A Sense of Wonder

“Fadilah,” she whispered in disbelief. “How did you manage this? The information on here is classified corporate shit.”

“Not necessarily,” replied Fadilah from her seat across the table. “It’s certainly sensitive information that they took great lengths to conceal, but it’s also information that had to be reported for tax purposes.”

“Then how didn’t anyone know?” asked Paulina, utterly baffled as to how such information could’ve been overlooked by the news outlets that were covering the campaign. “How wasn’t this reported on?”

“Because there’s a Presidential election this year,” answered Fadilah. “That takes precedence above all else. That’s why no one bothered to look into this. They simply glanced at this year’s tax returns and called it a day. The problem is that this,” she motioned to the filed that were stacked in front of her candidate, “was strategically hidden. That’s not to say it was illegally withheld. That’s not true. They reported the information, but they were clever about it. Their accountants managed to minimize it so as not to pique the IRS’s interest. That’s was why no investigation was mounted, why no one thought to look closer, but I . . . I have certain contacts, friends that work for the Department of State. They’re staff for American embassies throughout the world, and one of them told me that she had heard about Henderson being in Syria while she was stationed out there. Now keep in mind this was after the Syrian Civil War, so President Ashraf al-Hassad had already been implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity by the UN. Naturally I thought it was odd for Henderson to be traveling to Syria, while it is still very much a war zone. I looked into it, because I thought it was strange for him to be there, then I did some investigating and found out that despite Syria’s current turmoil, Henderson and Ayres operations have not been disturbed there. It’s business as usual for them.”

“But we’ve placed sanctions,” said Paulina. “How is it that they’re doing business there when it’s been forbidden? I’m sorry for my ignorance, but I just . . . I don’t understand.”

“It’s through a subsidiary company that they do business there.” Fadilah informed her. “And that company doesn’t import the oil to the United States. It sends it to a select few countries in the European Union, primarily Germany and Italy.”

“Those clever assholes!” exclaimed Paulina. “I know I shouldn’t say it, but they’re good. They found a way around the sanctions, they’re keeping their bonuses, and as horrible as what they’re doing is, it’s impressive.” She took off her reading glasses, placing them atop a file. “But I have a question, how are we going to connect this to Henderson? He could very easily argue that Syria was not part of his responsibilities, that this is on someone else, and – oh!” Her eyes widened at the mere thought. “Do you – that is to say, are there pictures?”

“Several.” Fadilah smiled smugly. “They’re in that envelope.”

Sure enough, there were numerous shots of Thomas Henderson with Ashraf al-Hassad. The Syrian President had welcomed Thomas in a truly grandiose manner and it had been captured by approved Syrian photographers. The images had been aired on Syrian television, as had the video footage, and in that envelope was proof of it. In that envelope was irrefutable evidence that Thomas Henderson had visited Syria in 2015 and had dined and done business with Ashraf as-Hassad.

“Fadilah!” exclaimed Paulina, triumphantly. “I could kiss you!”

“As long as you’re quick about it, wouldn’t want anyone coming in and snapping a picture mid shot.” Fadilah joked.

“Let them take their pictures!” she declared as she made her way over to Fadilah. She smiled as she hugged Fadilah from the side and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I honestly don’t know how I’m ever gonna repay you for this.”

“Win,” stated Fadilah as Paulina pulled away and went back to her seat. “Though I do have a request regarding the information.”

“What is it?” Paulina replied as she took her seat.

“Only use the material during the debate if he brings up your previous relationship.” She observed as Paulina’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Otherwise I think it best that we leak the information to the media. The pictures, the video footage, the files – it’ll all be released.”

“If this is what you want, consider it done.” Paulina replied. “But can I ask why?”

“Because such a harsh truth could potentially backfire and make you look bad,” replied Fadilah. “It doesn’t make sense, I know, but being a female politician is delicate work, every move has to be carefully calculated. If he brings up your previous relationship, then you can attack him with this and display your dominance, but if he doesn’t do that and you just tie into a question pertaining to Syria, then you’ll come out looking cruel and unfeeling. I . . . I’ve given a lot of thought to it. I just want to make sure that you come out on top.”

