Black President

by Brenda Hampton

  “Mama, please stop talking about Raynetta. She’ll be fine. Take care of yourself, and I’ll give you a call tomorrow to check on you. I’m headed into an important meeting, so I have to go.”

  “Okay. And be nice. When I see you on TV, you’re always looking so mean. Like you want to hurt somebody, but that’s what being with a woman like Ne-ne will do to you. Either way, don’t you hurt nobody up there on Capitol Hill, okay?”

  “I can’t promise you that I won’t, but I will promise you that I won’t go to jail.”

  She laughed, and after exchanging the love, we ended the call. I exited the restroom and ran right into Tyler who was outside waiting for me.

  “If you don’t mind,” I said, “I want to speak to Speaker Robinson alone. You can meet with the Majority Whip to see if he can help get some order with the Republican caucus.”

  “I’ll do what I can. Meanwhile, if you need any assistance in there with the Speaker, buzz my phone and I’ll be right there.”

  “I’m sure I can handle Mr. Speaker.”

  Tyler chuckled as he walked away in his tight-legged pantsuit. I watched him, thinking about how much I was starting not to trust him. Recently, every time he stood in my presence, I got bad vibes. Maybe it was just me, but when he turned around, looking at me with a sly smirk, I sensed, again, that something wasn’t right. I walked away, realizing even more that I needed to keep a closer eye on my circle.

  Minutes later, I stood by Speaker Robinson’s door that had his name engraved on a gold plate. I knocked once, then entered before he invited me to come inside. His leather chair faced the wall behind him while he was leaned back in it. Cigar smoke filled the air, and on top of the mahogany wooden desk was a laptop and a pile of cluttered papers. A fireplace was in front of his desk, and to the left was a sitting area with four leather chairs surrounding a round table. The beautiful crystal chandelier set the entire office off, as well as the thick crown molding that covered every corner of the room. The Oval Office was much bigger, so there was no mistake about who was considered the most important around here.

  “You’re early,” he said, swinging around in his chair. “I thought you would have changed your mind about coming here, especially since I think you’re wasting your time.”

  “Wasting my time or not, I’m here. Are you going to sit here or shall we have a seat over there?” I pointed to the sitting area near the round table.

  “No, I reckon that this chair is quite comfortable, and I don’t see no reason for me to move my ass. Have a seat in the chair in front of me. It’s leather, and I can have it wiped off and polished again after you leave.”

  Due to my purpose, I bit my tongue, refusing to comment harshly on his bullshit. I then took a seat, crossing one leg over the other.

  “Speaker Robinson, I didn’t come here to exchange jabs with you, and I’ve had enough fights in the streets of St. Louis. The issues with our country are more important than the beef we have—”

  “Beef?” he said, laughing. “Who said anything about beef? I thought you liked chicken.”

  My eyes narrowed. If they could shoot bullets, he would have been dead. “As I was saying, the problems we have are bigger than our dislike for each other. I’m here to find out what I can do to encourage you to get your party in line on crucial upcoming votes in the House. The Senate is good, but for several years, the Republican-led House has prohibited us from moving forward. We have to start working on legislation that moves us forward. I’m willing to meet you halfway on anything, but you have to give me something to work with.”

  He smashed his cigar in an ashtray, then looked across the desk at me with his evil eyes. I could sense how much this man despised me, and quite frankly, the feeling was mutual.

  “I thought I made it clear the last time we all got together for one of these ridiculous meetings that I would never work with you. You’re too dumb, and your attitude is real ugly, boy. Those fancy clothes you wear are only a cover-up, and after you remove them, you still have that same ole skin that will never get you anywhere. It’s definitely not going to get you anywhere in an institution like this, and just so you know, as long as you reside in my house, I intend to have my members block every bill that comes to the House floor.”

  “So, basically, you’re saying to hell with the American people? The color of my skin is going to prevent you from doing your job, and that’s all there is to it, huh?”

  “You’re damn right it is. And, yes, to hell with the American people. The majority of them voted for you, so now they’re all going to pay for making a horrible decision. The only thing that will light a fire under my ass is if you step down and allow Tyler to take over. If so, I’ll give him gun control. I’ll give him infrastructure, more freebees for blacks . . . all of that other wonderful crap you promised on the campaign trail. At the snap of my fingers, I will make my party fall in line, but you’ll have to make the Democrats fall out of love with you and your nonsense.”

  I must admit that I was in awe after sitting in the Speaker’s office for only a few minutes. He didn’t hold back, and it was good to know where he stood on all of this. I had to clarify a few things, just to be sure that he meant what he’d said.

  “So, the bottom line for you is this: As long as I’m president, you will sit there and do nothing. You will make the American people pay for electing me, and you will only make a move if I step down.”

  “You got it, and it didn’t even take you long to figure it out.”

  “No, Mr. Speaker, the only thing I got is you.”

  I removed a recorder from the inside of my jacket, showing it to him. Before saying another word, I clicked the stop button, then leaned in close to his desk.

