by DRK
Sheila arrived in her truck at the exact same time Osmo exited the bowling alley. They hugged one another, each commending the other for being right on time. Once Osmo settled in, Sheila peeled out, heading for the governor's mansion. Osmo said that it wasn't a good time right now for Albert and Jane to come to the lunch.
Along the way, Sheila, deep in thought, talked little. Curious, Osmo asked, "What's on your mind today?"
She told him about her talk with Nina in the rec hall two nights ago, about how they talked about Sheila's mom, and that was nice. "I wish Mrs. McCleer and I could have talked some more, but then Uncle Xavier came with the most tragic news. How terrible. Mr. McCleer was caught in a cave-in at the mines, and they haven't found him yet. My uncle tells me they don't even know if he is still alive, but they are doing what they can to find him. That's why I didn't even feel like going out last night."
"Poor Mrs. McCleer. That's too bad. I wish there was something that could be done for people is such positions like that, losing a loved one, but... there's nothing that anybody can do..."
"Yes. It is a very uncomfortable fact of life. Her loss made me think of my own loss of my mother, again, and the frustration and anger at not being able to do much about it. She had known my mother very well at one time." She heaved a depressed breath. "I don't know why these things have to happen. I hate the way life works out sometimes."
"Me, too."
Sheila said, "Anyway, my uncle kept reminding me of the time all morning today, so that I fetch you and you aren't late for our lunch. Uncle Xavier says he wants to see you there 'gracing our table', as he puts it. I don't know what's up, but the whole lunch thing is obviously important to him for a reason."
"Hm, I wonder what it can be."
At the Governor's House, Gov. Bright, delighted to see their timely arrival, congratulated Sheila. "Very good. You are becoming more punctual."
"Yeah, I got the impression you had something important to say, so I figured we better be on time," she replied.
Gov. Bright sat at the large meal table. Sec. Ldr. Clyden and Mita also sat there. Mita clung affectionately onto Sec. Ldr. Clyden's arm. This seemed to make the security chief a touch self-conscious and embarrassed, since he had at least ten years on the young woman. With a delicious meal prepared and served by robots, they all looked forward to this lunch. (If it were dinner, however, Xavier would insist on a human chef, still preferring people making a good dinner instead of robots.)
And Nina, of course, didn't join them today.
The governor asked his guest politely, "How was your bowling today, Osmo? I trust you bowled a 300."
"Almost, Gov. Bright, except those bowling shoes at that place don't fit very well. My pair felt uneven, and it threw off my whole game."
Gov. Bright nodded understandingly. "Ah, I see."
Sec. Ldr. Clyden said in a mocking tone, "I hate when that happens." Mita giggled at his humor and gave him a big squeeze. This made him wince, but not because she squeezed too hard.
Osmo answered," And yet, even with those tight bowling shoes, I bet I could slaughter you on the bowling lanes!"
"Ha! Only in your wildest dreams, punk!"
Osmo readied a comeback, but Sheila gently squeezed his hand and, when he glanced at her, she shook her head ever so slightly. He remembered she had worried before about him making Sec. Ldr. Clyden angry with him, and Osmo also remembered they were at the governor's table, so he decided to force himself to be mature and to not argue with the security leader.
Gov. Bright talked casually and cordially with Osmo during the meal. He discussed how much he loved the World of Hope, and he talked of all the advances his people on Hope had made for the world's betterment, and how they had gained some more habitable land zones recently, thanks to experiments with the overworked Enviro-Gens. "It's really becoming a lovely little planet."
"It is," Osmo agreed, waiting to see where this all led.
"To think, we owe all this to your brave mother, who kept the wormhole from destroying Earth when it opened, and which since then has brought us all here from Earth. A wonderful woman, Dr. Hope Martin. I remember her heroism very well, and I want to make sure everyone else who comes here to our world does, too; that's why we made such a beautiful memorial to her. I hope you think it does her justice. I hope it makes you proud to think of her every time you see it."
Osmo grew uncomfortable. He didn't know what to answer the governor.
Sheila quietly said, "Uncle, Osmo didn't see it yet."
This amazed all at the table. Gov. Bright raised his eyebrows. "Would I be out of line if I were to inquire as to the reason?"
Before Osmo could answer, Sheila spoke again. "Uncle Xavier, he doesn't like to talk about it."
Mita found this answering for Osmo very annoying on Sheila's part, but she kept her peace. Time to move on and forget Osmo.
"Oh," was all Gov. Bright said, letting the matter go.
"Why not talk about it?" Sec. Ldr. Clyden wanted to know. "You should honor your mama, you know."
In his job, Clyden developed the habit of getting answers to mysteries and asking point-blank questions.
Gov. Bright shook his head in Clyden's direction. "Sec. Ldr. Clyden, let us respect his privacy."
Clyden, embarrassed at his faux pas, nodded, realizing this wasn't the place to interrogate. At least, not if the governor said no.
Osmo spoke up finally. "No, it's okay, I guess. Maybe I should talk about it once. So my friend Albert said this morning at the bowling alley. It's been so many years, back when I was a kid. I should force myself to accept my loss, I suppose. I must move past the circumstances that led to my mother's unfortunate death. The thought of visiting the memorial- it's like it's commemorating her doom, not her life. I know that's not what it's about, but that's what it seems like to me. Al and Jane said I should visit there before I go back home. I think Albert thinks it will help me make peace with what happened if I do."
"It sounds like good advice," Gov. Bright concurred. "However, it is your choice to make and no one else's."
Sheila added, "I didn't want to say anything to you, Osmo, but I think Albert is right. I appreciated seeing, at my mom's funeral, the way so many people loved her. I was glad to see she meant something to so many. And I would be honored to accompany you, if you do go to the memorial, you know."
