rumor either. We haven’t witnessed anything ourselves going on in there, and then there are the disappearances, believed to be taken to Olvusulthia, but too few are willing to do anything against these “kidnappings”. Hell, Lina, it is even believed there are aliens living down there. But even that may be untrue. There may not even be a single living thing down there anymore, or it could be a huge series of claustrophobic hallways under the earth, gloomy and dark, and inaccessible by the sunlight… We don’t know really what Olvusulthia truly is…

 

Lina looked intrigued, but doubtful about what Francisco had said.

 

“True, possibly. But like you said, we don’t know what it’s like. Maybe it really is a paradise…”

 

“Why the question?”

 

Lina looked off to the street for a moment then back. “Oh, the girls at work were discussing last week after reading it in the paper.”

 

Immediately, Lina’s cell phone rang

 

“I’ll get it – one second!” she exclaimed, reaching beside the car-seat for her purse. “It must be my mom…

 

“Ah! Look who it is Francisco.”

 

She showed him the phone. (02) 234-3573 was read on the screen.

 

“Who’s that?” he asked.

 

Lina looked at him, surprised. “Don’t you remember?”

 

Francisco shook his head. “Lo siento Lina, but I don’t. Mind telling me who it was again?”

 

“It’s Mary and Ana, of course!” Lina replied smiling lightly. “Who else would it be… other than them?”

 

She then answered the phone. “Hello?”

[species5478]

Now we're getting somewhere. I hope you decide to continue this piece. The more literature the better.

[jaosals42]

It's been a while, but I've got a good bit of updating to do now.

 

 

 

"Hey Lina!" one voice cheerfully answered the phone, a split second after Lina's greeting. "What's up?"

 

Mary Vinatelli on the other line was not only one of Lina's best friends, but was also a co-worker of hers back at the hospital where she worked. Mary was tall, had long blonde hair, a set of crystal-colored eyes, and a round face, though nice as she might have looked, she often carried a cold expression unnoticeable by anyone who didn't know her well. She normally wore a long and bright red dress outdoors, no matter the setting – it was even worn on simple and casual outings such as going to the supermarket. It was one way Lina could always notice Mary in a crowd of a million – the bright, red, long dress. Despite these fancy and sometimes ostentatious dressing habits, Mary undoubtedly though, was one of the most intelligent, organized people that Lina had ever met in her life.

 

"Nothing, Mary," Lina replied, looking off to the right out the window and at a policeman ticketing a driver. "I'm just heading back to the apartment with Francisco, so he can prepare for a meeting over at the back, while I prepare a great feast tomorrow. My mom is coming back from her year-long trip to London then. Though, Steve is going joining us tomorrow at the dinner."

 

"Steve? Ugh…!" Mary said.

 

Realizing the rude comment though, she altered gears and toned down the conversation. "Sorry, about that outburst," Mary apologized. "Sounds nice, though. Could I join you guys? I'm bored. Cesare's gone on a safari over in the Egyptian Sahara. Met the right people and is now headed for a few weeks on the expedition with that Delaguerra guy. Left at four in the morning. Heard Delaguerra was leading the expedition."

 

"Delaguerra?" Lina was struck. "Julio Delaguerra? The Spaniard? No!! Ohhhh, Mary!"

 

Francisco made a face and snorted. How dare they talk like that, especially with him around?

 

"Good lord, Mary! What an honor! Julio Delaguerra! I wish I were not married so… you know…"

 

Francisco elbowed Lina, his face becoming red.

 

"He'd be mine own first provided I wasn't under the same condition!" Mary retorted. "Anyway, back to the main subject: Of course, Cesare, like always… well… he took his favorite beige suit – you know: that one with all the pockets where he put all sorts of tools and knives and stuff like that. Oh, and his beige cap covered with all those stars. He's gone, now. Safari's taking place somewhere south of Cairo. They've been talking about sightings over there, and the expedition is going to verify the findings. They think it may be stuff connected to that belief… The one they all talk about with godly powers and associations… Just some more hocus pocus rubbish. Brings in good money though, so I don't really much care in the end.

