The Fourteenth of September by Rita Dragonette

Author:Rita Dragonette
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: She Writes Press
Published: 2018-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

THE LAST PERSON JUDY WANTED TO DEAL WITH WAS David, but he sat beside her in the back of the bus and refused to talk to anyone. At first, she thought he must have done something and was afraid the cops would be checking the buses. She could now certainly relate to that. But he paid no attention to anyone getting on or off and hardly noticed when they finally pulled away. It was something else.

He was staring blankly at the floor in front of him, tightly gripping his folded arms, one leg bobbing as fast as it could go. Eventually he made a fist and started gently punching the back of the seat in front of him, slowly and deliberately, as he appeared to calm down.

Wil motioned for her to come up front and join them, throwing his hands up like it was obvious they had to talk.

Judy didn’t think she could leave David in his condition. She assumed he was upset about the march and tested it.

“David, everyone is saying that running the permit out was a great thing. It shows we overwhelmed the city.” He didn’t say anything, so she kept at it. “The story is it’s the biggest protest in US history.

“There were a million people here,” she went on. “All their systems shut down. We choked the city. There’s no way this won’t hit the airwaves all around the world.”

“No shit, really?” he said, finally.

“See, we were part of it just by being here.” She saw him relax. “Just like Michael said.”

David closed down again; for a moment, she thought he was going to cry.

“I’m a total dick,” he said. “I mean really. I don’t know why I’m here . . . why they sent me . . . why you have anything to do with me. You have no idea . . .”

“Just let it go,” Judy said. “We have to get together on this story . . .”

“Some things you can’t just let go, you have to—”

“No, you don’t. You really don’t have to,” she said. She wouldn’t be able to stand to hear Lori’s name.

“I swear you’re the only one who really understands, who knows.”

She turned away and looked out the bus window. It was getting dark, and she could see his reflection clearly as he waited for her to turn her head back toward him. He seemed surprised, as if he believed what he was saying.

“Yeah, I probably am,” she said.

Wizard, Wil, and Vida eventually came back to sit with them.

“We’ve got to figure out how we are going to tell the others about what happened,” Vida said.

“What didn’t happen, you mean,” Wizard said.

“That’s the tricky part,” Judy said. “They need to understand it was a victory, not a defeat.”

They talked on and off throughout the journey home, trying out various scenarios. Eventually, David warmed up and started to weigh in.

“Let me lead it, and the rest of you can jump in,” David said. “I think that’s what Michael expects. And it’s my responsibility,” he added.

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