“If you think it’s for the best, then so be it.” Paulina extended her hand. “I give you my word.”

“Thank you,” said Fadilah as they shook on it. “Now let’s discuss relations and trade with China. There’s some new data that I really want to go over with you.”

Throughout the course of the next hour, they discussed various issues from all across the world. They covered the conflict in the Middle East, the threat of ISIS and the war that the United States and its allies were waging against them, they discussed the power of drug cartels in Latin America, and the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea. It was a productive hour that left Paulina feeling incredibly confident and when Fadilah left fifteen minutes before the debate was scheduled to begin, Paulina felt confident in her ability to answer whatever question was directed towards her.

The final fifteen minutes before the debate were spent as they always were. During that time, Paulina uttered her prayers and asked God and the Virgencita to bless her with eloquence and grace, she prayed to her beloved guardian angel Theodora to give her the courage to speak candidly. Once her prayers were finished, she put on music. Not just any music though, it was a specific song – El Aguante by Calle 13. It was a powerful song that spoke to the endurance of mankind. It inspired her, lit the fire within and while she listened to it, she prepared for battle because that’s what debates were. They were an arena upon which two fighters met to destroy one another. The fighters in question might smile politely and go to great lengths to appear cordial, but each side wanted blood, each side wanted to ruin the other and as Paulina waited in that makeshift dressing room, she kicked off her heels and proceeded to do warm ups to get the blood going. She prepared as she would for a wrestling match and by the time that Jeffrey knocked on the door to tell her that they had to get going, her heart rate was up and her cheeks were rosy.

Jeffrey knew not to come inside. She was to be left on her own until she chose to emerge. That was why he waited at the door while she slipped on her heels and inspected her appearance in the mirror. Everything had to be perfect, she had to project a certain image to the camera, and when she felt satisfied with her appearance, she locked eyes with herself in the mirror.

“Por lo que fue y por lo que pudo ser. Por lo que hay, por lo que puede faltar. Por lo que venga. (For what was and could’ve been. For what we have, what could be missing. For what’s to come.).”

Those were the customary words she told herself before each debate. They were lyrics from El Aguante, they filled her with strength and purpose, and when she stepped out of that room, she was ready. With her head held high she made her way towards the large lecture hall where the debate was to be held. Jeffrey didn’t speak during the walk, he knew she preferred to be left alone, this was her walk into the ring and like any wrestler or boxer.

Upon reaching the stage area, one of the debate staff members asked Paulina to walk to center stage when the moderator called her name. This was it. She was on her own, she was about to take her place. They had already gone through a rehearsal, everyone knew what was expected of them, and Thomas Henderson was at the other side of the stage, waiting for his turn. He looked every bit the part of the handsome politician. He was a tall, fit man with dark hair and blue eyes and he had a smile that captured the hearts of his supporters. He might have been down by six points, but he was still very much a threat and when he and Paulina locked eyes, there was a moment in which a slight smirk overcame him. To that, she cocked her brow, as if mocking him for being so pleased when he was down by so many points. That was enough to make the smirk vanish. Instead, he turned to speak with his advisor.

“You can take your seat now, Jeffrey.” Paulina told him.

“Are you sure, Ma’am?” he asked. “Is there nothing I can do for you?”

“You’ve done more than enough, believe me.” She turned and smiled. “Now go try to relax. I’ve got it from here.”

Jeffrey didn’t even get to wish her luck, because the moment she finished talking, one of the staff members working the debate ushered her onstage for the coin toss. It was a fairly simple thing, she and Thomas went on stage, briefly shook hands and then calls heads or tails to decide who would answer the first question. Thomas ended up winning the coin toss and it was fine. Paulina preferred to go second because that way she was able to get a feel for the night, she was able to see what tone Thomas would be using.

With the coin toss out of the way, each candidate returned to their respective side. The debate would be starting any minute now, they could hear the moderator reminding the audience to remain silent, they could hear the production assistants and camera crew talking amongst themselves. Soon enough the final debate would be underway. Soon enough it would be over.