 

"So, in other words, he's gone for a while. I'm stuck in the house with really nothing to do… Dull. Dull. Dull. That's why I was wondering if I could visit."

 

"Well, maybe. That is if I can gather up enough food to feed the whole of you… food for six or possibly even more people might be more food than I could afford to make with the time I have…"

 

"Ah well…" Mary sighed. "Maybe another time then? Hey, Lina – Ana would like to speak with you as well. Could I hand her over to you?"

 

"Sure. Love you, chiquita! Bye!"

 

"Love you too!" Mary replied, handing over the phone to Ana.

 

Ana Saline was virtually Mary's opposite, despite being close cousins. Ana was shorter, dark-haired, thin faced, and always wore a friendly expression. It was near impossible to have a bad time around her – her friendliness and warm speech always lifted the mood in the surroundings about her. Unfortunately, she was often disorganized in both behavior and though, forgetting things constantly and making a mistake here and there, despite wanting the best for those around her.

 

"Hi, Lina!" Ana exclaimed. "How are you doing tonight?"

 

"Fine, Anita," Lina replied. "Just getting ready for dinner tomorrow. Mamá is coming back from the trip to London tomorrow. She's been gone a good deal of time, you know."

 

"Oh, that's right, Lina," Ana remarked. "You did tell me she was going to be back soon. Sorry I forgot, just that I've been quite distracted recently."

 

"It's no problem, Ana."

 

"You think it's possible that me and Mary could join you though?" Ana wondered. "I haven't been to a get-together in ages… And I'd love to see your mother again."

 

"Well, thing is, I don't know if I'll have enough food for the whole of you guys. But I will certainly invite you guys in the morning if I realize that I do have enough while I'm cooking the stuff."

 

"Well, okay then Lina," Ana replied, smiling lightly behind the phone. "It's good to hear your Mamá is finally coming back. Hope your dinner goes well, and don't forget to invite us if you do have enough food!"

 

Lina laughed. "Of course I won't, Ana! I'll see you later, hermana."

 

"Au revoir, girl!" Ana replied, ending the call.

 

Ana handed back Mary's phone and scratched her head.

 

"So it doesn't look like we're going to be able to join Lina when her mom returns then…"

 

"Well, I wouldn't feel too sorry for myself if I were you," Mary remarked. "Steve is going to be with them as well."

 

"Oh… Steve…" Ana froze. "Maybe you're right – I can hardly believe that even Lina herself hasn't already 'killed' him."

 

"He's just a lot of hot air, though. All bark and no bite…"

 

Ana nodded, idly opening a jar and pulling a peppermint candy out of it, chewing on it while she and Mary stood there looking at the dog, George Walker.

[Maharg67]

Very good.

 

I suggest a flowing combination of dialogue and description/narrative. It is a difficult balance to attain but is well worth trying to get it right.

[jaosals42]

Very good.

 

I suggest a flowing combination of dialogue and description/narrative. It is a difficult balance to attain but is well worth trying to get it right.

 

Thanks for the compliment and the input, though I personally like characters presenting themselves through dialogue and actions. Sometimes, like with more important characters, I'll narrate an extra level of detail for them. Though I'll take into account what you said if I end up changing character roles a bit. :)

 

Some more I worked on recently:

 

 

 

 

"It's getting to be late," Mary started. "I'm going to give our baby some nom-noms. Ana, could you check the mailbox? I haven't had the time to go down there all day with so many things to do now that 'Día de los Muertos' is coming up."

 

"Sure, Mary!" Ana replied, getting a jacket and heading out into the twilight.

 

The door of the two story townhome opened silently into a small, two-lane street. Down a pair of left turns across the streets followed by a right turn at the end took her to the neighborhood mailboxes. Using the gray key Mary had given her, she opened the mailbox for the respective address of the home where Mary lived… Well, it didn't go so well the first try…

 

"Open up you stupid mailbox!" Ana exclaimed, trying to force the key in again and again. Eventually, the lock budged and she finally could get inside to get the mail. However, when she pulled it out, the name on the envelope was addressed to a Mr. and Mrs. (or Señor y Señora in this instance) García…

 

"Merde!" Ana swore, stuffing the envelope back into the mailbox and rapidly shutting the door. She looked around her, making sure no one had seen her get into the wrong mailbox on account of the possibility that someone might think she was stealing other peoples' mail.

