-julia-
Carlotta and Rosalina finally leave. They stumbles to their cars and I paid the staff extra to drive the two of them home. Hopefully neither of them pukes in their expensive backseats. Perhaps they should and it will teach them a lesson.
They are too rich to care. They'll just buy a whole new car. And they're too bored to consider anything less fun.
I put a light blue dress that reaches my knees. It's fancy enough to pass for the meeting, but not fancy enough to gain any attention. I plan to sit beside my mother and do my best to make it seem like I care. I'll put on my best listening face and hope that nobody asks me any questions.
My mother shouts from downstairs that it's time to go.
I run down the stairs and meet her in our car. The chauffeur starts the car and begins to drive downtown. We pass by the sprawling estates of all the other Assembly members and other rich celebrities that can afford to live here.
We move into the city. Old buildings from the past, brick and steel, clash with the towering glass skyscrapers of today. The olden day skyscrapers were only twenty to fifty, maybe even a hundred levels tall, loud and boasting. Ours are slim and elegant, two hundred, three hundred, four hundred floors high. The tops actually scrape the sky and clouds float around the top. It's rather amusing how the people of the past thought they were ever so advanced in their cities.
The car stops in front of one of the tallest buildings in the city. The Assembly Association. If this were to ever tumble, several thousands were to lose their lives. But the steel inside is supposed to keep that from happening. It does little to keep my fear at rest.
My mom and I enter and people stop to smile or wave or nod. They all want to gain my mother's attention and favor. Everyone knows, though few will say, that my mother holds the most power in the Assembly. The power is supposed to be evenly distributed. But money makes that rather hard to happen.
My mother ignores them all and leads me to the elevator. I suddenly wish I'd spent a little more time on my hair or makeup. Do my shoes even match my dress? I should have had Rosalina help me. Did I actually think I could escape attention today when I'm at my mother's side?
We step into an empty elevator and the glass doors close behind us. I grip the bar behind me as it rockets up into the tower. Through the windows on all the sides of the elevator, I can see the ground disappear beneath. My knees weaken, but I keep the smile plastered to my face for my mother.
It stops only after it's reached the very top. The meeting room is the top floor. Such dignified meetings must be held in a dignified place.
My mother stops in front of the doors leading into the room. "Are you ready for this?"
"Of course."
"You may be able to help with the decision, you know."
"Only the Assembly is allowed to have discussions or make decisions. That's the..."
She laughs, "The rules? No one plays by those anymore, my dear. I thought you knew.
I nod and pretend to smile, as if I actually think that is it funny. My mother laughs some more to herself before opening the doors. The Assembly members stand as she enters, most of their eyes landing on me. I don't know how to act. Do I smile? Keep my face blank? What did I do with my hands before now?
My mother leads me to a chair that I assume is her normal spot. An Assembly member sits in the chair on her right hand side. She nods to him and he bursts to his feet. He scurries to a different side of the room and takes a seat at the far side of the long table.
My mother motions to the chair that man moved from, "You may sit."
I hesitate, "Is that okay? I can always stand or sit in a different--"
"Julia, sit."
I nod and plop into the chair. Does the man blame me? Surely he must be angry for losing his spot.
But there's no time to contemplate it much longer.
The doors swing open again and I watch my mother's enemy stride into the room. He's followed closely behind a set of guards. They aren't quite holding on to him, but they are ready to react in case he picks a fight. A man like him will surely go down with a little violence. His history certainly shows this much, as my mother likes to say.
Alan Tinsley nods to the Assembly and takes a seat at the end of the table, where the guilty sit. Most of the crime cases are taken care of by city judges. However, if there is a truly important case, the Assembly will judge. My mother stands and his head snaps into her direction. His eyes narrow for a second, but then he forces his face blank again.
My mother nods to him, "Alan Tinsley."
He returns the nod, "Marcia Quintana."
The tension in the room envelopes everyone. I wonder if my mother and Alan Tinsley can feel it or if they are both lost in their own worlds of hatred.
My mother says, "We have called you to this meeting because we are afraid that your parties are endangering our citizens."
His eyebrows raise a fraction of an inch. "Really? My parties are what is endangering our citizens?"
"What else would be?" My mother asks.
"Nothing. Nothing, of course."
"If you have an opinion on how to better our city, please, tell us. I know you must regret not being on the Assembly. I remember when you were but a child. We were children together, after all, I am only a few years your senior. We would play Assembly together. You were ecstatic whenever you got the chance to go into this office."
"It was a dream of mine, yes."
"It's really too bad your father ruined that for you."
His lips curl, "Yes, it really is too bad. In fact, I would like if we could talk about that decision. You see, I am not my father. As you said, I care about the way this government was run, I did when I was but a child.. I was wondering if perhaps you could reconsider--"
My mother laughs. "We have had this conversations many times, Alan. We are not allowing you to rejoin this Assembly. You were kicked out of it for a reason."
