The Before Short Story Series. Part 1 - Иван Перепелятник

Why is the renovation of Bolton Gardens, which has been going on for the second year, not yet completed?!

Why do our residents have to queue for two months to see a dentist, even if a surgery is necessary?

Why was the grocery closed, the one on the corner of Warwick Street, where social coupons were accepted,? Isn’t it there that another new business center is now under construction?

I do ask questions – why wouldn’t they listen!!’

The crowd cheered. Someone whistled and began to shout out:

‘That’s right, Robert! Right! But what can you do? What are you suggesting, Robert! What, Robert?’

‘I do hear you! And is this my answer. The first thing we need do is to make those whom we trust to represent our interests, to make them responsible for their words, responsible for what they promise! Elections pass and everything is quietly forgotten. The so-called representatives of the people change their masks so quickly, join some big parties, blurring into the vast oblivion, where they can no longer be seen, where they are only a small part of something big, so that we can no longer reach them. I wonder—is this the choice we make?!’

‘No! No! They’re parasites!’ voices echoed in the square.

‘Parasites, you say? I bet! They mimic. They are worse than parasites. We won’t confuse a cockroach with anything and we can just swat it with a slipper. But the representatives of our will chosen by us so skilfully take off their skins, merging with an army of their own kind as soon as they get what they want from us. They don’t remember their promises. They have one goal—to serve the interests of the party. And whom are the parties siding with?! I’m asking a question! Big business! That’s what’s important to them! They don’t want to think about our rotten teeth, about the collapsed paving stones in the park, about the need to develop transport infrastructure! They don’t want to pay the bills anymore! This is the way it is working now!’

‘And what makes you different? Are you better at all? It doesn’t look like your teeth are rotten!’ The crowd burst out laughing.

Robert was beaming. His right hand on his chest he continued:

‘That’s right! I managed to replace all my crowns before the price went up!’ again the wave of laughter rolled over. People were standing in front of the low podium where Robert was making a speech, and the crowd was getting bigger and bigger. The lunch time was the right choice.

‘I offer a simple solution. To act without any tricks and dodging. There will be no way for: I didn’t say that. Or: now this is not on my list of priorities. Or: it was in my previous life, no one will remember it now. This is how it usually happens. But here, the solution lies in the problem itself.

My team and I,’ Robert turned and pointed towards the people standing to his left so that others could see them on the right, ‘have launched a website where, in the first place, every speech we give, everything I say or write is published in the form of articles. Then, a simple and clear list of tasks with specific deadlines is provided. This list of tasks is my program. This is what I promise as your representative to do for you. These steps that will make our life in our neighbourhood, in our area better. Obviously, I will not be able to renounce my promises, my obligations to you. My site is called RichardsonPromises.соm. I know what to do to fulfil each of the items and projects I have stated. But I need your support. I need your mandate! I need your voice! I know what we can do together that we couldn’t have achieved before. I ask you to visit the RichardsonPromises.com website and look at the list, roadmap, fixed for years to come. If you feel like me! If the problems on the to-do list on the website and talked about here today matter to you

as well—vote! Vote for me! I need your voice so that we can together solve the issues that are important to everyone. Vote! My name is Robert Richardson! I want to be your voice in the Parliament!’

Music started playing. Robert began waving to the people in the crowd. Some responded with cheers waving their hands. Robert was standing on the podium, wearing a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbow, no tie, black trousers and plain slightly shabby black shoes. As he was about to step down from the podium, he turned around, showing the website address embroidered in bright blue on his shirt RichardsonPromises.com. Next to the podium there were booklets with Robert’s election program, caps and T-shirts, pens and some other small souvenirs distributed on the racks.

Two men stood a little apart from the happening carefully watching what was going on.

‘Well, what are we supposed to do with this freak?’

‘Yeah. Well, yes. A good question. We have to rack our brains, look for what we can… how we can pin him down.’

‘The good question is, how he is going to do all the things that he screamed about here.’

‘Are you asking me or what? How do I know that. Maybe he’s not going to. Or maybe he knows how. The fuck will understand him. Some kind of a weasel.’

‘We have a problem here. I’ll tell you what.’

Precedent

‘Listen, Robert, why do we need all these buffoons here,’ Antonio wondered, looking at a noisy team of five consultants gathered in the kitchen in Robert’s house.

‘What do you think of it yourself?’

‘That’s money poured down the drain’.

‘First of all, yes, as you know, I am really amused by this whole story. I haven’t been so happy for a long time.’

‘I’m very happy for