 

"What box was it again…?" she whispered gruffly under her breath, turning to the adjacent box. The key didn't work there either – in fact even less so… She had to fight to get the key out of that lock. She tried the one underneath, with no avail. She had to try about four more times till she realized the box for Mary's household was the one directly above the box she had first tried to unlock.

 

Why couldn't I have remembered that was the box I wanted to open? Ana chuckled to herself.

 

She took the mail inside, looking at it briefly for the correct name then checking again that no one had seen her trying to access the other boxes, and headed back in the direction of the townhome, down the thin streets and entered the house a few minutes later. One thing she didn't notice was the strange blue letter in the middle of the stack of mail that Ana had taken…

 

 

 

Lina watched the trees lining the avenues of the city and soon turned her attention from the trees to the twilight in the west. It always amazed her how such a simple thing as sunset could be so beautiful.

 

"Lina," said her husband softly, face still looking straight at the roads. "What's the deal with your friends? What were you guys talking about that had to deal with that one 'Delaguerra' guy? Just wondering…"

 

"Oh, nothing," Lina replied, turning to him briefly and then looking back at the sunset when noticing his attention being diverted to the road. "Just… Mary and Ana wanted to join with us tomorrow when Mamá arrives from back from London. I told them to wait and see how things went before telling them anything definite. Cesare, Mary's husband, went on a safari for a bit with the 'Delaguerra' guy. That's why I brought his name up."

 

"Cesare?" Francisco interrupted. "How's he been?"

 

"I don't know," Lina replied. "He wasn't home – Mary told me he left this morning at four. Didn't ask Mary how he was either…"

 

Francisco sighed. "Well, we can only hope the best, eh Lina? What about their kids?"

 

"I'm guessing they're still with their grandparents. I actually forgot they were even living with them…" Lina scratched her head. "Cesare and Mary have… money problems, you know…"

 

"Well, thanks anyway for telling me," Francisco turned back to the road. "I'm sure everything'll be fine with all of them."

 

The sun disappeared completely behind the mountains shortly before the end of the trip. All that remained of it were peaks of light on the horizon to the west. The remaining color in the sky was rapidly vanishing upon reaching the apartment block's parking lot.

 

When they arrived at the apartment door itself, Lina checked the time again. It was a few minutes till seven that evening.

 

"Look at the hour!" gasped Francisco when Lina showed him the phone. "I haven't time to prepare something to eat during the meeting, and barely enough to even dress!"

 

"Don't worry about it, my love," Lina said. "I'll prepare something for you while you're at it,"

 

"Thanks, Lina." Francisco pecked her on the cheek and turned for their bedroom to get dressed for the meeting.

[jaosals42]

Some more I worked on recently...

 

 

The house was an apartment, probably less than a decade old at the most, yet the interior style of the apartment was a fairly dated one in appearance. The whole apartment had a rustic smell to it as many of the walls were made of wood, with etches of wear lines evident in the wood itself in design. Most of the furniture in the house too, was no different, minus the wear lines. The floor for the kitchen was made of stone, while that of the living area was wooden.

 

There was no doorway, but rather a stone archway that led from the foyer to the kitchen and likewise for the living area. Directly across from the main door and down a small hallway was the one and only bedroom in the house. The kitchen and dining area made up the left third of the house, kitchen up front, and dining area toward the back, flanking a set of a few windows overlooking a portion of the city with a nice view of Quito's downtown core. Tucked toward the back of the kitchen and dining area was a small half-bathroom with.

 

The living area made up the right third of the apartment, with a small sitting area in the front half of the living area, and the television and other electronics making up the other half. The Mercedes' modern electronics, plasma television, surround-sound mini-stereo system, and lava lamps bordering the television contrasted greatly with the rustic appearance of the house.