Paulina stood there in silence, mentally going over the information that she had covered with Fadilah. She felt confident in her abilities, prepared to answer any question directed towards her by the moderator or Henderson. She was eager to get the night underway and when the moderator began to talk, she pushed her shoulders back, fixed her smile and waited for her turn to walk onstage.

“Good evening from Moore Hall at the University of California, Los Angeles. I’m James Baxter of the PBS NewsHour and I welcome you to the final debate of the 2014 Special Election for the United States Senate. This one’s foreign policy centered. The questions are mine and I have not disclosed them to the candidates or their aides. The audience has taken a vow of silence – no applause, no reaction of any kind, except right now when we welcome Thomas Henderson and Paulina Balcázar.”

At their names, the crowd roared. They leapt to their feet and enthusiastically applauded their candidate. They called out their name, professed their love, and clapped as if they were at a concert or a sports game instead of a political debate. And in that moment, Paulina and Thomas were very much the same. They smiled and waved to their supporters, they shouted their thanks and endeavored to make eye contact with as many of them as possible, because they both knew how important it was to be loved, how important it was to connect. That was why they spent several minutes engaging the audience, it wasn’t until James interrupted that they take their places behind the podium, and when it did, the debate was underway.

The first segment pertained to China and the challenges that its rise to power posed for America, the second segment centered on conflict in the Middle East and the rise of ISIS, and the final segment focused on the importance of diplomatic relations. As was anticipated, Paulina took the lead in the segments. She was well versed in trade with China and their rise to power, not only from the American viewpoint, but from the Chinese. In regards to the Middle East, she had high ranking contacts in the Pentagon that assisted her with forming her opinion in regards to the region, and as for diplomatic relations, she was an adamant supporter of them. She genuinely believed that with capable and experienced diplomats, good relations could be held with the rest of the world and war could be avoided wherever the option arose, but she wasn’t able to give her statement in regards to that, because Thomas had the right to speak first and knowing that he had to ruin her credibility, he came out swinging.

“I fully believe that having strong diplomatic relations is of the upmost importance for our country.” Thomas began. “We no longer live in a world where each country can keep to itself and expect to have a thriving economy, that’s just not realistic. We have merchandise that is manufactured in Asia by American owned companies and more than that, the internet has given us the ability to be in contact with individuals from foreign countries, so yes, I believe that diplomatic relations are a blessing to us, they have to be protected and treated with the upmost respect. That said, I believe that the diplomats and politicians that are called to engage in this arena, truly have the United States best interest at heart.” He took in a deep breath, preparing to deliver the blow that he and his advisors believed would be devastating. “And I have to admit that I have reservations regarding my opponent’s ability in that regard. What if the United States were to ever be at odds with the United Kingdom? That is, of course, not the case at present, though there is always the possibility that such a scenario might take place in the future. If that were to happen, I do not believe Miss. Balcázar would be capable of representing the United States.”

“Is that so?” she asked, unable to remain silent. Her face did not betray her emotions, but within her, her blood boiled.

“It is.” He confirmed. “You were in a long term relationship with Prince Harry. Everyone in the world saw you jetting around with him and clinging to his arm and accompanying him to royal events. So how can we expect you to be impartial when you engage in diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom? Wouldn’t you be bias towards them because of your history with him? Wouldn’t your emotions cloud your judgment? After all, you loved him. Didn’t you? After two years together, I imagine you must have, especially to endure the press and endless –”

That was it. Throughout the entire campaign Paulina had been waiting for that moment. She knew that the GOP wasn’t going to just ignore her past relationship with Harry, she knew they weren’t going to pretend that it hadn’t happened. That wouldn’t have been like them. They pounced on whatever they considered failings that could seriously damage an opponent’s credibility, and they had just been waiting for the opportune moment to remind voters of the fact that the Democratic candidate had ties to a foreign monarchy. There had been many arguments regarding when the information ought to be brought up, whether or not Thomas Henderson should be the one to bring it up or whether a political action committee supporting him ought to release an ad reminding voters of that. In the end, it was decided that Thomas should bring it up in the final debate. After that, they could run ads supporting his claim. It was their Hail Mary and they hoped it would discredit her. They hoped that the moment Thomas mentioned Prince Harry, Paulina would grow flustered, but that wasn’t the case. Her features didn’t change. There was no furrowed brow or panicked look. She simply remained there, appearing as calm and collected as ever.