  “You have the audacity to call me dumb, but you must be the stupidest motherfucker I know. Within the hour, the whole world will hear exactly what you just said, and they will finally understand why nothing is getting done. I won’t be going anywhere, but there is another alternative. If you choose to resign before eight o’clock tonight, this tape recorder stays in my possession. If not, you already know the consequences.”

  Speaker Robinson looked as if he had stopped breathing. All kinds of flies ran into his mouth—it was opened so wide. He was the one now tongue-tied and was too slow when he reached out, trying to snatch the recorder from my hand.

  “Nigga, please,” I said, tucking the recorder back in my pocket, then stood. “I need to hear from you or get a fax by eight o’clock. That’s plenty of time for you to decide what you need to do, and I know you’ll make the right decision to protect this institution.”

  As I strutted toward the door, Speaker Robinson called after me. I didn’t bother to turn around and face the coward.

  “You’re going to pay for this,” he shouted out. “Trust me, you’re going to pay!”

  “Any cost that I will pay will be well worth it, especially if that means getting you the hell out of here. Pack your bags, old man. Retirement awaits you.”

  I left with my head raised high. Many cameras flashed at me, and with a smile on my face, I didn’t answer one question. My smooth walk was an indication that things had gone well.

  When I returned to the Oval Office, I informed Tyler how things had gone down. He was stunned. Near speechless as he paced the floor and raked his hair back while I played the message on the recorder for him to listen to.

  “Oh my God,” he said. “I . . . I can’t believe he said that to you. Didn’t he know that . . . How could he not know that you were recording what he said?”

  “He was too stupid to realize it. Put his foot right in his mouth, and his own words will be played on every news network if he doesn’t resign today.”

  Tyler looked to be in deep thought. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and he kept wiping down his face with his hands.

  “This is huge, Stephen. But . . . but I don’t know if we should let the American people hear what Speaker Robinson said to you. There could be many attempts on his l
ife, and I don’t want you to have any regrets behind this.”

  I had to laugh. “You have my word that I will have no regrets. If anything, I hope that his replacement will be easier for me to work with. If not, I’ll figure out what to do to get rid of that person too.”

  “There is a chance that Senator Bass could replace him, if he resigns. I don’t think he will do it, but then again, I’m not so sure. I need to go find out some more information. I’m sure others are starting to talk, and if I hear anything I’ll let you know.”

  “Please do. I have a quick errand to run, but I’ll be back soon.”

  “Where are you going? I need you here, just in case.”

  “I won’t be gone for long. Just need to take care of something.”

  Tyler held out his hand. “Do you mind leaving the recorder with me? I want to make a duplicate of it, just in case we may need it.”

  “No. The recorder stays with me. I’ll have duplicates made ASAP.”

  “Okay. See you when you return.”

  Tyler rushed out of my office to see what he could find out. I was hyped about what was on the recorder, but the thoughts of my mother weighed heavily on my mind too. I planned to stop by her place to see her, but when Secret Service drove me there, she didn’t answer the door. I had a key to let myself in, and after looking around, she was nowhere to be found. I returned to the motorcade, then called her cell phone. Thankfully, she answered.

  “Yes, son,” she said in a cheerful tone.

  “Where are you? I stopped by to see you.”

  “I’m at a friend’s house. Had you told me you were stopping by, I would have stayed home. I didn’t feel like being cooped up at home, so I came to Debbie’s house to visit her.”

  “Okay. Tell her I said hello. Buzz me when you get home to let me know you’re safe.”

  “I will do no such thing. Stop worrying about me, please. Now, good-bye.”

  I felt a little better after we hung up, but she was still on my mind. My thoughts, however, shifted in another direction when I went to Chanel’s office to discuss a private matter before her evening program. Looking sexy as ever, she sat against her desk, very delighted to see me.

  “So, let me get this straight,” she said. “You want me to play that recorder and allow everyone to hear what the Speaker said, even if he resigns?”

  “Yes. I told him that I would keep it in my possession, but I didn’t exactly tell the truth. Regardless of what he decides to do, I want everyone to know what kind of man has been so-called running things on Capitol Hill. I never want him to work anywhere else again, and right about now, I know that he’s trying to figure out a way that he can still prohibit me from moving my agenda forward. As a gift to you, I’m giving you an explosive story to report. Everyone will be tuned in tonight, including other networks that have no access to what you have.”

  “You are playing real dirty, Mr. President, but I like your style.”

  “Trust me, you haven’t seen nothing yet.”

  “I’m sure I haven’t, but I thank you for looking out for little ole me again. I have to keep asking myself, why me, and not other reporters like . . . like Michelle Peoples? She’s been bragging about a photo she took with you, and I can’t help but to notice how your eyes always seem to be looking in her direction during your meetings with the press. Maybe it’s nothing, and it doesn’t explain why you haven’t returned any of my calls. I guess your wife told you about her visit, and I’m slightly annoyed that I haven’t heard from you.”

  Yeah, and she was about to annoy me. “Can we put all of that aside for one night and handle this thing regarding Speaker Robinson? If you don’t want to do this, I can find plenty of reporters who will. I just thought—”

  She held out her hand, asking for the recorder. “Say no more. The pleasure to serve you would be all mines. After I’m done sharing the good news, I would love to have a celebration with you. Tell me, Mr. President, if that is at all possible.”