"It was my father you removed, not me."
"Like father like son."
He raises an eyebrow, "So then like mother like daughter, right? What is your daughter like? Does she reflect your personality? I believe that..."
My mother raises a hand and something ignites behind her eyes. "You will not bring my daughter into this. We are not here to talk about your desperation to be let back into the Assembly. We are here to talk about your lovely little parties. They have caused many disturbances. Drunkenness, especially in minors. Some displays of violence. Our city and country would be much safer without them."
Alan shrugs, careless. "I am not responsible for how much people drink. You know that if they didn't do it in my home, they could just as easily do it anywhere else. Just as I am not responsible for their violence. I am just trying to provide myself some entertainment and enjoyment, just as you do with your parties."
"Don't you dare compare my parties to yours. I do not encourage violence or overdrinking of any kind, especially not underage drinking. If I were to see a single minor drinking, I would be sure to put an end to it."
My cheeks turn red. At my mother's party just last night, both Carlotta and Rosalina were incredibly drunk. I'm sure my mother knew. It was impossible not to know with their loud laughter and chatter.
It's no matter. My mother is just trying to make a point. It's ridiculous for him to think he can compare himself to my mother.
Alan Tinsley tilts his heads, as if he could hear my thoughts, "That's funny that you say that. I have a few friends that attended your party last night. There was quite a bit of gossip about two friends of your daughters who were quite intoxicated. Shall we discuss that?"
My mother presses her lips together, "It is gossip and only that. I'm sure that we shouldn't put too much trust in what the people are saying."
He shrugs, "Why don't you ask your daughter? Surely she would know?"
My mother shakes her head, "No. We will not bring my daughter into this. That is against the rules."
He rolls his eyes, "I'm pretty sure that nothing about this meeting has followed the rules. How often is it that you call other criminals into this meeting space? Aren't these types of crimes meant for the county courtroom. It doesn't matter. I knew you wouldn't give me a fair, formal trial anyway."
"Nothing about this is unfair."
He laughs and stands, "I'm done here. What is punishment?"
"You stop the parties."
He glances at the rest of the Assembly, "Do none of you get a word in the decision? It seems like nobody else has talked since this meeting started. Does it bother you at all that you have no power at all."
A man pipes up in the back, "We discussed this before you came. She's simply our spokesperson."
Alan Tinsley laughs, "Oh, so that's why she is using to justify this. I'm sure that you discussed everything that she has said."
My mother slams her hand on the table, "You will stop talking and listen to what you are told."
"So now we are doing things the formal way since you have lost control? The way you are running these meetings are disappointing. I know from our pretend Assembly as kids that you could be such a better Assembly member. Although, it makes sense that all the power would go to your head."
"Stop. I command you or you will be fined."
"You realize that that is nothing to me? I know you took away all my money when my father was removed from the Assembly, but it has been almost good for me. I've learned how to provide for myself, not from collecting other people's taxes."
"Through illegal measures of course?"
He tilts his head to the side, "Gambling is not illegal, just frowned upon. I don't mind how I get my money as long as I got it."
"You are insufferable."
"Like father like son. Anyway, I would like to get my punishment so that I can get on with my life. I have many more interesting things that I could be doing at this time."
"You will stop that parties. That is your punishment."
"And if I don't?"
"You will receive jail time."
"How much?"
"From all your questions, I would assume that you are considering ignoring our ruling. That would be a very bad decision for you to make. Do you understand this?"
He nods, "Oh yes, I know how much that would irritate you. That's exactly why I want to do it."
My mother slams her hand on the table, "Enough. You have too much disrespect. You are just like your father."
Something flashes across his face, but he quickly recovers. "I am not like my father."
"But you are. I can see it. That is why I think it would be good to deliver some punishment as more of a precautionary measure rather than a reactive measure."
He narrows his eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Two days in the city jail."
He seems to think this over for a second before shaking his head, "I'm sorry, I can't. Normally I wouldn't mind, except I have a daughter now. I can't just leave her alone for two days."
"Perhaps you should have thought of that before you disrespected the Assembly."
He glares at her, "I didn't realize that you were allowed to give someone two days in jail before they've committed any crime. And I don't think I've disrespected the Assembly, I've just annoyed you. After all, it's difficult to disrespect someone when they aren't allowed to talk."
My mother addresses the guards waiting in the doorway, "Take him to the city jail."
"Someone needs to tell my daughter."
My mother smiles, "I will inform her myself."
Alan shakes his head, "No. I want to inform her myself."
"Sorry. It doesn't always work out the way you want you do illegal things. I'll tell her. Consider your life choices while you are in jail, okay?"
The man is taken away. He refuses to let the guards touch him, snatching his arms away every time they try to grab on. He marches out of the room, cursing all the way.
My mother turns to me, the anger gone from her face, replaced by a serene smile. "Isn't justice beautiful?"