 

The bedroom third was more modern in appearance. The bedroom was spacious: in one corner of the room lied a computer on a glass desk, and the other corner contain yet another stereo set, and one of the dressers. Right in the center of the room was the bed itself, king-sized, and stuffed with feathers that seemed to sink with the body and just let it sink right in like a foot into a sock. The bathroom, on the right end of the bedroom third, was made of glass walls, and the toilet and sink of nearly spotless porcelain, appearing almost to have never been used. The cedar cabinets were filled with various medications, creams, deodorants, and other bathroom etiquette, the remainder which was mostly Lina's makeup and cotton swabs. Across from the cabinets was a tall chrome shower, glistening brightly when light shone on it, bathroom light or sunlight from the window beside it.

 

 

 

Now to get his food and then start on the dinner for tomorrow, Lina said in her mind.

 

She searched through several rustic, wooden cabinets in the kitchen left of the main entrance but saw nothing that caught her attention.

 

"Hmmm…"

 

There was another short pause and then Lina's eyebrows rose.

 

"There you are!" exclaimed Lina, opening the cupboard over the microwave oven. "Don't bother hiding again, fruit – I'll always find you!" she laughed softly as she pulled out an orange and a plum, then reaching into the refrigerator to pull out a bottle of water. She then put the three items in a paper bag she recovered from the picnic basket. Making sure that bag was clean, she then dumped the remainder of the trash in the basket away. About ten minutes later, while Lina was in the living area watching television, the telephone in the kitchen rang and she ran over to answer it.

 

"Hello?" Lina greeted.

 

"Hello, my dear! How are you?"

 

Lina recognized her mother's gentle voice over the phone.

 

"Mamá!" Lina exclaimed, smiling and clenching the phone in delight. "How are you? I thought you would have been sleeping right about now. Did Steve wake you up?"

 

"Steve's in another hotel room down the hall from me, darling," her mother replied with the same warmth that Lina spoke with. "Well, I would be sleeping if there wasn't the need to be packing right now.

 

"By the way, did you know that Steve got married here to Alma last month? You know – that lady he talked about often before we left on the trip? They've been talking to each other online for more than five years and met each other in person shortly after we arrived here. She'll join us on our trip."

 

"Really?" Lina's eyes rose. "Wow… A lot can truly happen in only a year…You're packing because plane leaves soon, doesn't it?"

 

"At two this morning. We've only got a bit under two hours before the flight departs. I'm almost done packing away my items. We'll be tired, but the trip ought to be long enough for us to regain our rest."

 

"So, mom, how is Tía Marta?"

 

"She's doing better now, ever since she moved from Edinburgh, south to work at a new job in Bristol. She'll probably be working there for about five more years till retirement – and more good news is her doctor has said that her sugar and cholesterol levels have gone down.

 

"How about you?" her mother asked, changing gears. "How have you been?"

 

"Uh, fine," Lina replied subconsciously. "I'm… no I'll let it be a surprise for tomorrow…" Lina replied then remembering the dinner she planned to host the next night. "Right now though, Francisco has a meeting at the bank in about thirty minutes."

 

"Oh, and how is he doing?"

 

"Good enough. While Francisco's wages have been cut a few times, we've been able to at least keep our apartment. And the hospital work isn't getting any better either, but hey, like I said – the apartment is still receiving its payments."

 

"Well Lina, sorry about it, really," her mother continued. "And while I would truly love to stay and talk with you, I have to go now. Steve and Alma will probably be knocking on the door soon asking if I'm ready to go. Lina, my beautiful daughter, I hope Francisco does well at the meeting, and I know I'll be seeing you both tomorrow."

 

"I know so too. Love you, and bye Mamá."

 

"Bye, Lina – Love you, too."

 

Lina's mom ended the call on the hotel phone, then immediately went to search through the mail they received from the hotel. Nothing interesting other than mostly junk mail.