The governor turned the flow of the conversation. "But regarding the idea of returning to Earth- I ask you to think carefully over what I am about to propose, and I hope that you don't refuse me, although this, too, is a choice only you can make."
"Aha, I knew that you had something important to say, Uncle," said Sheila.
"What is it, sir?" Osmo respectfully queried.
Sir? Mita found that strange for Osmo. He held such disdain for authority. She only heard him use that term once, as far as she remembered. Way back when he tried to fool the principal about his innocence, or really it was lack of innocence, in the matter of the exploding toilets at the high school. However, when he used "sir" at that time, he obviously lacked sincerity (except he had convinced the principal). Now, though, he said it without hesitation, and it seemed to come from his heart. She found that odd.
Gov. Bright began: "Osmo, I like you. I like you a lot. I find you to be a charming companion for Sheila and even, may I suggest it, a match for my lovely niece-"
"Uncle!" Sheila protested, taken aback by his candid comments. Osmo brought out a shyness in Sheila? Xavier found that funny, but kept it to himself.
Her uncle answered, "Sheila, I have eyes. I see you two have grown close, and are fond of each other. Very good, and why not? You both are quite likable."
Clyden stuffed a pork chop into his mouth to keep from guffawing at that.
Gov. Bright continued: "Osmo, I want you to join my security staff. You and Sec. Ldr. Clyden will be an unbeatable team. I heard how well you handled yourself at the Tourist Trap when you were attacked by those thugs. I want somebody like that protecting Sparkle City."
Sec. Ldr. Clyden almost choked on the chop upon hearing this.
Mita gasped, "Tretl, I thought-"
"Not now, Mita," he sputtered between gaggings.
Concerned, Osmo hopped up and hurried over to give Clyden the Heimlich maneuver. Clyden waved him off. "Okay, okay, I'm okay."
Osmo sat back down. Everybody asked Clyden if he were okay, and he assured them he was.
Osmo leaned back in his chair and mused over the governor's generous offer, stunned to be offered such a spot. He took a moment to answer, then said, "I am very honored to have been considered for such a position, Gov. Bright."
Sec. Ldr. Clyden spoke up. "Gov. Xavier, he's so young- And you know he'll miss his family back on Earth if he stays here." Despite the governor's obvious desire in this matter to have Osmo accept, Clyden wanted to persuade the punk to go home once.
"He may be young, but he thinks quickly in an emergency," said Sheila. "He hurried over to you to give you aide just now!"
Gov. Bright reminded Sec. Ldr. Clyden, "I am sure he will miss Mr. Martin. But all great men, on the way to being great, must make difficult choices. Most of us who have come to the World of Hope have left behind loved ones. But to live here, we must say good-bye to the lives we had back on Earth. And, even though life can sometimes be hard here, it is easy for one to fall in love with our little world and decide to stay. I think Osmo is mature enough to make such a choice work for him, if he wants."
Mita, meanwhile, glared at no one in particular, and said nothing.
But Clyden further said, "And there's one other thing, Gov. Xavier. You know as well as I that, well, let's face it, Osmo Martin has led an undisciplined lifestyle. We all heard stories on Hope about his doings back on Earth."
Sheila pointed out, "Sec. Ldr. Clyden, that was before. He's changed. He's not quite like he used to be. Osmo doesn't drink anymore- well, not much, that is. He keeps his dates with me- and I also have been keeping mine with him-"
Gov. Bright smiled and patted Sec. Ldr. Clyden's shoulder good-naturedly. "I trust a little training under you personally will give him enough discipline to be able to do the job. What do you say, Osmo?"
"Well, I will certainly give it a lot of thought, but I already know my answer, and it is a definite YES!"
"Good, then it's settled." This obviously pleased the smiling Gov. Bright. He turned to Clyden. "And when can you begin the training, then?"
"Um, almost immediately," he mumbled, trying to hide his anger. Then, as he considered this turn of events, a shadow crossed his face. He smiled. "Why, yes, maybe it is a good idea if I will be personally training the pun- Mr. Martin."
Osmo gulped at the thought, but he didn't change his mind.
Mita had observed Clyden's initial hidden fury, and she also noted how, despite how he felt, he backed down so easily from arguing with Gov. Bright against Osmo joining the force. And now he wanted to train him even! What was that all about? And what was worse yet-
She whispered into Clyden's ear, "I thought you were going to get me a job in security!"
"And I will!" he whispered back. "You and Osmo went to school together. You can train together, too. What's the big deal?"
As Osmo and Sheila and the governor chatted happily about the new job, Mita answered back in a low voice, "The big deal is that, now, with Osmo in the job, if there is a promotion once you talk Gov. Bright into making you Lt. Governor, that I won't get the promotion to your position. You know Sheila will probably suggest Gov. Bright put Osmo there as the security chief once you move up, despite Osmo being obviously unqualified. And just when do you expect to become Lt. Governor, anyway? No thanks, I don't want that job anymore, Tretl."
Sheila interrupted their whisperings, asking, "Mita, it looks like Osmo isn't going back to Earth for awhile. How about you, what are your plans?"
She replied, "Osmo and Albert came here together but separately from me. I just happened to be on the same flight. However, I had given some thoughts to staying here, making a life for myself here on the World of Hope. Maybe I will, but I haven't yet decided. But I think I will stick around yet, see what comes up, what the future holds for me here."
"Oh, I am sure it will only be good things for you on our humble planet, during your stay, no matter how long or short it is. I think you will find it worth your time," said Gov. Bright. Whenever he got the chance, he liked to brag up this world.
Mita looked at Clyden and then at Osmo. Yeah, right, she thought.
George's Secret