From the moment she seriously contemplated running for office, she knew that her relationship with Harry would be brought up. It was too high profile to be cast aside. The Democrats hadn’t brought it up, because they didn’t feel it had anything to do with American politics. He didn’t even have anything to do with British politics. The monarchy didn’t have a say in legislation, they were strictly there for ceremonial purposes. They had no real power and the Democrats understood that, the Democrats saw that there was no value in pursuing that angle, that was why they left it out, but the Republicans – well, they were clever. They knew that there were a lot of ignorant Americans out there that might be easily swayed into believing that Elizabeth II and her family ruled the United Kingdom, that their word was as good as law, and they were eager on pursuing that, but it had to be done at the right time. So they waited and waited, and when they saw that Paulina was up by six in the polls, they decided that it was time to unleash that information.

Unfortunately for them, she was ready.

“Do forgive me,” she cut Thomas off mid rant. “I was under the impression that this was a foreign policy debate – not a tabloid interview. If the former is true, then I will gladly continue to engage in debate, but if the latter, I have nothing further to say.”

“This is a foreign policy question.” Thomas held his ground. His camp had told him how critical this would be to his success. He had to discredit her. “You weren’t in a two year relationship with just random British citizen. Had that been the case, then I agree with you. That relationship would have absolutely nothing to do with foreign policy, but Prince Harry wasn’t some random guy. He is the grandson to Queen Elizabeth II. He is the son of the heir apparent. He is third in the Line of Succession to the British throne. All of that, makes your previous relationship with him a valid topic in foreign policy.”

“If the Monarchy of the United Kingdom held any actual political power, you would be correct.” Paulina told him. “But you appear to have forgotten that their form of government is that of a constitutional monarchy, which places legislative supremacy in the British Parliament. It is Parliament which enacts law, it is through Parliament that the British government operates. Have I dated a Prime Minister? Have I invested myself romantically with a leading member of the House of Commons or House of Lords? I have not. Therefore my past relationship is of no concern to foreign policy. That relationship ended five years ago. As did all contact. Now tell me again, how it has to do with foreign policy? Please, Mr. Henderson. Do tell. Do explain to the audience and myself how my previous relationship with the grandson of a ceremonial Head of State constitutes meaningful foreign policy.”

“They undertake public duties.” He argued. “You undertook public duties. Or have you forgotten the events that you accompanied your then boyfriend to or the polo match in which you awarded the trophy?”

“A polo match that sought to raise funds for his charity, not the crown.” She shot back. “What about you, though?”

“What about me?”

“What about your relationship to Syrian President Ashraf al-Hassad?” She was done playing nice. He thought that he was going to ruin her on Harry and now she was going to be the one to bring him down. And the moment she mentioned Ashraf, she saw him clench his jaw. “Tell me, what of your relationship to him? Or that of your company?”

“You’re trying to change the subject.” He argued. “You know that your former relationship with a Prince makes you unfit to be a Senator in a democracy.”

“It doesn’t.” She firmly stated. “But you’re right. I should put all my cards on the table. I should let this great state know my ties to foreign governments.”

“Moving onto the next question!” declared the moderator, hoping to get the debate back on track.

“No!” said Thomas, a bit harsher than he’d intended. “We deserve to hear her ties.”