  I wanted everything to flow smoothly tonight, but if I told Chanel that I wasn’t down with her celebration, she would trip.

  “I’ll try my best to call you, but I can’t make you any promises because you know the shit will hit the fan tonight.”

  “Then, what about tomorrow?” She walked up to me and put her arms on my shoulders. “I need to see you again, but I’m not going to beg. I can’t stop thinking about what you did to me, and every time I close my eyes, there you are. Have you been thinking about me, or are you too busy to allow me to invade your thoughts?”

  Damn, I hated to lie, but the truth was, I hadn’t thought much about what had happened between us on Air Force One. There were too many other things on my mind, including Raynetta.

  I wrapped my arms around her waist, just to put her at ease. “Of course I’ve thought about us, but please understand that there is so much going on right now. I just don’t have a lot of free time on my hands, and with Raynetta on my back, seeing you again may be difficult.”

  Chanel looked me straight in the eyes while placing her finger on my lips.

  “I said I wasn’t going to beg. If you want to make time for us, you will. Meanwhile, be sure to tune in this evening, and thanks, again, for giving me what I need.”

  She leaned in to kiss me, and even though I enjoyed the taste of her sweet lips, I cut the kiss short. I returned to the White House almost an hour later. And by 7:30 p.m., I had the Speaker’s resignation letter in my hand. Word spread quickly; it was a total shock to all. Yet again, my phones rang off the hook, even more so when Chanel started to deliver the evening news.

  “Chaos has erupted on Capitol Hill tonight, and Speaker Robinson is in the center of it all. For those of you tuning in, please beware of the shocking, hateful, and vulgar words used by the Speaker. I am thrilled that he has resigned, because there is no place for this kind of leadership on Capitol Hill. Our president deserves much more respect than this, and we, the American people, need to stand by him and encourage our congressional leaders to do the same.”

  Chanel was so good at making people see things her way. She played the recorder, and not one single news contributor could sit there and defend what the Speaker had said. Well . . . maybe one.

  “To me, it sounded as if the Speaker was intoxicated. And how do we know that message is authentic? I don’t think that any of us should rush to judgment, especially since we have not heard directly from the Speaker yet.”

  “We have heard from him,” Chanel fired back. “He resigned. He resigned because he had no other choice. And you’d better believe the message is authentic. I have a very reliable source who made that recording available to me, and there is no secret that the Speaker is a racist. In this day and age, we can’t afford to have leaders like him making vital decisions pertaining to our laws.”

  They all went on and on, chewing up Speaker Robinson and spitting him out. I enjoyed every bit of it, and as I sat at my desk with my hands behind my head, I was delighted to take his call.

  “You dirty piece of shit,” he shouted. “You said you wouldn’t release that message if I resigned! How dare you not honor your word! How dare you, you fucking nigger!”

  “I’ll be that and then some, Mr. Robinson. And I will also be your president for the next four or possibly eight long years. By then, you’ll probably be flip-flopping in your grave.”

  I hung up, then quickly returned a phone call from Michelle that I missed while watching the news. I was in a very good mood, but by the way she sounded on the other end of the phone, I could tell that she wasn’t.

  “I know you said that I could call you and talk, and I’m sure you’re awfully busy, especially with all that’s going on with Speaker Robinson. I . . . I just found myself in an unfortunate situation tonight, and I kind of needed a man’s point-of-view in reference to what I’ve been going through.”

  No, I really didn’t have time for this tonight, but I was good at listening and giving advice. I did just that for the next fifteen mi
nutes or so and was glad when Michelle started to sound better. She admitted to knowing that her husband was on the down low, but she wasn’t sure if leaving him was the right thing to do. They hadn’t had sex in almost two years, and he spent more time with his lover than he did with her and the kids. “Know when to go” was a piece of advice I’d given her. She agreed.

  “I do think it’s best that we go our separate ways, and I don’t know what I’ve been holding on for. It’s embarrassing, more than anything, and I’ve always tried to hang in there like my parents have for so many years.”

  In the moment, I couldn’t help but to think about my marriage. I figured Raynetta was still trying to get her lies together, because I hadn’t heard a peep from her.

  “Years that so many of us would love to have, but we just aren’t willing to do the work. I commend those who do it.”

  “I do as well.” She paused. “Good night, Stephen. Thanks for listening. Your advice was much appreciated.”

  “You’re welcome. Rest well.”

  Our call ended, but several minutes later, Michelle reached out to me again. I had just wrapped up a call with Andrew who expressed to me how chaotic things were tonight on Capitol Hill.

  “I’m sorry to bother you again,” she said. “But my children are with my parents for the weekend. I’m kind of bored, and would like to go for a nice, long, quiet, and peaceful walk in the park. Care to join me?”

  “All parks are closed at this time of the night.”

  She laughed. “Not closed to the president, and being with you would make it even better. Bring your Secret Service along; we’ll have nothing to worry about.”