 

That was when she stumbled across some strange letter. Whatever it was, she had never before seen a piece of mail like that one before.

 

"What's this?" she asked herself, picking it up.

 

It was a letter, addressed to Yolanda, Steve, and Alma Pena and made of blue-colored paper.

 

"I don't think I'll open this up until the three of us are done packing," Lina's mother said to herself, stuffing it in one of the pockets of her green coat.

 

 

 

Lina hung up the phone as Francisco left the bedroom, now dressed in a black business suit and complete with a bowtie and a leather briefcase.

 

"Lina," he asked, approaching the front door. "Do you have my snack ready?"

 

"Of course – here you go," She happily handed him the paper bag and pecked him on the cheek.

 

"Thanks, Lina," he responded, pecking her back then headed out through the door and began to walk down the stairs. "See you later."

 

"Take care, Francisco." Lina called down the stairs.

 

"You too," he called back.

 

Francisco quickly stopped right before reaching the staircase down. "Oh, by the way, Lina."

 

"Yes, Francisco?"

 

"Be sure the windows are closed. It's supposed to rain a bit later. Just saying as we sometimes leave it open when we try to let the wind in."

 

"I'll be sure they are closed."

 

Lina closed the door to the apartment, and immediately closed a window she had left open in the living area behind the main couch. Then, she turned back on the television, raising the volume up high so she could hear it in the kitchen as she pulled a chicken out of the freezer, two bags of rice and four bags of lentils from the cabinet, and five plantains from a bowl on the corner of the counter.

[jaosals42]

“It was empty today, like usual,” said Jonathan Thompson, an employee at a local coffee shop, entering the crowded four-room apartment and closing the door behind him with his head hung low. “No customers other than maybe about a dozen in five hours… Then again, who wants to visit San Francisco these days? Tell me, who?” he scratched his goatee. “We had that damn earthquake two years ago that split the peninsula… never cleaned up the mess properly… Then Davis’ damn assassination ten years earlier… What’s there to see here now other than filthy streets and destroyed spirits?”

 

“If this business with the café continues,” said Brian worriedly, looking over a few envelopes, “we may be unable to pay our rent—one-thousand and five-hundred dollars a week…” He too, hung his head.

 

Their sister, Jamie, jumped in.

 

“One thing’s for certain: if President Nale and that so-called ‘modern democratic government’ don’t start making some changes around here, there’s going to be a lot of people wanting to get at their throats. Though, I never approved of the man or his administration to begin with.” She laughed grimly. “Watch the man get elected again – Somehow…”

 

“Only way he can get in office again is if he rigs the damn elections… again… Here, people like us barely make enough money to live month-to-month, and that Nale has everything he wants in that White House. Bet his congressmen are no worse off than he is. I hope none of them remain in office after the ‘elections’.”

 

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Jamie replied solemnly, looking at the bills in Brian’s hands. “They’ll probably all be in office until they all die, rigging every election, and likely getting others with same ideals to replace them. It’s been pretty much like this since we three were all little kids. You think it’s going to change sometime soon?”

 

Brian shrugged, letting the bills drop onto the table. Jonathan returned to the room having changed into casual clothes.

 

“I don’t know what’s worse,” Jamie continued. “Having a unified Congress and president, never arguing among each other, going corrupted on us, or…”

 

She shifted on the couch a tad, scooting to the left.

 

“…Or, having a president with at least half a brain, but a Congress filled with indecisive, ‘non-unified’ peoples who spend more time with their hands around each others throats and spending more time arguing than staying awake.”

 

Brian laughed, while Jonathan focused away.

 

“What’s that?” he asked loudly, looking off to the left.

 

“Huh?” Brian quit laughing. “What are you talking about?”

 

“That,” Jonathan pointed.

 

An envelope had been laid on the coffee table in front of a small television, illuminated by sunlight that entered through the window.

 

“Oh that,” Jamie responded. “I found it when checking out the mail today.”

 

“Why does it look like that?” Jonathan inquired.

 

“Ask that to the one who sent it our way. I just brought it in. Came that way.”

 

“Open it.”