“This is highly irregular,” continued James. “When we began this segment, we were meant to –”

“Callum Key,” she spoke over the moderator, “current Member of Parliament in New Zealand. Graham Walsh, legislative assistant to the Prime Minister of Australia. Lesedi Sibanyoni, Deputy Chief of Staff to the South African President. Terry Robinson, Top Personal Aide to the Governor-General of Canada.” She paused a moment, allowing the names and titles to sink in. “They’re all fellow Rhodes Scholars that I consider dear friends and am in regular correspondence with. I have attended their weddings, I receive holiday cards from them, just like they receive cards from me. Those men have the ability to directly impact foreign policy. Those men – how rude of me, I’ve forgotten my best friend. Best mate, as he’d say.” She smiled. “Alfred Ferrars, a high ranking member of the Prudential Regulation Authority of Britain. I was best man at his wedding and I’m the godmother of his little girl. And now that I’ve said that, those men are the ones that you should have come out here asking me about, those men have the ability to impact legislation. But instead, you decided to bring up my previous romantic relationship with a Prince. You decided that was the route to go, and I must say I’m disappointed. James asked us about foreign policy. He truly wanted us to dive into that topic and discuss the importance of diplomats. Instead you went after a Prince. But now that that’s been taken care of, I want to discuss your relationship with Syrian President Ashraf al-Hassad.”

“There is no relationship.” Thomas was quick to say.

“No relationship? That surely can’t be true. Not true at all.” She paused a moment, relishing in the panicked look that flickered in his eyes. “Because if that wasn’t true, then you are openly stating that Henderson and Ayres forged information on their tax returns.”

“What are –?”

“According to their 2015 tax returns, they reported that you had traveled to Syria and spent a substantial amount.”

“That’s not true.” He declared. “I have –”

“You traveled to Syria and met with President al-Hassad who assured you that Henderson and Ayres assets in the country would continue to be allowed to operate within its borders and that it would be protected. Am I lying?”

He said nothing.

“Your company went against American sanctions placed on Syria to continue to make a profit. You met with a war criminal that was formally charged by the United Nations in 2014. You met with him in order to secure your company’s financial assets in the region. I repeat, am I lying?”

“It is important that we open diplomatic talks with Iran and North Korea. They are still currently developing nuclear weapons and it is our duty to this country and the safety of its people to –”

“The oil taken from Syria was then sold to members of the European Union for a large profit. Do you know what I call that? Blood money. Every single penny earned from those transactions is smeared with the blood of the Syrian people who have been oppressed and massacred by their so call President. Henderson and Ayres has blood in their bank accounts, and you can change the topic as much as you like but nothing is changing that. But if you insist, then I will humor you. The situation in Iran and North Korea is indeed grave. It is imperative that we . . .”

The rest of the debate was a blur. She couldn’t remember what arguments she made or what her closing statement was. She was far too focused on the high that shutting down Thomas Henderson had given her. That asshole had thought he was going to open up an old wound, he thought he was going to make her tear up in front of the camera, but he’d been the one that had gotten his ass handed to them. And when they shook hands at the end of the night, both candidates took advantage that they didn’t have mics on them.

“You think you’re so fucking clever.” He whispered into her ear as they hugged for the cameras.

“Awe you're sad because your strategy didn’t work.” She said as she patted his back. “You should’ve invested the money the Koch brothers gave you on better staff. Who am I kidding? That wouldn’t have changed tonight’s outcome. What you need to do is run off to Syria with your boyfriend. Go relax. I got this.”

“You’re a fucking bitch.” He told her as they pulled apart from the hug. He smiled as he told her, keeping up the act in front of the cameras.

“All the best women are.”

That said, she turned and waved at the audience. She waved at the strangers that were calling out her name, she pointed to them and smiled that toothy smile that always settled on her face after debates. Her eyes then lingered over to where her staff sat. Only those that had accompanied her that day had been admitted into the audience. Fadilah smiled proudly, Janet and Ember were already brainstorming what they would tell the press, and Michael and Anne both looked so fucking pleased. Paulina knew that Anne was going to tell her not to get too cocky, but for the moment, she was allowing herself to truly celebrate the moment and eager to see her parents’ faces, she glanced over to where they were supposed to be sitting and when she did, she was filled with a sense of wonder, because there in the audience, there sitting right next to her mother was Francis. His emerald green eyes were firmly fixed on her and the moment her eyes locked on his, a massive grin broke onto his face.